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Opening bottles too soon?

Northern Brewer General
#1

I bottled my first home brew last week. It’s a pretty low gravity beer .1044 and .1006 final.

I planned on waiting 2 weeks to open a bottle. However, the urge to open one and try it is overwhleming. If I open one, and it’s not carbonated, should I just drink it anyway, or re-cap it and wait? Not the biggest deal, but I’d hate to waste a beer due to being impatient.

The beer spent 2 weeks primary and 2 weeks secondary and seemed to reach full attenuation. Used table sugar priming recipe and have the bottles at room temp (70 F).

#2

Be sure to thoroughly chill the bottle before sampling, 24 hours minimum if you can stand it, to make sure the CO2 in the headspace reaches equilibrium with the beer. If it’s under-carbed, just drink it - opening it will release some CO2 and if you re-cap it will be under-carbed even if there’s sugar left for the yeast to consume.

When I bottle, I always fill at least one PET soda bottle for an easy check of carbonation without opening a beer - fill the bottle to about an inch from the top, squeeze the sides to make the beer come up to the lip, then cap, and as the beer carbs the beer level will drop and the bottle will pressurize and harden.

#3

It’s YOUR beer man! Try it if you want.

I know some people say it’s pointless (“you just have one less beer once it’s done!”). Still being new to brewing myself, I think it’s a fun part of the process! I brewed the NB Black IPA, messed with the recipe a bit and bottled last week. My wife and I wanted to try last night so we did, and it’s tastes great (she said it was AMAZING), but I know in 2 weeks it’ll be even better and it’s neat to be able to tell the difference and taste it mature.

I’ve only done 6 batches, and I know it’s hard to wait, but I will say it’s getting much easier now that I have some beer in the pipeline.

I say try it! and if it’s not carbed, drink it anyway!

#4

[quote=“drives_a_bike”]It’s YOUR beer man! Try it if you want.

I know some people say it’s pointless (“you just have one less beer once it’s done!”). Still being new to brewing myself, I think it’s a fun part of the process! I brewed the NB Black IPA, messed with the recipe a bit and bottled last week. My wife and I wanted to try last night so we did, and it’s tastes great (she said it was AMAZING), but I know in 2 weeks it’ll be even better and it’s neat to be able to tell the difference and taste it mature.

I’ve only done 6 batches, and I know it’s hard to wait, but I will say it’s getting much easier now that I have some beer in the pipeline.

I say try it! and if it’s not carbed, drink it anyway![/quote]

NB’s Black IPA will get better and better with time. So do yourself a favor and hold some back for drinking in a few weeks.
:cheers:

#5

I’ve been brewing on and off for six years or so and just prematurely opened a bottle up after a week. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to keep my hands off of it.

#6

[quote=“dobe12”]

NB’s Black IPA will get better and better with time. So do yourself a favor and hold some back for drinking in a few weeks.
:cheers: [/quote]

OH I AM!! Still have over a case and a half…Have plans to share a couple with some friends in mpls over Father’s Day weekend and then keeping the rest for a few months down the road.

#7

I always open a single bottle after the first week. I know it won’t be complete, but I’m always too curious to wait. And by all means, if you crack one open, drink it.

#8

I finally found a series of Rogue imperial beers in brown, seven ounce bottles. I now bottle two or three of these for every batch. Then I can try one at a week, another at ten days, etc. without wasting so much beer. I think it’s great to watch how the beer changes.

#9

That’s a great idea…I’ve seen those, but never thought of doing that!

#10

Several batches ago I started filling an empty 20 oz. plastic A & W bottle whenever I bottle. You can tell by how hard it gets when the carbing is good to go.

#11

[quote=“Rookie L A”]Several batches ago I started filling an empty 20 oz. plastic A & W bottle whenever I bottle. You can tell by how hard it gets when the carbing is good to go.[/quote]You could have just +1ed the second part of my post… :wink:

#12

Rootbeer flavor if very difficult to get out of plastics/rubber. Use anything but rootbeer bottles. :shock:

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