So I bottled my first brew last week. I read on here from a couple people to put some beer in a water bottle and squeeze out the excess air. Is this just to allow you to know that SOMETHING is going on in the bottles or can you successfully use this as a gauge to know when they are ready to go?
I planned to let them sit for at least 2 weeks and then crack one open and see but was just wondering if there was a more “scientific” way to tell if they are fully carbed.
When you see the plastic bottle get full and stiff, you know the carbonation is well under way or done. It’ll take another couple of weeks before that bit of yeast settles. So you can certainly drink carbonated beer after the week or two it takes for your indicator bottle to puff up, but it’ll continue to get better for a month.
I usually crack one open 2 weeks after, 9 times out of 10 its done.
Doesn’t that depend entirely on the amount of airspace I left at the top though? I guess that’s another question I should have asked: how much do most people fill up their plastic bottles for carb testing? I filled a 12 oz plastic bottle about halfway up.
Nuts to scientific. Most fun way is to drink a beer. :cheers:
I have popped open beers after two days that were exptremely drinkable. Some were still dead flat after one week. Still drank’em though.
:cheers: [quote=“Brew Meister Smith”][quote=“mattnaik”] was just wondering if there was a more “scientific” way to tell if they are fully carbed.[/quote]
Nuts to scientific. Most fun way is to drink a beer. :cheers:
I have popped open beers after two days that were exptremely drinkable. Some were still dead flat after one week. Still drank’em though.[/quote]
Sounds scientific to me! :cheers:
Doesn’t that depend entirely on the amount of airspace I left at the top though? I guess that’s another question I should have asked: how much do most people fill up their plastic bottles for carb testing? I filled a 12 oz plastic bottle about halfway up.[/quote]
You could only fill it partially. As you say enough CO2 will need to form to fill the voud.
Fill the plastic bottle to the top like you fo a glass bottle. Then squeeze the O2 outvand put the cap on.
Even thought the botle may be hard, it still takes additional time foe the CO2 to disolve into the beer. So give it 3 weeks to carb/age. And allow it to chill 24hrs. You will have a better product that way.
I’ve read not to use water bottles as they are not suitable for carbonation in the bottle. Clear soda bottles can be used (kept out of direct light). I’ve also read to avoid root beer bottles and the like due to flavor issues.
I believe in this case we are only really looking to fill one bottle as a CO2 tester. The rest of your bottles would be whatever you would usually be using.
A lot of water bottles are built too thin to hold full carbonation. Most guys I know using pop or water bottles will squeeze the bottles. Carbonation will generally expand the bottle to it’s usual size.
I still use the sit and wait approach.
Definitely going to be a time period where you need to sit and wait. As others have mentioned about using a soda/plastic bottle, it will become firm, but takes time for the CO2 and yeast to settle.
My last bottling, the plastic bottle became hard within 48 hours, but no way the carbination process was completed. I am going to give it 3 weeks and then will chill and test a beer.
The CO2 is produced in the liquid itself so I don’t buy that it takes longer for it to dissolve.
I’d fill the plastic bottle to within an inch or so from the top. I’m really just looking to see that significant carbonation is occurring, then I’ll let the beer go another couple of weeks or so before taste testing. Unless its a high ABV beer the carbonation is usually done in ten days to two weeks.
I use an A&W bottle all the time with no problem. Before I used it the first time I gave it a good soak in oxy-clean, rinsed, soaked it in sanatizer, rinsed, and a second soak in oxy-clean leaving no trace of root beer smell or flavor.
I use an A&W bottle all the time with no problem. Before I used it the first time I gave it a good soak in oxy-clean, rinsed, soaked it in sanatizer, rinsed, and a second soak in oxy-clean leaving no trace of root beer smell or flavor.[/quote]
Yeah I wasn’t planning on drinking the beer I put in the water bottle. I’m just using it as a gauge to see how the carbonation is going. If the bottle is expanding, C02 is being produced. I’m not too concerned about if it actually gets carbonated cause I’m just gonna dump it.
