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Since I'm a keg man all the way, I've only ever really glanced over the bottling questions on this fine forum. Now I'm thinking of joining the masses (partially) for the reason that I can make a couple of obscure brews (a spiced christmas ale and a barley wine), bottle them, age them, and they don't have to take up valuable keg real estate. I've done the "can only have one of em per session" beers in kegs before, and they sit in the fridge for donkeys.

Now the question. When do I bottle beer ? Total junior question I know, but can I still rack into secondary and totally ferment out ? Or does is have to have JUST stopped fermenting in order to secondarily ferment in the bottle ?

Evo

brew as you normally would and rack to the second

When the airlock stops bubbling and you get SG readings the same two days in a row, prime and bottle.

Hope this helps

If not don't worry have a home brew

Friar

Evo, you don't have to bottle just after it stops fermenting, I usually leave in primary a week then in secondary for a week (as I am a weekend brewer) then bottle and it has finished fermenting before this time. I have left beer in fermenters for a month and bottled with no problem and others on the forum have left it longer.

Evo wrote:Can I still rack into secondary and totally ferment out ? Or does is have to have JUST stopped fermenting in order to secondarily ferment in the bottle ?

Evo,

Welcome to the world of bottling. It's hard to believe that you've never been there

Anyway, as has been said, just proceed as normal. But instead of kegging when you normally would, just bottle it.

You prime each bottle with a little sugar, which allows secondary fermentation. There's still some yeast left suspended in the beer (even if you rack and leave it for a while), which will consume the priming sugar and carbonate your beer within a week or so. But maturation for a few months at least will be a benefit to your beer (although some here will disagree!).

High-gravity beers may benefit from some time (a month or two) in a secondary or even tertiary vessel before bottling.

Cheers,

Oliver

What can I say Oliver ? Actually, truth be known, I'm not really a bottling virgin. Used to do it back in the "Brigalow dark ages", way back when brewing was an art (read as blind optimism), not a science. If I knew then what I know now I wouldn't have had such a long hiatus from the brewpot and I'd probably be a millionaire (yeah right).

Thanks for you answers gents. I'll be bottling with the best of you soon. Might even have an excuse to pur-chase a SUPERAUTOMATICA. I've always wanted one, for the name alone. Now I may have a use for it.

Look forward to putting down a few vintages. Maybe even a belated "Millenium Ale". Did someone say RIP OFF ? ! ? !

Evo wrote: Might even have an excuse to pur-chase a SUPERAUTOMATICA. I've always wanted one, for the name alone. Now I may have a use for it.

Evo...advance welcome to the Brotherhood of the Super Automatica (BSA) my friend! It may have been a long and winding road for you, but you will be glad to arrive, I'm sure.



Salut!

Forget the Superautomatica

Buy some Grolsch & enjoy the contents many times over

Bundaberg Ginger Beer are also sold in a brown glass 750ml bottle with a PET cap. It just happens to be an exact match for the Coopers PET cap

Cheers

Evo,

Three words,


"Grolsch" and "Bulk Prime"

Nice job Mahaba, after my own heart

Dogger