finished my first bottling

[RobDrechsler]

Ok, this past weekend I was able to bottle my beer.. now where should I keep it while it carbonates? currently have it stored in a closet, temp should be around 80* ... I also stuck a couple of bottles in the frig... what's the preferred method?

[RobDrechsler]

ok, found my own answer... room temperature... time to pull those two bottles out of the fridge..

[Brewboy]

Two weeks conditioning at room temp. It can help to rotate box position every few days or so too. I just tape the case box shut and turn them upside down and right side up every couple of days.

Keeps the yeast roused and speeds complete carbonation.

[RobDrechsler]

turn them upside down and right side up every couple of days.

ok, that's going to be hard to do. the bottles are sitting in milk crates..

[Bill Lawrence]

And on the 7th day, God invented corni kegs and the related equipment to force carbonate. He looked down upon his hard work and thought, "this is good".

My advice would be "get thee to the local homebrew shop and purchase a draft beer setup". Nothing sucks worse than cleaning and filling a couple of cases of 12oz bottles. You will go through the following phases in your migration to a draft set up (oh yes you will, trust me):
Bottle using 12oz bottles and naturally carbonate
Get sick of cleaning so many bottles so you migrate to bomber bottles or 1 liter swing tops
Perhaps migrate to one of those Party Pig things in an attempt to break free from bottles
Finally say "screw it", wait until your significant other is out of town and buy a draft set up
Why not just give in to the fact that you are going there and pony up early in the process, you will save alot of time and money?

Of course I say all that but I am now bottling some of by Belgian creations and doing the cork and wire cage thing,what the hell?

[chris mewhinney]

As usual, Bill is right on the money. That is exactly the series of steps I went through. And to add to the grief of bottling, there's always those few batches that just won't carbonate...or get overcarbonated.

So, while you're getting the kegging system, be sure to also pick up a counter pressure bottle filler (for competitions) and a chest freezer so you can really impress your spousal unit by building a fancy keggerator in which to store your kegs and carboys. She'll ultimately thank you for this when she realizes she can have the kitchen fridge back...

Chris

[RobDrechsler]

Ah yes, you are correct Bill, but, ( incidently, I was craigslisting freezers yesterday) I don't have room for the kegs freezers, a second frig in the garage .. etc.. I am lucky to see the floor of my garage currently.. I can blame my wife for that one.. sigh, one day.. but I do like to go sailing and taking my favorite brew is an advantage w/ bottles.

[chris mewhinney]

Glass bottles on a boat? Bad idea...you need SS kegs on your boat. I know when I get my boat (yacht...), it will have full kegs for ballast!

Chris

[kingsbrew]

The PET bottles are nice. I use them to take beer to the dirt tracks that allow it. Only plastic. If you are carbonating in the bottle you can squeeze them. If they are carbonated they will be very hard.

[RobDrechsler]

Opened first one last night with resounding pop.. tasty.. the amount of head on the beer wasn't as much as I like.. needs more sitting or just the way I poured the beer...

[truckpoetry]

Probably needs more sitting.

I usually do:
1 week primary fermenter
2 weeks secondary fermenter
3 weeks in bottles
and drink.

Though I cheat and drink some after 1 or 2 weeks in bottles to see how they come along