Bulk priming a Kolsch after using gelatin.

[Black Devil Dog]

I've done 2 Kolsch style beers so far and have a 3rd in the fv. The first one I kegged, cleared with gelatin and force carbonated, the result was a crystal clear, very nice beer.

The second one, I decided to bottle, so I bulk primed but didn't use any gelatin and I ended up with a turbid, thick looking beer that has taken nearly 3 months to clear.

With my 3rd batch, I also want to bottle, but I want to use gelatin to clear it first before I bulk prime. My understanding is that there will still be sufficient yeast to carbonate the bottles, but will it require more dextrose to achieve the desired co2 volume, or will adding more sugar over carbonate?

Do I just use the normal qty of dextrose?

With the turbid batch, the carbonation seems about right, so I'm worried that with much less yeast still in suspension, I might end up with flat beer.

Yeast is Wy2565.

Experienced Kolsch brewers, your advice would be immensely appreciated.

 

[Mardoo]

I'd hesitate to call myself experienced as I've only done a kolsch a couple times, but FWIW here's what I have done. I've gone nuts with clarifying my kolsch (2565 for yeast) and have Polyclar'ed, gelatin'ed and cold conditioned for three weeks. I bulk prime with caster sugar to 2.5 atmo's. I add a bit of Nottingham at priming, mostly to ensure it primes within a couple weeks. Advice I've received from very experienced brewers is that there would be enough 2565 left in it to prime but it might take awhile. I also want to avoid any chance of pear drops flavors from the 2565 as I haven't had fridge space to bottle condition cold. It's not impossible that's just my paranoia.

The result has been clean flavor, zero pear drops, and crystal clear. I'm not sure I'm going to change that process as everyone loves that beer and so far it has carbed up dependably. I'll also add that one of the very experienced kolsch brewers said he'd never bottle a kolsch and only kegs, largely for stylistic reasons and to keep the flavor as kolsch-y as possible. I'm not yet up to kegging though so can't speak to that. I've been happy with my results but I have a fair few more batches to brew before I settle on final recipe and process.

 

[Black Devil Dog]

Thank Mardoo. How much Nottingham do you add, and how do you add it?

I'm beginning to think I should keg it.

 

[Mardoo]

I'll have to check my notebooks for the Notto amount when I get home tonight.

If I had the option to keg I'd go that way. Is there a reason you should bottle it? Just experimenting? Like faffing about? I definitely felt a sense of victory getting this way to work and produce an acceptable beer, but at this point I would keg if I had the option.

 

[Black n Tan]

My understanding is that there will still be sufficient yeast to carbonate the bottles, but will it require more dextrose to achieve the desired co2 volume, or will adding more sugar over carbonate?

Do I just use the normal qty of dextrose?

Do not use more dextrose. 2565 is low flocculating beast so there will be sufficient active yeast in suspension (even after using gelatin and cold crashing) for the carbonation to occur. You just may need too give it more time to carbonate fully.

 

[barls]

even at clear there is enough yeast in suspension to carb most things, the only time you would need to repitch is ether a high alcohol or low ph situation.
ive cold conditioned for 6 months with gelatin. carbed fine was crystal clear to boot,

 

[Black Devil Dog]

I'll have to check my notebooks for the Notto amount when I get home tonight.

If I had the option to keg I'd go that way. Is there a reason you should bottle it? Just experimenting? Like faffing about? I definitely felt a sense of victory getting this way to work and produce an acceptable beer, but at this point I would keg if I had the option.

I appreciate all the advice and Mardoo the reason I want to bottle is because nearly as much of my beer gets consumed away from my home as it does at my home. I always like to have beers that I can take with me and having family members from Europe, I like to have a supply of Euro style beers ready to go.

I love kegging, but bottles have definitely got their place.

 

[Rod]

I have found with other beers that I rack after 6 days fermentation onto gelatine and bottle after a further 4 days

ready to drink after 6 weeks , but I leave for 12 weeks

 

[Mardoo]

Sorry for the delay BDD. Yep, bottles sure can be handy! The information I found and used was 1 million cells/ml of yeast. I also tried backing that off to 750,00/ml and it worked just fine. (I probably can't measure that closely anyway.) I just calculated out from that using Notto's official count per gram. I'd like to try Danstar's CBC-1 if I can find it.

I rehydrated the yeast - letting it sit for 30 minutes - added the boiled priming sugar to the bottling bucket, racked the fermented beer onto it, and then added the yeast to the beer in the bottling bucket giving it a stir and time to distribute. Then I just bottled as normal.

Hope it works well for you!