Did I Bottle Too Early?

[Deja_vu]

I know you guys get asked this a lot, but I'm worried. See I boiled up two cans of coopers pale malt extract and about 200 grams of steeped crystal malt, making up a total of 19 litres and fermented with s-04 yeast at 15-16 degrees for 3 weeks. I primed the longies with 2 of those carbonation drops in each.

The noob I am, I didn't take an OG reading, but I'm concerned I may have stacked the cupboard with bombs as i spilled a bit of the stuff when I bottled and it's left a lot of sticky stains like varnish around the place...

The final gravity was 1014....

 

[BIGRO]

I know you guys get asked this a lot, but I'm worried. See I boiled up two cans of coopers pale malt extract and about 200 grams of steeped crystal malt, making up a total of 19 litres and fermented with s-04 yeast at 15-16 degrees for 3 weeks. I primed the longies with 2 of those carbonation drops in each.

The noob I am, I didn't take an OG reading, but I'm concerned I may have stacked the cupboard with bombs as i spilled a bit of the stuff when I bottled and it's left a lot of sticky stains like varnish around the place...

The final gravity was 1014....

Hi marcus. 3 weeks mate, even at 16 deg i reckon you will be fine, any beer will be sticky even after fermentation. its all the sugar in it.

(reminds me of cleaning the pub i use to work at after all the drunks had gone home)

 

[pint of lager]

The standard answer is to make sure the sg is stable for 3 days and you are right to bottle. (Most brews are helped by leaving them somewhere cool and quiet for another week.)

Being a more advanced recipe, I would suggest that you want a stable sg for a week with it sitting at a temp that the yeast like before thinking about bottling.

Start sampling now and keep checking for overcarbonation which is the sign of impending bombs.

If you suspect they are turning into bombs, don safety clothes and move them somewhere safer. Preferabley somewhere cold as this will slow yeast activity.

You can gently release some of the pressure a few times a day. If they are exploding, you get to weigh up the risks of losing an eye vs losing a batch of beer.

 

[ironxmortlock]

If they are exploding, you get to weigh up the risks of losing an eye vs losing a batch of beer.

I choose beer! :chug:

 

[RobboMC]

I know you guys get asked this a lot, but I'm worried. See I boiled up two cans of coopers pale malt extract and about 200 grams of steeped crystal malt, making up a total of 19 litres and fermented with s-04 yeast at 15-16 degrees for 3 weeks. I primed the longies with 2 of those carbonation drops in each.

The noob I am, I didn't take an OG reading, but I'm concerned I may have stacked the cupboard with bombs as i spilled a bit of the stuff when I bottled and it's left a lot of sticky stains like varnish around the place...

The final gravity was 1014....

15-16 deg is a touch cold for an ale, you really did run the risk of having the yeast go into hibernation.
Measuring the OG is not absolutely necessary, I didn't for my first whole year, so don't feel you're a noob for not doing it. Measuring the FG ( final gravity ) is however very highly recommended by most kit makers, over a number of days.

At 1014 your all extract pale ale is fairly close to the money. My last all extract Pale Ale brew came out at
exactly that, and one with 500 g Crystal came out at 1015. Both have turned out to be properly carbonated, so the chances of these being 'bombs' is, IMHO, quite low. They may however be just highly carbonated or gushers if the gravity still had a point or two to go.

Next time, wait one more day and measure the FG twice, one day apart, to be sure fermentation has stopped, though at 16 deg C is can take quite a few days to get down that last point.

Plastic PET bottles do save the worry over getting injured.

 

[quigley]

I choose beer! :chug:

Me too..... you can see almost as well out of one eye than two..........but then again..... I'm a one-eyed Bronco fan

Mike

 

[Deja_vu]

thanks again guys for sharing your wisdom. I reckon i'll be okay

 

[Enerjex]

you should be ok marcus however as the others said crack one and see how much pressure is released and the carbonation level. I've done a few batches with 2 cans of coopers light malt extract in them and they've finished in the 1.014-1.015 area with specialty grain or partials, but have also had some corn syrup in them so they may have dropped a point or two lower without it. As has been suggested get stable SG readings for a few days before bottling, I usually allow 4. Also with the yeast bringing it up to 18-19 degrees for the last fews days certainly won't hurt the taste and will help it finish properly. All the best!