Ideal Temp After Bottling Ale

[brettule]

I've got an ale kit (Muttons Smuglers ale) which I've been festidiously keeping between 18-20 degrees in the fermentor with a heat pad. It's almost time to bottle and I'm wondering if I have to worry about the celler temp while I've got it stored away to age. My celler (read: tin garage in Melbourne) will drop below 10 degrees from time to time, probably more frequent as winter sets on.

Can I just put the bottles in my dark cupboard and wait a little longer or will it effect the intended flavour?

 

[Steve]

Can I just put the bottles in my dark cupboard and wait a little longer or will it effect the intended flavour?

yes, store in your cupboard and wait a little longer for them to carb and no it wont effect the flavour
Cheers
Steve

 

[brettule]

The last ale I made from kit I felt was too cabonated, I wanted it to be more like a real English ale. Should I forgo adding carbination drops at all at bottling time to get this effect?

 

[zoidberg99]

Possibly reduse the ammount of priming sugar you use, i dont think completley skipping the step will work.

 

[zoidberg99]

Possibly reduse the ammount of priming sugar you use, i dont think completley skipping the step will work.

Reduce!

i weent to skoool an der teecha sed im speschal!

 

[beeroclock]

I use raw suga, it gives me a nicer beer

 

[blackbock]

I would recommend allowing your bottles to carbonate at a similar temperature to whatever the brew was fermented at, ie usually 10-12 for lagers and 18-22 for ales. Once they are carbonated, they usually keep better at refrigerated temperatures ie 0-4. Unfortunately not many of us have a dedicated 'cellaring' fridge, so a dark cupboard or garage may be the next best thing.

The amount of carbonation is dependant on temperature, as well as the amount of sugar used. Warmer temperatures will require more priming sugar to achieve the same carbonation level. But lower temperatures may take longer to carbonate, especially if you use finings and/or secondary. Somebody posted a chart on here once which gave the recommended quantites of sugar for bulk priming at various temperatures. Should be here if you search.

 

[solidghost]

I use raw suga, it gives me a nicer beer

The reason why use raw cane sugar, it's very cheap. And sometimes I use a little to my brew for a more alcoholic kick.

 

[nick_lavender]

I would suggest attempting to keep the bottled beer at the same temperature as fermentation for at least the first two weeks to help prime the beer.

Colder temperatures in your shed may dramatically slow down the carbonation process and hence lengthern the time before you can crack them open, no one wants that! lol

I use to find that my beers were only over carbonated if the fermentation hadn't completely finished, but over priming will do that to!