Ok, So I've Potentially Got Too Much Beer...

[Fireman Sam]

Hello my learned colleagues.

Ok, so clearly I need to work on my scheduling a little better. Currently got in Primary No. 2 an 18L batch of Black Rock Cider (yeah I know there are better kits around, but SWMBO bought it , so I gotta use it) with 1kg Dex, 4L Apple Juice, 2L Apple & Pear Juice with a G&G suggested Wine yeast (sorry can't remember exact name). That's been gurgling away for a little while, had a sip the other day, quite nice. The chap's at G&G with their good advice (as always boys - unsolicited shout out there ) said to 'stop' the fermentation when it reaches my required taste, I guess this is to stop it turning it into such a dry tasting waste of time. I'm tipping this won't be more than a few days to go as it was put down 09/06/10.

Anyways... so 14/06/10 I used the long weekend to get stuck into Neill's Centenarillo Ale in Primary No. 1 as my first extract brew. As I expected it's a nice easy recipe, and she is very happily gurgling away in the office at 20' - life couldn't be happier... well maybe if Green hadn't muffed up that save for England - but anyway I digress :icon_offtopic:

Seriously though I do have a bottle supply issue... yeah I know I could keep buying more and at some point I most likely will, but I'm a fussy ba$'tard who likes to use Grolsch's and we all know how hard they are to find in good supply / condition, so I want to take a bit of a learning here if I can....

What I was wondering was when I 'crash' the yeast in the cider as suggested by warming the fermenter up to 30' for a period of time, can I transfer this into a secondary to get it off the yeast and leave it in there, perhaps in the cold outdoors of the kids cubby house ? Will this keep ? Will it have an adverse effect on the cider ? Then bulk prime and bottle at a later date ? I'm tipping no more than a few weeks at the rate I'm drinking ! I won't be brewing for a litle while methinks...

See I have or will have in about a few days time around the 45 empty bottle mark (23L batch of Neill's Ale = 45 or so 450ml Grolsch bottles or so) and I really want to bottle Neill's as it's my first extract recipe, but as some of you know I'm a Somerset boy from Engerland so I loves me scrumpy ! and I'd hate to lose the cider....

Oh the dilemma.....

Cheers guys

 

[RdeVjun]

No, I don't think 'stopping' any cider is a good idea if you're bottling. It is probably worth checking that advice with G&G, it might be fine for kegging, but certainly not advised for bottling. :blink:
As far as moving it to another fermenter, yes, you can if you want, I'm far less inclined to these days myself. I'm not sure about warming it up to crash chill though (again, check that advice???), think you'd want to go the other way, a few days at near 0C.
Just leaving it in the primary fermenter would be fine though until you have enough bottles, the extra time will help with the conditioning process, however would still be a fermentation of sorts and swings in temperature will not be helpful, but somewhere cool and dark should suffice.
I've not found a less- dry cider method to my liking when bottling besides using lactose or back- sweetening with fresh juice at pouring.
Hope this helps! :icon_cheers:

 

[mkstalen]

I agree with the first reply. The whole "stoping fermentation" only works if you're going to keg, because the yeast is only stopped when it's chilled. If you crash chill it, then do a bottle condition fermentation is only going to start back up again and the yeast will work through any of the original unfermented sugars and any additional you added for your bulk prime, this is a sure fire way to end up with your traditional bottle bomb.

 

[Nick JD]

Buy some 2L PET bottles of cheap fizzy from one of the $2 stores! Pour the stuff out and fill-er-up.

 

[Bribie G]

Coates comes from Zomerzet where the zoider apples grow. As Nick said head for ALDI, and get the 99c regal cola in 2L bottles, and two cartons (under $12) will bottle off a whole brew. When I started brewing a couple of years ago the first thing I did was head to ALDI and buy twelve cartons of cola which I poured out. The kids made mentos and cola fountains out of some of them and SWMBO actually drank a couple of bottles.

NO I won't post THAT picture again.

 

[Scruffy]

I reckon the 2l pet.

As an added bonus you get to reminisce about wagging school and hanging round park benches...

 

[keifer33]

On the topic of using PET bottles how do people find leaving them in the fridge for a few days without going flat mainly using 1.25 and 2lt?

 

[Nick JD]

On the topic of using PET bottles how do people find leaving them in the fridge for a few days without going flat mainly using 1.25 and 2lt?

2L PET of beer is not even a six pack!

I have 3 + year old bottles (I'm pretty sure I have one still in use from 2005, because my neighbour back then used to drink that kind of ginger ale and I raided her wheelie bin) and they've all been used countless times. No problems.

If you decant one 2L into another, you get 1.9L of clear beer that will stay fizzy for hours. A well carbed beer will still be drinkable the next night if the bottle was half full or more (dregs will always go flat with all that headspace).

Decanted and filled to the brim and kept cold they'll be okay for a few days before going flat.

As Bribie said, washing 12 bottles for a full brew makes bottling day a breeze.

 

[BjornJ]

Hi guys,
I have heard BribieG and others say earlier thay you bottle in 2 litre bottles, but are they a bit to big to be practical?
Do you then decant the entire bottle in a jug and have to drink the 2 litres before it goes flat, or do you pour from the bottle?
I wouldn't mind being able to bottle in fewer, larger bottles. And it makes sense as in fewer bottles means less "trub".
(And I have seen the pic of BribieG's spare room with a cupboard full of 2 litre PET bottles )

I just can't see how I can drink a full 1.9 litres of beer before it goes flat?

thanks
Bjorn

 

[jakub76]

What I was wondering was when I 'crash' the yeast in the cider as suggested by warming the fermenter up to 30' for a period of time, can I transfer this into a secondary to get it off the yeast and leave it in there

I think by 'crash to 30 degrees' they meant 30F (= -1C) 'crash chilling' is just that...chilling. This drops your yeast out, but unless you're kegging it's not a good way to stop fermentation as you will end up with bottle bombs when it's time to carbonate.

 

[Nick JD]

I just can't see how I can drink a full 1.9 litres of beer before it goes flat?

If you decant one 2L into another, you get 1.9L of clear beer that will stay fizzy for hours.

The trick is to put the lid back on and bang it back into the fridge. If you have doubts, open three longnecks and decant them all into a 2L Coke bottle in the name of research.

It's also a great way to take your beer to a party/bbq without having to drink murky swampwater.

If you want the bottle to stay fizzy for ages, chill to 0-1C and pour very slowly (while your hands freeze) - if you fill right to the brim with no headspace it'll stil be fizzy in 48+ hours - good for camping etc.

 

[Fireman Sam]

Thanks all - as always constructive advise.

I think by 'crash to 30 degrees' they meant 30F (= -1C) 'crash chilling' is just that...chilling.

Yes absolutely... just didn't know what else to call heating up to stop the yeast.

I might just leave it till I have enough bottles... I'll bottle Neill's Ale - which BTW is looking marvellous.
Then I might even back-sweeten with Lactose depending on how dry it is... I don't mind a dry cider at all.

Cheers