Bottle conditioning

nsi423

I'm fairly new to home brewing, I've done a couple of brew kits and I'm trying to find a good way to maintain the correct temperature after bottling.
The kit says to add sugar and then bottle the beer, and keep it around 26°C for a few weeks. How do people keep their bottles at such a high and stable temperature during this stage?! The hot press is nowhere near that warm in my house!

mordeith

nsi423 wrote: »

I'm fairly new to home brewing, I've done a couple of brew kits and I'm trying to find a good way to maintain the correct temperature after bottling.
The kit says to add sugar and then bottle the beer, and keep it around 26°C for a few weeks. How do people keep their bottles at such a high and stable temperature during this stage?! The hot press is nowhere near that warm in my house!

I just leave em the kitchen for a few days to ensure secondary has started and then leave them in a colder back room for a few weeks. I daresay there are more scientific methods but I always end up with a perfectly drinkable beer

BeerNut

nsi423 wrote: »

The kit says

Kit instructions are worse than useless and should always be disregarded.

Your bottles will be fine at room temperature. Give them two to three weeks at that and they'll be ready for drinking.

raxy

I used to use a kitchen press. The press would maintain a higher temp then the room over night. Only ever used room temp as well.

Bogwoppit

I don’t understand how the kit suppliers can get things so wrong.

26 degrees for bottle conditioning is ludicrous!

I keep mine at about 16-18 for three weeks, I don’t worry about it though. So long as the temperature is fairly constant then they’re much better off at a temperature below 20.

BeerNut

Bogwoppit wrote: »

I don’t understand how the kit suppliers can get things so wrong.

They want you to make beer quickly, and either cheaply or using their proprietary add-ons. I guess the logic is the faster your beer is ready the sooner you buy your next kit. Quality doesn't come into it.

loyatemu

BeerNut wrote: »

They want you to make beer quickly, and either cheaply or using their proprietary add-ons. I guess the logic is the faster your beer is ready the sooner you buy your next kit. Quality doesn't come into it.

but if people make their first kit and it turns out sh!t, they won't make another.

BeerNut

*holding back gag reflex* But it's less than a euro a pint!!!

nsi423

Thanks all!
My first beer kit turned out "ok". For the second one, I definitely kept it warmer after bottling and it turned out much better, so I was going to try the same this time.
Sounds like I don't need to be worrying too much about it.
Cheers!

KeRbDoG

Bogwoppit wrote: »

I don’t understand how the kit suppliers can get things so wrong.

26 degrees for bottle conditioning is ludicrous!

I'd hazard a guess to say that's an Australian Cooper's beer kit maybe? Some folks house there might be well over 26C so it's a nod to find somewhere cooler than ambient temperature

nsi423

KeRbDoG wrote: »

I'd hazard a guess to say that's an Australian Cooper's beer kit maybe? Some folks house there might be well over 26C so it's a nod to find somewhere cooler than ambient temperature

I'm using the Golden Ale in The Craft Range at Home Brew West

https://www.homebrewwest.ie/the-craft-range-golden-ale-beer-kit-30-kg---discounted-basic-packaging-until-new-boxes-arrive-6567-p.asp

Actually the next one I'm going to try is Cooper's Australian Ale... wonder if I'm going forwards or backwards with that one!

poitinstill

nsi423 wrote: »

I'm using the Golden Ale in The Craft Range at Home Brew West

https://www.homebrewwest.ie/the-craft-range-golden-ale-beer-kit-30-kg---discounted-basic-packaging-until-new-boxes-arrive-6567-p.asp

Actually the next one I'm going to try is Cooper's Australian Ale... wonder if I'm going forwards or backwards with that one!

ive not had the craft range golden ale but have had the ipa and coopers will be a step back, its solid but unremarkable. i think the coopers generally is a good base for tweeking ie if you wanted to dry hop it a bit etc.

BobMc

if your new to brewing and its a good kit you're after try the Festival Razoback IPA kit, done it multiple times when stuck for time to do Grain and its ready to drink fairly quick with not too much conditioning time or kit twang.

I'd highly recommend it, I often even add extra dry hop to it, but its perfect out of the box about e30.00

poitinstill

agree with above Festival razorback ipa is fantastic also 10% off on some suppliers 26.95
best kit around