Bottling beer after maturing in a barrel

[crh75]

Hi I made a beer on 19th June. On the 27th I put it in a barrel with priming sugars. I have now changed my mind and would rather it was bottled. I have tasted it and it is very good. Can I still bottle it? Do I prime it again? How much sugar to prime? Roughly how long should I leave it before drinking?
Many thanks.

[dave-o]

Honestly i think it would be more hassle than it's worth.

If the beer is already carbonated it will foam up when you bottle so it will be a laborious process. If it's tasting good now why mess about?

If you were to do it, i'd suggest using about half the normal amount of priming sugar.

Why not just make another brew and bottle it though?

[Brotherton Lad]

Or, as an experiment, gently drop a gallon into a sanitised jug or demi-john, let it settle and go flat for 30 mins. Prime it, bottle and let it condition while you drink the beer in the keg. That way you can compare and contrast the 2 methods.

[mat69]

sorry,but why do people start fannying about with there brews.can i move it here,can i move it there,i know exactly where its going before i,ve even weighed the grain out..you said it tastes good,why risk messing it up

[crh75]

If I leave it all in the barrel it will spoil before I get around to drinking it all. That's why I thought it might be a better idea to bottle it. Also it is very flat, so I don't think it will foam up at all.

[boingy]

You can bottle from the barrel. Use a bottling stick and, If possible, chill the barrel and the bottles down as much as you can before you start to keep foam to a minimum. Your enemy is air so avoid splashing the beer into the bottles.

If the beer really is flat then prime the bottles as you normally would.

[Horatio]

I have done this many times. I often bottle the last gallon or so from the barrel and have never had any problems with it. I prime at about half the normal rate (as has been mentioned) and bottle, then leave for a few weeks before drinking.