Bottling question

Discuss making up beer kits - the simplest way to brew.
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Frisp

Bottling question

Post by Frisp » Sun Jun 22, 2008 2:44 pm

Im about 3 or 4 days away from the fermentation being complete so I want to consult the Gurus before I crack on

Here is what I intend to do - so Im expecting to be put right.

I have 5 Gallons fermenting and being a tight Git I intend bottling it into Asda's 17p Water bottles. My thinking being if it can take fizzy water then it will take fizzy beer.... Im not worried about it being 2 Ltr bottles as I wouldnt dream of drinking a leser quantity in any case..
A drink is a drink Not a sip....

I intend to mix up the primer sugar with water and cool it befor putting it into a second 5 gallon fermentor ( with a tap near the bottom) to which I wil attach one of those bottling prong thingies) just to make it easier to bottle without drawing shedloads of sediment into the bottles
Syphon the ale from the first fermenter into the one with the tap.

Wash out and sterilise the bottles with sodium metab, and rinse rinse rinse rinse and maybe evan a final rinse to be on the safe side
Fill up the bottles to the 2 ltr mark ( Asda Water level).
Screw the tops back on
Stick back in the airing cupboard fro a week or so and then stick em in the lean - to - Its got a stone floor and sees very little sunshine its about as cold a place as I can find. Mght stick some in my spare fridge.

Any obvious flaws in my plan please tell me before I go messing up what smells to be a lovely brew
Jim

umpa

Post by umpa » Sun Jun 22, 2008 2:52 pm

The only flaw is that I can see is - you have not said how much sugar your going to use :=P

Ump..

Duncndisorderly

Post by Duncndisorderly » Sun Jun 22, 2008 3:05 pm

Might be worth investing in a 2ltr jug that way you can pour in one smooth motion into the jug, reducing the chance of throwing sediment about, other than that it seems like a winning plan, oh and what umpa said about sugar, thats pretty important too :D

Frisp

Post by Frisp » Sun Jun 22, 2008 4:00 pm

The priming sugar question was the next one. so I will throw it open for debate now.

The brew is Coopers dark ale. My favourite ale of all time is a nice Pint of a Scotish 60 shilling ( AKA Scottish Light) which benefits from a fairly creamy head
I only like a lot of Fizz in a lager so Im not too bothered about that aspect, but I need to get some life into the brew.
Suggestions as to how much Sugar
and just as importantly what type of sugar woiuld be the best primer in a dark ale

umpa

Post by umpa » Sun Jun 22, 2008 8:11 pm

Well for a gassy pint I use one round teaspoon per pint bottle, but for a 5gallon keg I have read its 85Gram

umpa

macleanb

Post by macleanb » Mon Jun 23, 2008 7:22 am

85g will probably give you something relatively gassy, I would say <=40g is nearer the mark for something more subdued/petilant rather than fizzy.

In my book you may as well use whats at hand for priming, be it table sugar, dextrose/glucose, or DME (or some mixture) remember to use about 1/3 - 1/4 more of DME as compared to sugar for the same amount of fizz.

I am sure there must be some perceptable difference to using all DME, but it escapes me, a bit like those £5,000 hifi's - I stop noticing at about £700!

If your thinking of something more unusual like treacle, brown sugar, maple syrup or honey, I would suggest doing an experiment on a few bottles this time (clearly marking them etc) and see what you think. It seems to me the flavours of your prime are not "attenuated" in the same way and therefore are more pronounced than if you'd had them in the FV to start with.

I am still slowly chugging may way through some coopers real ale primed with 30g black treacle + 30g dextrose. Apart from being too gassy (not fountain gassy, more belchy gassy :oops: ) The treacle is too strong a flavour for this relatively light beer.

I havent tried their dark ale, but would suspect that like their real ale they are much lighter in flavour than the name suggests.

But I have seen that for Old Perculiar clones, black treacle seems de-rigeur, and you can understand that a thumpin great beer like OP would be a more suitable target.

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