Schrodinger's beer?

[widdersbel]

Sorry if this is a FAQ but I couldn't find the answer easily by searching...

How do I know if the yeast in the beer I bottled on Friday is still alive? I mean, is there a way of telling that the beer is actively conditioning, without actually opening a bottle?

The brew is a St Peter's Ruby Red Ale kit, made according to the pack instructions with no modifications. I started it on Tuesday 22nd Oct and measured the OG at 1032 (probably not accurate - sounds far too low). By Friday 1st Nov, fermentation had slowed right down, almost to a standstill, by which time the SG had been as good as static at about 1011 for three days, so I bottled it, priming each bottle with 1/2tsp of caster sugar. (I racked it into a barrel with a tap to make bottling easier but otherwise it stayed in the primary fermenting vessel for the duration.)

I'm reasonably confident that it's going to turn out OK ("not bad for a first attempt" will be good enough), but I'm both curious and impatient, so would be interested to know if there's any way I can tell if the yeast is still doing its thing. Otherwise, I guess it's just a case of leaving it for a few weeks and finding out when I crack the first one open...

[edit: just realised I accidentally posted this in the "extract" forum rather than the "kit" forum... oops! sorry. If a mod can move it, please feel free to do so...]

[Jim]

The best way to check if your beer is carbonating is to bottle some in a plastic PET bottle so you feel if it's getting hard or not. Obviously it's too late for that now.

I'm sure your beer will be fine though - impatience at this stage is perfectly normal.

[Barn Stormer]

What about his cat!!!

[Jim]

What about his cat!!!

He's stroking it as we speak!

[Barn Stormer]

Are we speaking?

[Ben711200]

The best way to check if your beer is carbonating is to bottle some in a plastic PET bottle so you feel if it's getting hard or not. Obviously it's too late for that now.

I'm sure your beer will be fine though - impatience at this stage is perfectly normal.

Everything that Jim said there. I'll always do a couple into PET (any fizzy drink bottle) to be able to give it a little squeeze. That said, other than a curiously low OG, everything sounds spot on to me, so just leave them for a while and they will be fine

[widdersbel]

The best way to check if your beer is carbonating is to bottle some in a plastic PET bottle so you feel if it's getting hard or not. Obviously it's too late for that now.

That's a great suggestion, thanks. I'll remember it for next time!

I'm sure your beer will be fine though - impatience at this stage is perfectly normal.

The worst thing is that because it's my first go, I don't have a previous batch to be drinking in the meantime...

[widdersbel]

[ curiously low OG

From various things I've read here, I suspect that's probably down to a) being too warm when I measured it, and b) too much liquor. Beginner's mistakes.

everything sounds spot on to me, so just leave them for a while and they will be fine

Thanks for the reassurance!

[LeeH]

The best way to check if your beer is carbonating is to bottle some in a plastic PET bottle so you feel if it's getting hard or not. Obviously it's too late for that now.

That's a great suggestion, thanks. I'll remember it for next time!

I'm sure your beer will be fine though - impatience at this stage is perfectly normal.

The worst thing is that because it's my first go, I don't have a previous batch to be drinking in the meantime...

Best get another one on the go then, and when that one is done, do another.

[widdersbel]

Best get another one on the go then, and when that one is done, do another.

An eminently sensible suggestion!