Hi folks, I'm new here... I have been eyeing a homebrew kit for years, but finally took the plunge about two weeks ago. Everything seems to have gone well so far - starting and ending specific gravities were almost dead on for the recipe I was using, and other than being warm and flat, the fermented beer tasted fine (no off or funky taste, hops came through OK). If it matters, I am brewing an American Pale Ale.
I bottled the beer this past Sunday (in 22oz bottles), using the traditional method of boiling some priming sugar w/ water and adding it to the bottling bucket prior to siphoning the beer in.
So, my question - it's been almost 48 hours, and I see no activity in the bottles. Should I be seeing anything, or is this normal?
Also, I have had some advice that the beer is ready to drink a week after bottling, and other people have told me to wait a month. Which is correct?
First batch - carbonation?
Carbonation
Yes, it is normal to see nothing happing in the bottles. Over the next several days to a couple of weeks depending on temperature, you should see what looks like dust (yeast) settling on the bottom of the bottles.
I wait two weeks after bottling before I crack one open for a taste. This allows for good carbonation to develop. My beers usually taste best after several months or longer depending on type. Patience is a virtue in home brewing. Sometimes my beer is almost gone before it reaches its peak and I find myself wishing I had waited.
I wait two weeks after bottling before I crack one open for a taste. This allows for good carbonation to develop. My beers usually taste best after several months or longer depending on type. Patience is a virtue in home brewing. Sometimes my beer is almost gone before it reaches its peak and I find myself wishing I had waited.
I agree, wait at least two weeks. Beers with strong flavors or high alcohol will take longer. I also suggest leaving a bottle in the frige for a few days minimum before opening it. The extra time in the cold helps the CO2 dissolve evenly into the beer, giving you better carbonation. A week or two in the frige will also really improve the clarity.
Wait at least 2 weeks. Last week I opened one of my brown ales that had only been bottled for a week. There was very little carbonation, not enough to form a head. Tonight I opened another, two weeks bottled, and it has a pretty good head. It also tastes a lot better. It still tastes too young, but is progressing very nicely.
I've been drinking one a day, since Friday. Today's beer is the best yet. In 3 more days it will be 3 weeks since I bottled. It has been interesting watching the clarity change and tasting the flavors come together.
At first I wasn't sure how much I would homebrew, but now I'm already thinking about my next batch. Possibly a cream ale, something for the summer which is in the Summertime Brews thread.
At first I wasn't sure how much I would homebrew, but now I'm already thinking about my next batch. Possibly a cream ale, something for the summer which is in the Summertime Brews thread.