Kit O' Beer #2 - Canadian Blonde

[Glass]

ok thanks. I use a enviro detergent. I'll stop using it on the bottles. Trying to remember what I did with the 1st batch of bottles. They were new in box. I may have just rinsed them then sanitized and used. I don't recall. 2nd batch were all washed in deterg. I've been thinking on the bottle washer. I've got a small submersible pump sitting in the shed. I looked for some crates yesterday at the recycle place but they were too beat up. I had some but I chucked them.

[Libertytree]

I'm gonna use the LD Carlson, Easy Clean, second from the top at this link. http://www.homebrewit.com/wine-beer-sanitizers.php

As far as the crate goes for the washer, don't sweat that, it's the tub that's important in that regard. The crates just make it a lil more handier as far as drainage and a pedestal goes. If you have the pump already then you're one up, just make sure you flush it out good. I'll work the kinks out of the washer when I get back from my trip, ain't no sense in us both spending $ on making this work.

[Glass]

I remember I have some PVC pipe somewhere. Was for another use but it is probably still in the shed. I didn't get the chance to take a look on the weekend. Not sure how much is there.

On beer glasses. I am confident my glasses are ok and not affecting the beer. It occurs to me I have used them before, washed as I usually do and there is no impact to beer head, carbonation release or lacing. To be sure I double checked this yesterday a few times. I going back to blaming slow carbonation due to low balling the temps a few degrees. I'm going to let the bottles area warm maybe +3C over the next few days. Doesn't sound like much but I think it will help. Other than that I will wait.........

But I won't be using dish soap on the next batch of bottles to see anyway. Already started going through and really soaking ones I washed already.

I wonder if Buddha had any wisdoms about beer?

[Libertytree]

When I finish a beer I rinse it out with hot water and put it on the tree. Then right before I bottle I set up a mix of 1 cap of bleach per 1 gal of hot water, submerse the bottles for 3-4 mins and spin them to make sure all areas got contacted. Then I remove the bottles pouring the bleach water back into that tub and rinse the hell out of it, let it drain and cool and bottle.

It's a lot of time and a lot of water and even more of a PITA! I'll be glad to be done with it.

Me thinks I need to get a F vs C chart, lol

[Glass]

yeah sorry I try and convert metric to US when I remember. I also rinse the bottles straight away they are empty. Before even taking a sip. Leave a bit of water in the bottom. When I have 4 or 5 empty I soak them for a couple of hours. Then rinse thoroughly, store until bottling day. Easier than facing a pile of bottles the day before or of bottling.

I picked up a few bits for the party keg. Need a valve and I should be right to start assembling it. Still need a hose, tap and something to get the CO2 out of the bulbs into the beer.

[Glass]

ok so I guess it's 4 weeks in the bottle. Only a few days since the last test. A couple were pretty ripe. Clearly not ripe enough. I notice a softening of the bottles after a day in the fridge. Someone said you should give them a week to chill properly. Wondering if gas comes out of the beer initially then is absorbed back in.

There is an explosion of gas when you open the bottle and there is some liquid escaping. Happens every time. It's as if the all the gas escapes in one go.
Basically still a flat beer. Really light carbonation. Enough to drink it now you've opened it but you shouldn't have bothered. It can be a nice beer. Good sweetness, mouth feel. It's a lil hazy. Time Extension!

Of course if it was kegged it would be all good.

[Libertytree]

Kinda sounds like my last batch. I still have about 6-8 bottles of it and it gets a lil better but not much. In contrast the last batch gets better by the day. I'm going on a 10 day trip and I'm already looking forward to what it'll be like when I get back.

[Glass]

yes I've pulled the gloves off now. Lifting the temps another notch to see if we can finish them. I've still got them in a water bath. With that I can run them from 20 - 24C depending on any cooling I introduce. If I left them just on the shelf they would be running about 26 - 27C (78-80F) which I think is too warm. by a fraction maybe.

So anyway. Ill let the water bath dry up over the next few days and then I'll fridge the bulk of them. I think I will put half the bottles into a second fridge and just forget about them. I need one of those CO2 chargers for these. I might see if I can find the scratch to buy one. You can get screw on PET cap with a ball lock on it so the CO2 charger clicks right on.

I pondering how to carbonate KoB #3 at this point. I'm tempted to carbonate the same way (with drops) and see how that brew turns out. Keep the same variables. KoB #1 carbonated great. Same method. KoB #2 not so good. Same method but different yeast. KoB #3 Same method but different yeast as well. If I carbonate the same way and get the same result as KoB #2 then we have the common factor of the yeast. But I could have another batch of flat beer or very slow carbonating beer.

The plan is to move to a better method for priming. Either bulk priming or using something other than the drops but still priming each bottle.

I also want to go back and do this brew again with the coopers yeast as discussed before. I think that should be done quickly as in the next brew so the variables are about the same, temp etc.

I find this stuff fascinating. Keeping track of all the variables and how they affect things really floats my boat.

[Libertytree]

It is fascinating! So many variables, however slight makes huge differences. If ya ever make the "perfect" batch ya gotta know how to reproduce it.

I can't tell any difference how the beer tastes or carbonates regarding the higher temps vs cooling them in the fridge. Remember that my usual temps for fermentation and for bottle carbonation is 75-80F.

I bulk prime with 1/2 cup table sugar per 5gals, it's just a whole lot easier.

[Glass]

yes bulk priming could be the go. I didn't really want to have to rack to a bottling bucket then bottle. More handling than I would like but it might be necessary to get consistent carbonation. On the list of things to try. I was going to get a bottle priming measure and do some bottle priming that way and see how it goes. The people I know here are using plain old sugar in their priming.