Greetings! Working on my second batch after dusting off my equipment from a 20+ year hiatus (recently retired, woo hoo). I am wondering if I can delay bottling after mixing in the priming sugar, to allow some settling time before bottling? My first batch is still a little cloudy in most of the bottles and they all have a small amount of sediment at the bottom. Not a big deal but I want to go that next step. My current batch is a Brewers Best American Amber kit. After the first 7 days fermenting in the bucket, I transferred to a glass carboy and was planning on bottling today (14th day fermenting) but noticed it is still bubbling once every 14 minutes (timed), so I will give it some more time. My first batch was a bit rushed as you can imagine, but this time I am willing to wait a bit longer. Thanks for your time and suggestions, Pops
Thanks Jeff, I will check it with the hydrometer and not worry if it is still bubbling. I guess my original question got lost in the middle of my post: Once I am ready to bottle, can I mix in the priming sugar and wait an hour (or 3 hrs, etc) before actual bottling to let it settle in the bucket? I am hoping to reduce the amount of sediment and cloudiness in my bottles. Thanks, Pops
The sugar will drop to the bottom. You want it mixed thoroughly in. Be as careful as you can racking to your bottling bucket, avoiding sediment transfer. After that, don’t worry about sediment. You’ll have some, it’s unavoidable.
You can. It takes a while for the yeast to start fermentation again. That dilute of a sugar solution shouldn't stratify but as Jeff suggests, give it a stir just in case.
Boil a little water, add the sugar and let it dissolve completely, cool it down, add it in slowly without splashing as you start siphoning wort to the bottling bucket. That gives it a chance to get distributed as the wort fills and swirls around a little. Be careful not to splash things around, but give it a gentle stir when you get ready to bottle. Bottle right away. Whatever cloudiness is still in the beer will settle out in the bottle. It won't settle clear until it's done carbing (at room temp) and has sat for quite a while. Chilling for several days to a few weeks in the bottle will clear everything and make the yeast sediment pack hard so you can pour without getting all the goo in your glass. Good luck!
You can do what you suggest but if it were me worrying about the sediment, I'd just always use highly flocculating yeast. Coopers ale yeast has been the most flocculating yeast I've ever used.... It packed down in the fermenter and gave me a super clear beer.
Thanks everyone for the feedback. I appreciate it. Today is the 3rd reading at 1.010 FG so it will be bottling day. Based on input, I will be extra careful not to splash the transfer and in the end, not worry about any cloudiness or residue. Thanks, Pops
Actual FG isn’t necessarily predicted FG. If it is not done fermenting yet, you may have bottle bombs in your future. Make sure gravity is stable over 2-3 days before bottling.
