Wednesday 16 February 2011

Barreling/Bottling your Beer

After several days you will notice that the airlock is not bubbling as frequently as it has been. This is the time when you take your freshly sanitised hydrometer and thermometer and take another reading exactly the same way as you would for checking the original gravity. Make a note of these readings and then do exactly the same about 24hrs later. Once the hydrometer readings have stabilised then it is time for barreling or bottling.


Using a Pressure Barrel

Pressure Barrels are by far the easiest way of storing and serving your beer. However, for lagers and lighter ales that should be served chilled bottling of the ale is preferable as it easier to keep the bottles refrigerated. If you wish to transport the finished beer to, say a home brew tasting session with friends, then again bottles are the best way - moving barrels can stir up any sediment that has fallen to the bottom and may result in clouding the beer if not allowed to settle correctly.

Clean and sanitise the barrel thoroughly along with your syphon tube (Racking Cane). Make sure you remove the tap and this is also correctly sanitised and cleaned along with the lid of the barrel. Re-assemble the tap. I usually apply a thin coating of petroleum jelly or vaseline to the rubber washer to help maintain a better seal.

One of the common problems that arises is the barrel may leak from the area where the tap is screwed into the barrel. One reason for this is that the tap has been screwed on too tight compressing the rubber washer too much. As a general rule of thumb the tap needs to be relatively tight but you should not need to use too much effort in doing this.

In a small sauce pan heat up 250ml of water along with between 2 or 3 ounces of sugar until the sugar has dissolved. (Your Beer Kit instructions will usually specify the recommended amount.) Allow this to cool and pour into the bottom of your pressure barrel. Place your fermentation bucket at a higher level than the pressure barrel than place your sanitised syphon tube into the fermenter ensuring that the plastic foot of the racking cane is attached. (I am using a commercial racking cane available from all home brew shops. The plastic foot restricts the amount of sediment entering the pressure barrel.) Syphon the beer into the pressure barrel ensuring that the end of the tube in the pressure barrel is slightly submerged under the surface of the beer to restrict any oxygen entering your brew. Once the beer has been syphoned into the barrel screw on the lid of the pressure barrel and then leave in a warm place for 3-4 days to start the secondary fermentation. This will carbonate your beer. After this time remove the barrel to a cool place and leave for 3 to 4 weeks for the beer to condition and clear. (I have made some Mild kits that only require up to 10 days to condition but the longer you leave them the better.)

If your fermenter has a tap fitted it is advisable to fit a length of plastic tube into the tap and then run off the beer into your pressure barrel keeping the open end of the tubing slightly underneath the surface of the decanted beer.

Bottling

You must use the correct type of bottle for this process. Beer is a carbonated drink and creates pressure inside the bottle. It is possible to recycle old beer bottles and re-use them many times however if there are any chips or faults in the bottles you should dispose of them (preferably in a recycling bin for glass). While topping your bottles if you damage the glass in any way then it is highly advisable to bin both the bottle and the beer as shards of glass are extremely dangerous if ingested. Polyethylene terephthalate or PET bottles are an ideal alternative to glass. Most carbonated soft drinks use these bottles and they are available in different sizes and have the convenience of screw caps. All bottles and bottle tops/caps must be thoroughly clean and sanitised just as the rest of your home brew equipment.

Bottling is slightly more time consuming than barreling but allows you to easily transport the beer or refrigerate the beer in smaller quantities should the beer require chilling.

If you are using glass bottles you will require the correct amount of crown caps and a crown capper, a small device that is available from all good home brew suppliers. The first step is to clean and sanitise all the bottles and caps that are needed. These need to be rinsed and drained as soon as possible to stop any sanitising solution drying out and forming deposits inside the bottle. A useful devise is a bottle tree which aids the draining of the bottles.

The usual practise for bottling is to add ½ teaspoon of sugar to a 500ml bottle and syphon in the beer leaving a good half inch gap at the top of the neck. Cap each bottle and leave in a warm place for a couple of days then move to a cool place to condition and clear. I would recommend leaving the bottles for 4-6 weeks before drinking - stronger beers may need longer.

The Final and most Important Part to Home Brew

After several weeks have passed it is now time for the most important process in the home brew stage - Enjoy the fruits of your labour.....

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