Beer temperature when bottling

[berley31]

Bear with me if this seems confusing...

I think maybe I've been overthinking the whole aspect of beer temperature when bottling, and the effect it has on carbonation. I just bottled my first lager (a Schwarzbier) that I had fermented at 50 F, raised to 64 F or so for a brief diacetyl rest, and then lagered for a month at 36 F.

I find that different calculators on the internet for bottle-priming account for the temperature aspect in different ways.

For instance, tastybrew.com refers to beer temperature as: " 'residual CO2" depends upon the temperature of the fermentation' " Another often-used calculator specifically says that the temperature is the temperature of the beer AT BOTTLING.

So, which is it? If you ferment at 50 F, raise to 65 F, and then transfer to secondary for lagering, does the CO2 in the headspace in the primary fermenter not get lost in the transfer? In this case I just entered 36 F for the temperature in the calculations, and therefore had to add 69 g of table sugar to get 2.5 vol CO2. But, according to tastybrew.com, I should have entered 50 F (or maybe even 65 F?).

Any insight that can clear up my brain?

 

[Yooper]

You should go by the temperature of the beer after/at the end of fermentation, or the warmest temperature after fermentation started.

Here's why: fermentation produces co2 of course. The co2 vents out the airlock, but colder liquids hold onto co2 better and more residual co2 stays in cold liquids. So, in theory, a lager fermented at 50 would have more co2 in suspension that an ale fermented at 65. BUT, a lager will often have a diacetyl rest. If you've ever witnessed it, a lager will bubble a ton when it's brought up to diacetyl rest temperature. Not because it's fermenting, but because the warmer beer temperature will let go of more residual co2. Then, the lager is brought down to lager temps. Since fermentation is over before that, and no more co2 is produced, the lager won't get more co2 in suspension, no matter how long it's kept at lager temps. The proper temperature to consider for this lager is whatever temperature the diacetyl rest was. That's the highest temperature that the finished/near finished beer was kept at.

Hopefully that makes sense!

I find that I just usually use 4 ounces of priming sugar for 5 gallons of beer, no matter what. It works great, and I don't have under- or over-carbed beers.

If you used 69 grams (2.5 ounces), you'll have flat beer.

 

[berley31]

Balls. That's what I was worried about.

Thanks, though. But, in my defense, some of those carbonation calculators can definitely confuse the topic!

 

[Yooper]

Balls. That's what I was worried about.

Thanks, though. But, in my defense, some of those carbonation calculators can definitely confuse the topic!

I agree! And that's one of the reasons I don't carb "to style". I mean, if a wit says to carb to 3.5 volumes and I do that, I'll have a foamy beer shooting out of the bottles. I carb almost all of my beers the same, except for some that I do want pretty flat such as a British mild. I ignore priming calculators.

 

[berley31]

Now I have to figure out a way to add more priming sugar... maybe mix some more up with water, boil, cool, and crack every damn bottle, pour in a bit and recap?

Great.

 

[Pappers_]

Now I have to figure out a way to add more priming sugar... maybe mix some more up with water, boil, cool, and crack every damn bottle, pour in a bit and recap?

Great.

I wouldn't do that - that's just for emergencies, I think. There are too many risks with doing it that way.

If you let it bottle condition a little longer than normal, your beer will be carbonated, just not as much as it usually is.

 

[Yooper]

I wouldn't do that - that's just for emergencies, I think. There are too many risks with doing it that way.

If you let it bottle condition a little longer than normal, your beer will be carbonated, just not as much as it usually is.

I agree! I'd wait it out and see how it comes out. It will not be as carbonated as you'd hoped but it still will be drinkable. If it's not carbonated enough, you could try adding a carb tab. I'd wait it out first, though.

 

[berley31]

Cool... thanks for the advice.