I bottled my wort and put the bottles in the fridge...

[Pat Dwiggins]

I just brewed my first batch of beer ever. Five gallons of a Blue Moon clone. Everything went well and I bottled it according to plan. I must have misread and thought you put the bottles in the fridge to condition. Today, one week later, I read that you are supposed to condition at room temperature. What do you think I should do ? Will the yeast still activate if I take the bottles out of the fridge and let sit at room temperature for a couple weeks ? Did I completely ruin this batch?

Thanks in advance for any helpful tips.

 

[MikeCo]

Definitely take them out of the refrigerator and put them in a warm place to carbonate. They should still carbonate in a few weeks.

 

[grampamark]

OK. Somebody has to ask.

The thread title says “I bottled my wort...”. Did you actually bottle after pitching the yeast or did you just assume we’d all understand that you fermented the beer, then bottled it, and put the bottles in the fridge to condition? It kind of makes a difference in how one answers the question about the yeast activating.

 

[Pat Dwiggins]

Sorry. Yes I pitched the yeast in the wort. I let that ferment for two weeks. Then I bottled the beer.

 

[grampamark]

Sorry. Yes I pitched the yeast in the wort. I let that ferment for two weeks. Then I bottled the beer.

Good. I’m an old guy. I learned a long time ago not to make too many assumptions.

As noted, put your bottles in a warm place and your beer should be fine in 2-3 weeks.

 

[bracconiere]

OK. Somebody has to ask.

The thread title says “I bottled my wort...”. Did you actually bottle after pitching the yeast or did you just assume we’d all understand that you fermented the beer, then bottled it, and put the bottles in the fridge to condition? It kind of makes a difference in how one answers the question about the yeast activating.

LOL, first thing i thought too, and i'm still a kid....

 

[Pat Dwiggins]

Right on. Thanks.

 

[schmurf]

Good. I’m an old guy. I learned a long time ago not to make too many assumptions.

As noted, put your bottles in a warm place and your beer should be fine in 2-3 weeks.

Assumptions are the mother of all f-ups, as they say

 

[RM-MN]

Good. I’m an old guy. I learned a long time ago not to make too many assumptions.

As noted, put your bottles in a warm place and your beer should be fine in 2-3 weeks.

Since you refrigerated the bottles it may take a little longer for the yeast to get back to work. If your bottles are not fully carbonated in the 2-3 weeks, don't freak out, just give them a little more time.

 

[Miraculix]

Shaking them daily speeds up things significantly.

 

[Buick Beer Gardens]

I just brewed my first batch of beer ever. Five gallons of a Blue Moon clone. Everything went well and I bottled it according to plan. I must have misread and thought you put the bottles in the fridge to condition. Today, one week later, I read that you are supposed to condition at room temperature. What do you think I should do ? Will the yeast still activate if I take the bottles out of the fridge and let sit at room temperature for a couple weeks ? Did I completely ruin this batch?

Thanks in advance for any helpful tips.

You should be fine. Condition for two weeks at 70-72 degrees and put back in the frig to cold crash.

 

[MikeCo]

I would refrigerate one bottle after two or three weeks and open it to check the carbonation.

 

[mongoose33]

Sorry. Yes I pitched the yeast in the wort. I let that ferment for two weeks. Then I bottled the beer.

I'm sure this is the last mistake you'll ever make in brewing.

 

[Pat Dwiggins]

Yea right !!!

 

[rburrelli]

Shaking them daily speeds up things significantly.

Don’t “shake” aggressively. Gently rotate them a couple of times.

 

[Buick Beer Gardens]

Don’t “shake” aggressively. Gently rotate them a couple of times.

I've heard this before somewhere....

 

[bkboiler]

Greg Noonan actually recommends making more wort than required for your brew and bottling a little bit of it to use for future starters, saves a step...
No pitching before bottling in that case. Blew my mind when I read that (mostly because I hadn't thought of it first).

 

[Pat Dwiggins]

What is the science behind either gently shaking or rotating the bottles daily?

 

[Dgallo]

What is the science behind either gently shaking or rotating the bottles daily?

It just resuspends any yeast and it also forces co2 into the beer. It’s not needed by any mean, people are just doing it so their beers carb up quicker.

 

[Miraculix]

Don’t “shake” aggressively. Gently rotate them a couple of times.

You can shake, no problem with that. As long as the yeast gets agitated, it's all good.

 

[RM-MN]

What is the science behind either gently shaking or rotating the bottles daily?

When you refrigerated the bottles right after bottling the beer a large portion of the yeast settle out to the bottom of the bottles and it takes quite a while for the yeast that is still suspended to carbonate the beer. By agitating the beer you mix in a lot more yeast so more of it is available to do the carbonation. If you are patient the beer will carbonate without the shaking but it may take quite a while. Since this is your first batch, you are probably anxious to taste how it came out.