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Author Topic: First Timer. Mr. Beer + DME + Hops. Water and boil time?  (Read 8036 times)

Offline Bomber 22

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Re: First Timer. Mr. Beer + DME + Hops. Water and boil time?
« Reply #15 on: May 14, 2016, 12:43:45 am »
First mistake and a question about a concern, please.

A few days into fermentation, I was doing some more reading and noticed a mistake.  For a 2 gallon brew, only half a packet of the SafAle S-04 is required for that volume.  I used an entire packet of the 11.5 gram size.  So, just a heads up in the slim chance that any other rookie sees this thread.

I hope it doesn't cause too much trouble.  I read that it could make the beer taste yeasty.  However, I bottled this evening and quite enjoyed the flavor.

Side note.  I can see why people either do a 2nd fermentation or use a bottling bucket.  There IS a base pocket in the 2 gallon Mr. Beer keg to house the bits so that you can dispense via the keg cleanly.  However (and perhaps because I used the entire packet of yeast) the amount of sludge at the bottom was a large amount.  It clogged the spout at one point and also wastes a bit of beer because the last of the liquid is so sludged up.

My concern is this....  Of course, AFTER bottling (18 days of fermenting), I discovered a priming sugar calculator.  I also learned that fermenting at colder temps would require less sugar because perhaps all of the sugars would not have been fermented out. 

I used the required amount of carb drops from Mr. Beer.  1-1/2 sucrose carb drops (or 1-1/2 tsp) per 22 ounces of beer.  I think they suggested fermenting at 68-72F or something like that.

Via a calculator, it suggest just under 1 tsp per 22 ounces for my fermentation temp of 62F. 

Should I be anticipating gushers or explosions? 

Offline santoch

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Re: First Timer. Mr. Beer + DME + Hops. Water and boil time?
« Reply #16 on: May 14, 2016, 09:21:23 am »
Pitching a whole packet is ok at that scale.  It really won't make a difference.

Mr. Beer comes with plastic bottles.  If you used the plastic bottles, you will get lower carbonation than with glass bottles because they flex with the pressure like a balloon.

Give them time to carbonate and keep them warm now.  70F or even higher is ok at this point.  You won't get off flavors carbonating high.
A common mistake is for folks to put the bottles on the basement floor.  The concrete will suck the heat out of them and carbonation will take a long time.  Raise them up and they'll stay warm.

Don't worry.  Your beers will be fine, even though you didn't follow the carbonation chart exactly.
Looking for a club near my new house
BJCP GM3/Mead Judge

Offline Bomber 22

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Re: First Timer. Mr. Beer + DME + Hops. Water and boil time?
« Reply #17 on: May 14, 2016, 09:41:37 am »
Thanks, Santoch.  I bottled 10 glass 22oz bomber bottles (I cleaned with Oxi-Clean and sanitized).  I also bottled two 16oz EZCap bottles.

I keep my place at about 82 degrees.  I'm storing them in the door shelves of a non-working refrigerator.  I put a couple of ice packs in there to drop the temp a couple/few degrees.  Should I remove the ice packs and leave at room temp for the two weeks?  Is 80-82F too high for carb bottling?

Thank you.

Pitching a whole packet is ok at that scale.  It really won't make a difference.

Mr. Beer comes with plastic bottles.  If you used the plastic bottles, you will get lower carbonation than with glass bottles because they flex with the pressure like a balloon.

Give them time to carbonate and keep them warm now.  70F or even higher is ok at this point.  You won't get off flavors carbonating high.
A common mistake is for folks to put the bottles on the basement floor.  The concrete will suck the heat out of them and carbonation will take a long time.  Raise them up and they'll stay warm.

Don't worry.  Your beers will be fine, even though you didn't follow the carbonation chart exactly.

Offline santoch

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Re: First Timer. Mr. Beer + DME + Hops. Water and boil time?
« Reply #18 on: May 14, 2016, 12:20:32 pm »
I think the ice packs are unnecessary.
82 is warm but the yeast will love it up there.
Your beers will carbonate quickly at that temp.
Give them a few days, then chill them and enjoy!  Let us know how they turned out-
Looking for a club near my new house
BJCP GM3/Mead Judge

Offline Bomber 22

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Re: First Timer. Mr. Beer + DME + Hops. Water and boil time?
« Reply #19 on: May 14, 2016, 02:04:35 pm »
I think the ice packs are unnecessary.
82 is warm but the yeast will love it up there.
Your beers will carbonate quickly at that temp.
Give them a few days, then chill them and enjoy!  Let us know how they turned out-

Okay, I'll remove the packs and keep it at room temp.

One more and that's it please.....I bottled last night.  Were you saying to keep them at room temp for literally "a few days" before putting them in the fridge.  Or should they be at room temp for 2 weeks before putting them in the fridge to continue conditioning.  Just curious if you meant that literally as in a short amount of time because of the fermentation temp and priming amount as for only a few days of carbing or not.  Thank you.

Offline santoch

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Re: First Timer. Mr. Beer + DME + Hops. Water and boil time?
« Reply #20 on: May 14, 2016, 10:13:49 pm »
At normal temps (ie, 70F) in my experience it takes about 2 weeks for them to fully carbonate.  Yours will go a bit faster because of the higher temps.
Your best bet is to try one after about 10 days (ie, chill it down and drink it).

You said "ez capper" bottles.  Are those the plastic ones or are you talking about Grolsch bottles?
If you meant you used plastic, then you can feel how firm those get as they carbonate.  When they are hard like soda bottles, then your beers are carbonated.
Looking for a club near my new house
BJCP GM3/Mead Judge

Offline Bomber 22

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Re: First Timer. Mr. Beer + DME + Hops. Water and boil time?
« Reply #21 on: May 14, 2016, 11:54:17 pm »
Thank you, Santoch.  Much appreciated.  I'll give one a test in 10 days. 

The EZ Cap bottles are the Grolsch style bottles.  I discovered an old box of them that was left behind (had to do a ton of washing/bleaching/oxi-cleaning on them).  They are blue, glass bottles. 

Thanks for the bloating tip on the plastic bottles.  I remember seeing them mentioned in the Mr. Beer kit instructions (my kit didn't come with them).

Thanks again for all of the help.

At normal temps (ie, 70F) in my experience it takes about 2 weeks for them to fully carbonate.  Yours will go a bit faster because of the higher temps.
Your best bet is to try one after about 10 days (ie, chill it down and drink it).

You said "ez capper" bottles.  Are those the plastic ones or are you talking about Grolsch bottles?
If you meant you used plastic, then you can feel how firm those get as they carbonate.  When they are hard like soda bottles, then your beers are carbonated.