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Czech Pils too gassy
Posted: Monday Oct 27, 2008 4:26 pm
by Pom
Guys
I have used carb drops in all of my 8 brew to date. My second brew was a czech pils. It turned out great but alot of the bottles seems so gassy or over carbed that it took away some of the flavour and over powered the beer. Im planning on putting down another one and plan to changing the recipe slightly but thought I might have a go at bulk priminmg it.
Am I right in thinking that about 170g - 180g of cane suger would be the right amount of suger to prime a 23l brew.
If sowould dropping it 30g be a good idea for this style of beer or not?
Also with bulk priming am I right in thinking I should dislove the suger in hot water and then add this to a new sterile Fermenter and siphone the brew into this container allowing the beer and suger to mix(without stiring up the sediment in the fermenter, and then bottle from the new fermenter.
Any advice greatly recived.
Thanks
Rob

Re: Czech Pils to gassy
Posted: Tuesday Oct 28, 2008 8:15 am
by earle
What temp did you ferment it at, what yeast and what was your FG? If its overcarbonated it could be due to incomplete fermentation rather than overpriming, in which case I would be worried about bottle bombs.
Re: Czech Pils to gassy
Posted: Tuesday Oct 28, 2008 10:05 am
by drsmurto
Pom wrote:Guys
I have used carb drops in all of my 8 brew to date. My second brew was a czech pils. It turned out great but alot of the bottles seems so gassy or over carbed that it took away some of the flavour and over powered the beer. Im planning on putting down another one and plan to changing the recipe slightly but thought I might have a go at bulk priminmg it.
Am I right in thinking that about 170g - 180g of cane suger would be the right amount of suger to prime a 23l brew.
If sowould dropping it 30g be a good idea for this style of beer or not?
Also with bulk priming am I right in thinking I should dislove the suger in hot water and then add this to a new sterile Fermenter and siphone the brew into this container allowing the beer and suger to mix(without stiring up the sediment in the fermenter, and then bottle from the new fermenter.
Any advice greatly recived.
Thanks
Rob

180g per 23L is about right for a pils. If your beer is overcarbed, you can uncap the beer, let it froth a bit and then recap. Did that for a pils i over primed.
Your bulk priming method is spot on.
Re: Czech Pils to gassy
Posted: Tuesday Oct 28, 2008 2:24 pm
by swarve
How long should it be left in the secondary fermenter with the bulk prime? If you did 7 days in the primary and 7 in the secondary should you add the sugar towards the end just before bottling? How do you bulk prime if you don't rack your beer, just dissolve the sugar into boiling water then pour it on top? Sorry, just a bit confused about priming
Re: Czech Pils to gassy
Posted: Wednesday Oct 29, 2008 8:21 am
by earle
When bulk priming add the sugar just before bottling, otherwise the gas that it produces for carbonation will be lost. Back on the topic of overcarbonation, 14 days (7+7) seems a bit short for a lager yeast to fully ferment out. I'm doubting that the overcarbonation was due to recipe or priming method.
Re: Czech Pils to gassy
Posted: Wednesday Oct 29, 2008 6:16 pm
by Pom
Hi guys
earle wrote:in which case I would be worried about bottle bombs.
In reply to that early I have already drunk all the stubbies except for the 1/2 dozen I put away from every brew to age and sample at 3,6,12 month. None of the stubbies exploded and none of the stubbies I have ageing have exploded either.
Doc thanks for the conformation on my priming method. I might try opening two or three of the stubbies I have in aging and see if that changes any of them.
earle wrote:14 days (7+7) seems a bit short for a lager yeast to fully ferment out. I'm doubting that the overcarbonation was due to recipe or priming method.
.I didn't write that.
This was however one of my first brews and I had no real temperture control on the brew and it was the last brew I evermade with kit yeast. It may well have not been fully fermented.
All my brews now I primary ferment for about two weeks depending on SG and rack for another week. This brew however was not racked and was in primary for 16 days before bottling . So again it may not have fully fermented. But the SGs were constant for three days.
I dont know.
This time it will be racked and I have just got a large fridge which will fit two fermenters in which I aim to use for tempature control of my lagers.
Thanks for all you feed back though guys
Cheers Rob
Re: Czech Pils too gassy
Posted: Thursday Oct 30, 2008 8:02 am
by earle
I realise you didn't write 14 days about the brew in question but since you wrote it in your priming question I thought maybe that was your normal procedure. Your 2wks + 1 for ales sounds good, once you have the fridge up and running for fermentation, the lagers may take even longer. I've only had my fridgemate for a short while (first temp controlled brew ready to bottle this weekend) but I'm thinking it will probably be 3 weeks for ales and at least 4 for lagers.
Re: Czech Pils too gassy
Posted: Thursday Oct 30, 2008 10:38 am
by drsmurto
beer takes as long to ferment as it needs......
have had some lagers need 4 weeks in primary, current one was done and dusted in 5 days but will be left in primary for a full 14 days.
Never had an ale NEED more than 14 days in primary. If you do then look at your yeast pitching rate, yeast health, aeration etc
Re: Czech Pils too gassy
Posted: Thursday Oct 30, 2008 1:38 pm
by earle
beer takes as long to ferment as it needs......
That's true but general rules of thumb can also be useful.
Also, I'm not saying that's how long my beers take to ferment, but how long they stay in the fermenter before bottling. Since I don't rack, filter or keg I like to leave the beer to clear for about a week before bottling. It also helps to ensure that fermentation is actually complete. (Hydrometer readings are also used)
Re: Czech Pils too gassy
Posted: Thursday Oct 30, 2008 7:53 pm
by Pom
Thanks for all the feed back guys
Im going to put another version of the same pils down in a week or two. Will hopefully have the temp control up and running by then.
Have herd a little about the fridgemates and they sound a really grat little piece of equipment.
Will definatly look into getting one in the next week or so. Do most of the HB sell them. The HB shop in Seymour is really a tool hire shop and is pretty limited. Next time im in Mel. will look in grain and grape.im sure ross would probably have them as well.
Also will cange a few other thing (yeast and rack this time and also try pulk priming it.)
Thanks again
Re: Czech Pils too gassy
Posted: Friday Oct 31, 2008 8:06 am
by earle
If you're thinking of getting a fridgemate, think about whether the tempmate would be a better buy. The fridgemate can do a fridge/freezer or heat belt. The tempmate will do both at once, so will handle fluctuations either side of your desired fermenting temp. I think my fridgemate will be fine here in sunny hot nth queensland but if I was living in a southerly location where it actually got cold I would get the tempmate for $20 extra.