bottled water

Russ2109

Hi can you help (again) I am thinking of using bottled water to do my next lager brew is it recommended or are there any pit falls I should be aware of ?

The reason I am using bottled water is for the 5ltr bottles ,when I am done for storing my wine etc worksout very cheap.

Cheers Russ.

cap43

Good idear but its a lot to drink in one go,It would prob" only last a week once opend for drinking, But, I ame sure you can manage a Lt a day    ;8>)

PS. dont get flavored water ,

 

HBO_Staff

That's true, you just need to think about when you open the 5 litre container it then needs to be drank in good time. You can use bottled water instead of tap water without any problems, and if it is spring water it will not have some of the additives added to tap water. Some cheap bottled water is just tap water though, so will be exactly the same

Russ2109

Cheers for the info. as for storage I see your point about drinking it quick I was thinking of putting it away for a few months & then re bottling it  to drink at leisure ,or is that not recommended ?

Thanks Russ

HBO_Staff

Once bottled it is primed with sugar which will produce the carbonation and allow it to condition and improve. You shouldn't then open it again until it's going to be consumed, so ideally you need to transfer it straight into the finished bottles and leave it there. Also bear in mind, with carbonated drinks such as lager, the bottles must be capable of withstanding pressure, so only use bottles that have had a fizzy drink in before, or ones such as these cheaper 1 litre screw cap bottles (available in 500ml too);

http://home-brew-online.myshopify.com/collections/equipment/products/pet-1ltr-bottles-with-caps-12-pack

fergusfantastic

Good morning chaps, I started my very first batch of Coopers Australian lager on Thursday ( 30th ) . The OG was 1040 . The Krausen collar was removed on Sunday as per Coopers instruction video, but I feel it could have been left for another day at least. Just checked SG this morning and it's reading 1012. What I'd like to know is when does the beer start to clarify? Should it happen in the FV before bottling or after bottling during secondary fermentation? It's got a good colour, quite light but still a bit cloudy, smells nice but I haven't tasted it yet......

HBO_Staff

You can use your hydrometer to just check the gravity readings, if it is still going down then do leave it a bit longer until fully finished (especially if bottling), as temperatures, etc, can increase fermentation times. The brew will properly clear after secondary fermentation in the bottles/barrel as it carbonates, and once it is clear is a sign it will be about ready to drink. The longer you leave it in the bottles the better it will taste as the flavours improve, and the carbonation will be complete