5 replies to this topic

[Fatman]

I was thinking "what the hell" and throwing a few of my better beers into the NHC competition. Problem is that I usually bottle in 16 oz returnables, and they're too big for the competition. Per Gordon Strong on a Brewing Network podcast, I've had success with carbing at 30-35 psi in a 2L soda bottle with a carboy cap, chilling and decanting into a chilled empty bottle. So I could empty 3/3.5 16 ouncers into the soda bottle, carb and re-bottle.Out of lazyness and a limited supply of one of the beers, I was thinking about simply chilling the 16 oz bottle and decanting into a chilled 12oz. Has anyone tried this, or will I end up with undercarbed beer because I'm not starting from a super-carbed state to account for pressure loss during decanting?(I guess I could just use a 20 oz. soda bottle for the limited beer - no reason they wouldn't work with a carboy cap, is there?)

[Thirsty]

I have only done this by filling a pyrex measuring cup off of a tap, then filling a bottle. If you have used the soda bottle/carb cap method, why not do that again? Use a 16 oz soda bottle, fill that off of your current bottle, zap it with the carb cap on to desired carb level, pour a couple oz off to taste/determine, then pour the remainder 12 oz into a comp bottle? Good sanitation and purging you should be fine, deadline for entries isnt until 4/1 (at least for me in the NE section), so you could do this 3 weeks from now and not have any worries about oxidation come comp time.

[Fatman]

I have only done this by filling a pyrex measuring cup off of a tap, then filling a bottle. If you have used the soda bottle/carb cap method, why not do that again? Use a 16 oz soda bottle, fill that off of your current bottle, zap it with the carb cap on to desired carb level, pour a couple oz off to taste/determine, then pour the remainder 12 oz into a comp bottle? Good sanitation and purging you should be fine, deadline for entries isnt until 4/1 (at least for me in the NE section), so you could do this 3 weeks from now and not have any worries about oxidation come comp time.

Yeah, you're right, i spent all that effort making those beers, to get them evaluated in such a big competition, I might as well do it right.

[Thirsty]

I didnt read the rules yet, but I think last year they only require 2 bottles. So you've got that going for you, which is nice.

[Fatman]

I didnt read the rules yet, but I think last year they only require 2 bottles. So you've got that going for you, which is nice.

Unless I'm reading the wrong rules (always a possibility), it's one bottle for the first round, and three for the second. I'm not really worried about scrounging up four bottles.https://www.homebrew...Regulations.pdf

[jayb151]

Unless I'm reading the wrong rules (always a possibility), it's one bottle for the first round, and three for the second. I'm not really worried about scrounging up four bottles.https://www.homebrew...Regulations.pdf

Yea, they changed that this year. Last year I believe it was three bottles. Now their only asking for one. Better for me!