[bearhugger1972]

Ok, a newbie question here. I have just bottled my first beer from the FV with half a teaspoon of sugar in each bottle to prime. Do i need to give each bottle a little shake to mix in the sugar or will it just produce the CO2 in time?

[Auntiemogs]

I just put mine in before the beer and stuck it in a warm place for a couple of days to get it going again. Was delish (note I said WAS!).  Off to Wilko again tomz... 
Margaret.

[bearhugger1972]

Just sampling a bottle of brew (Geordie Winter Warmer) and it's already tasty stuff. It's going to be hard to keep it in the crates in the garage from the back end of next week when its matured properly. I think the 1/2 teaspoon of priming sugar was just about right- a full tsp might make it a bit lively when popping the lid. (I'm using plastic re-usable lids rather than the traditional metal lids). now roll on next weekend for a proper taste!!

[stompy]

Once you've primed the bottles, how long does it take to become drinkable?

Im thinking of having a go for Christmas the winter festival.
I have always stored and decanted from a pressure keg but thats split so im thinking of going down the bottle rout!

[bearhugger1972]

You keep the bottles in a warm place for 4 days then in a cool place for 10 days. I may be getting a pressurised barrel given to me so how long do you keep beer before you drink from that?

[Auntiemogs]

Think it's supposed to last up to six months (but not in this house)! 
Going to put some in lemonade bottles next time but will have to but a new pressure barrel (20 squidish at Wilko) cos mine's full of cider atm. 

[bearhugger1972]

6 months? yes that is slightly over optimistic

[crh75]

Bottles need 1-2 weeks in a warm place to carbonate and then ideally 4-6 weeks somewhere cool to mature.

A pressure barrel needs 4-6 weeks to mature.