where's the bubbles?

crutchings · Post by **crutchings** » Saturday May 03, 2008 4:24 pm

gday,
I've just started brewing and am totally addicted ,ive been studying the forum for a few weeks and pretty much learnt everything i know about brewing from it ,has to be the best resource on all things beer anywhere!!
Anyway my third brew i put together was a coopers hertiage irish stout with a brewcraft irish stout enhancer pack I have just started drink it after a month of secondary and it tastes fantastic but has no carbonation what so ever, i definatly used two carb drops in each bottle when i bottled it but i used the PET caps for a second time is this ok? would reusing PET lids allow the gas to escape or have i stuffed up some other way?

thanks for your help and getting for me hooked on brewing
cheers

rohanbutler · Post by **rohanbutler** » Saturday May 03, 2008 4:45 pm

Check the shape of the opening of the bottle, I had some pet bottles that went from a circular opening to oval shape (I sanitised using the dishwasher

) most where fine but the few with misshapen opening never carbonated. I doubt reusing the lids would be the problem but I could be wrong.

Question for the experts. I have a lager that I brewed, racked off the trub let it condition at room temp for a week (didn't have a lagering facility at that time) I then added dextrose to carbonate, using the little scoop. I tried some the other night (two weeks later) and they were flat and slightly sweet (very sweet for beer). Is this possibly due to a lack of yeast? there is some carbonation obviously it needs to condition for a couple more weeks at least but it should have carbonated by now?

P.S

Sorry to hjack the thread:shock: , but the two questions seem linked

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Saturday May 03, 2008 4:49 pm

I'd give it some time. Try rotating your bottles (end over end) once a day, and moving them somewhere a bit warmer.

crutchings · Post by **crutchings** » Saturday May 03, 2008 5:03 pm

thanks for the help, I live in real brass monkey country and its pretty cold here most of the time. I tried to to keep the bottles at around 18 deg for the secondary but over night would of been much cooler (probably closer to 10deg). Do you reckon this could of contributed to my flat brew?

thanks

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Saturday May 03, 2008 5:07 pm

It's the temp of the beer, not the atmosphere around it that is the real issue. But yes, that may well be the reason for the slow carbing.

warra48 · Post by **warra48** » Saturday May 03, 2008 5:27 pm

I agree definitely the low temperatures have contributed to the slow carbing up. You need about 2 weeks at 20ÂºC or so to carb up.
Reusing your caps is not a problem, I do it all the time.
By the way, I don't buy my caps these days. I recycle ones I've used before, and also caps from Coke and Pepsi bottles. So long as they are properly sanitised, no problem.

spatch · Post by **spatch** » Saturday May 03, 2008 8:22 pm

The timing of this couldn't be better.
I've just tried 2 beers from my second ever batch and they too were really flat.
They spent a week in the freezer section of my old dead fridge and stayed at around 18 degrees for the week
(thanks to a hot water bottle at night

)and have since been out in the shed and have been anywhere
from probably 10degrees to 15 for another week.

Will they get more fizz as they age or is that it now?

crutchings · Post by **crutchings** » Saturday May 03, 2008 8:36 pm

Gday spatch,

Glad to here im not the only one drinking flat beer

spatch · Post by **spatch** » Saturday May 03, 2008 8:43 pm

crutchings wrote:Gday spatch,

Glad to here im not the only one drinking flat beer

Hey crutchie.

Bloody heart breaking isn't it.

Mine was a James Squire Amber Ale rip off of sorts and it still
tastes good, just doesn't have the right sensation about it.

Hopefully warming them back up for another week might do the trick?

Is 2 weeks after bottling too late to try and re-carbonate them???

Kevnlis · Post by **Kevnlis** » Saturday May 03, 2008 8:54 pm

No spatch they will be fine, maybe gently roll them to resuspend the yeast once they get back up to 18C or so.

spatch · Post by **spatch** » Saturday May 03, 2008 10:51 pm

Kevnlis wrote:No spatch they will be fine, maybe gently roll them to resuspend the yeast once they get back up to 18C or so.

Cool. Thanks yet again.

spatch · Post by **spatch** » Wednesday May 07, 2008 8:03 pm

Kevnlis wrote:No spatch they will be fine, maybe gently roll them to resuspend the yeast once they get back up to 18C or so.

Righto, so warmed 'em up, brought 'em inside and stuck 'em in an esky to keep temps up overnight I add a warm hot water bottle.
Gently rolled 'em.
Some of them "clouded up" when the sediment came off the bottom of the bottles -
1/I guess that has "resuspended the yeast"?

2/ On some the sediment broke up into chunks - do you think the sediment will re-set once left idle for a couple of weeks?

3/ Will 2 weeks inside be long enough, then get 'em out in the cold again to assist with hardening the sediment?

Cheers in advance,
spatchie.

Kevnlis · Post by **Kevnlis** » Wednesday May 07, 2008 8:15 pm

Yes the idea was to resuspend the yeast, not necessary but will speed things up a bit.

The yeast will flocculate again.

I have no idea if 2 weeks will be enough, chill one down and try it, if not, keep going

spatch · Post by **spatch** » Wednesday May 07, 2008 9:13 pm

Thanks for your help.

Hopefully when I next crack one they have a bit more fizz to 'em. Hope yours come good too ctutchie!

A side question for ya..........330ml stubbies were given 1/3tsp of sugars as recommended by HBS. Sound about right
for an Amber Ale?

My next brew is a German Lager kit and I think I'll give that 1/2 tsp to avoid this happening again?

Thanks again.

Kevnlis · Post by **Kevnlis** » Wednesday May 07, 2008 9:17 pm

I would have gone 1/2 teaspoon myself. 1/3 would be for a 250ml.

spatch · Post by **spatch** » Thursday May 08, 2008 4:49 pm

Kevnlis wrote:I would have gone 1/2 teaspoon myself. 1/3 would be for a 250ml.

I thought it would be too little, but it carbed my first brew fine (a Munich Lager)?

Kevnlis · Post by **Kevnlis** » Thursday May 08, 2008 4:50 pm

But what temp was the lager when it went into the bottles?

It will still give you carbonation, just probably not as much as you would expect.

crutchings · Post by **crutchings** » Thursday May 08, 2008 5:44 pm

G'day Spatch,
I've followed all of the advise here and now we play the waiting game and see what happends. Thats if can stop drinking the stuff :)it may not be a patch on Coopers Best Extra Stout but still pretty good even with out the bubbles.
Ive just bottled a Euro Larger and Im facing a beer gap while I wait the 12 weeks for it to condition. Oh well a good chance to go to the bottlo and do some research

thanks again everyone.

spatch · Post by **spatch** » Saturday May 10, 2008 9:58 pm

Beer gaps suck!
Brew # 1 is all but gone, 2 stubbies & 1 longneck left!
#2 is in limbo & #3 got bottled today.

crutchings · Post by **crutchings** » Tuesday May 13, 2008 7:07 pm

I HAVE BUBBLES!!! and head too

Amazing what a couple of weeks at some warmer temps and a turn of the bottle will do.
Its not fully carbed yet but is now definantly my best brew to date. Only problem is i've only got a couple left

cheers

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