Recycling Dud Brews

[BigPete56]

I recall seeing a post on re-using dud (flat) brews - can somebody point me in the right direction for instructions?

My second ever brew (K&K - CPA, BE2 and English Ale yeast from HBS) lacks head retention, but tastes ok. Not a dirty glass issue, I have had the same result from four bottles with different clean glasses. It was warm weather at the time of bottling, so I put them under the house. I've since read on other threads they should be kept at min 18c after bottling, so would it cause this problem if it was too cool by a couple of degrees? I don't want to chuck the remaining 20 bottles if I don't have to.

[Wassa]

Firstly, how long have they been in the bottle? If you have them stored in a cooler place then secondary fermentation is going to take longer to complete to give you a good head.

[BigPete56]

CPA were bottled on 19 Jan, and I tried them sixteen to eighteen days later.

I tasted my first K&K (Coopers Lager that came with the kit) two weeks after bottling, and every one of them has been ok, great head. Putting the CPA under the house was the only variation from my first brew.

[Wassa]

Well, I would say that the lower temp has affected head retention. Take them out and leave them in a warmer placefor a fortnight and retry.

I know it's hard to keep your hands off the beer that you have brewed, but I never touch mine until they are 3 months old. This gives secondary fermentation time to work and lets the beer mature and gives it a more rounded flavour.