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First batches, no carbonation

Northern Brewer General
#1

So, I opened one beer from my each of my first two batches yesterday, and was surprised to find that there was no carbonation. I will say, according to the instructions, they need another week in the bottle (they’ve only been in the bottle one week thus far), but I would have expected there to be at least some carbonation going on by now.

I have been storing the bottles in the basement, which is usually between 63 and 65 degrees. Could this be attributing to the low carbonation rate, (i.e. would it do better if I moved it upstairs where it’s warmer?)

Any help/advice is appreciated. I know I need to be patient, but I’m eager to taste the final product!

#2

There should be some carbonation after one week. I routinely open one bottle after one week, just to get a sense for how the beer is progressing. I generally find that carbonation is complete or nearly complete. The second week is more for letting the beer condition and mature a bit.

At the basement temperature you describe, I suspect that carbonation is happening more slowly. Room temperature is better for carbonating. Let the bottles sit for another week and try another. Moving the beer to a warmer room, 68F to 74F for example, would help too.

#3

Good to know. I should say, the Speckled Heifer did have a little bit of carbonation, but very little. My Caribou Slobber, however, was flat as a pancake. I’ll move the cases upstairs and give 'em another week.

I’m really hoping that these bottles fizz up, or my first two batches are going to be all for nothing! :cry:

#4

I usually leave the bulk of my bottles in the basement in the 60s to carbonate, but meanwhile I’ll set 4 to 6 bottles on top of my refrigerator or a warm spot in the house in the mid-70s so they carbonate within 4-7 days instead of 2-3 weeks. Then by the time I’ve drunk the first ones, my other ones are ready to go. Yeah, if you are in a hurry, you could do this for the full cases. Just don’t store them like that forever – they need cellar temperatures after carbonated.

#5

That’s sound advice sir, thank you! Given the temperature of my basement, would you say that zero carbonation after one week (as is the case with my Caribou Slobber) is normal?

#6

Leaving the beers in the fridge for 2 days also help the CO2 get absorbed into the beer rather being in the head space of the bottle.

Filling a soda bottle or 2, squeezing the O2 out and then screwing the cap on will show you what is happening with out opening the glass bottles.

#7

Yeah, that’s normal. You’ll probably get just a tad of carbonation in the next 3 or 4 days. After a whole 'nother week in the basement you’ll probably have nearly full carbonation. Just need more time, or higher temperature, that’s all.

#8

Quick update, I moved two cases (one Slobber, one Heifer) upstairs to rest for about 5 days, where the ambient temp has been between 70 and 73. I then put them in the fridge to chill for about 24 hours prior to the arrival of my guests on Sunday. I opened up a few of the bottles, and still nothing.

I’ve followed the recipes to a T, they’ve bottle conditioned for at least 2 weeks, and according to most of the kit reviews I’ve read online, these should have turned out fantastically. Instead they were flat and barely drinkable, (no off flavors I should note, but barely any carbonation and a very weak, light body).

Is there hope for these yet, or is it possible that I did something wrong when bottling? I added the exact amount of priming sugar to the solution as was indicated in the kit instructions, stirred vigorously before bottling, bottled at a temp of about 65 degrees, etc…

I’m probably beating a dead horse here, and my impatience may be just getting the best of me, but I guess I’m just wondering if this has happened to anybody else, and whether or not I may have made a mistake somewhere along the lines.

Any feedback (even if redundant) is always appreciated. Prost!

#9

you may want to take the box, and slowly kind of swing it around a bit. not shake it violently obviously. just enough to swish some of the beer around in the bottle.

I am not sure if that helps a lot, a little, or not at all, but I have done that with my beers at times after about a week or so.

#10

I have noticed with the Carribou Brown that it is full of flavour, but I thought a little weak and low in carbonation also. This is with the extract kits. Also the SG was a lot lower than the box quoted. Similar SG result with Bitter and Irish Dry from the kits. Next will try the whole grain.

#11

Did you just brew the slobber? How long had it been in the bottos before coming to that conclusion?

#12

I would take the bottles, or if in a case, and flip end for end a few times to break up the yeast cake on the bottom and get the yeast back in suspension. This always works for me.

Do you have a yeast cake on the bottom of each bottle? Was there yeast at the end of each bottle you tried to date?

#13

[quote=“560sdl”]I would take the bottles, or if in a case, and flip end for end a few times to break up the yeast cake on the bottom and get the yeast back in suspension. This always works for me.

Do you have a yeast cake on the bottom of each bottle? Was there yeast at the end of each bottle you tried to date?[/quote]

I didn’t see a cake on the bottom of the bottles, but I probably ended up pouring whatever was in there because I noticed a bit of a milky/hazy finish at the end of the pours. I just gave them a good shake and put them back in the fridge. Hopefully that’ll do the trick.

#14

[quote=“S Wagner”]

I didn’t see a cake on the bottom of the bottles, but I probably ended up pouring whatever was in there because I noticed a bit of a milky/hazy finish at the end of the pours. I just gave them a good shake and put them back in the fridge. Hopefully that’ll do the trick.[/quote]

NO! take them out of the fridge! They will never carbonate in there, unless you use lager yeast and they might if you give them forever.

They need to be 60 - 70 degrees for 2-3 weeks, min to be fully carbed. Have they been in the fridge the whole time?

#15

[quote=“560sdl”][quote=“S Wagner”]

I didn’t see a cake on the bottom of the bottles, but I probably ended up pouring whatever was in there because I noticed a bit of a milky/hazy finish at the end of the pours. I just gave them a good shake and put them back in the fridge. Hopefully that’ll do the trick.[/quote]

NO! take them out of the fridge! They will never carbonate in there, unless you use lager yeast and they might if you give them forever.

They need to be 60 - 70 degrees for 2-3 weeks, min to be fully carbed. Have they been in the fridge the whole time?[/quote]

Oh no, they’ve been in there since last Saturday, prior to which they were conditioning at room temperature for two weeks. I let them cool in the fridge for 24 hours prior to trying them, hoping that would be enough time for the CO2 to absorb back into the beer.

So I should remove all the chilled beer, give them a shake, and let them sit back at room temp for another week or so?

#16

[quote=“S Wagner”]So I should remove all the chilled beer, give them a shake, and let them sit back at room temp for another week or so?[/quote]Move the beer to somewhere in the upper 70s (even into the low 80s) and allow to sit for a day to come to temp. Then grab one bottle in each hand, flip them over and give them a swirl with the neck downwards to loosen the yeast. Do this once a day for every bottle for a week. At the end of the week, put one beer in the fridge for 24 hours and then open to check the carbonation. If it’s good, refrigerate the rest, if it’s still low, swirl the bottles for another week and try again.

If there’s no carbonation at all, and you’re sure you primed correctly, you’re going to have to re-yeast them. Or find someone with a keg and force-carbonate.

#17

[quote=“Shadetree”][quote=“S Wagner”]So I should remove all the chilled beer, give them a shake, and let them sit back at room temp for another week or so?[/quote]Move the beer to somewhere in the upper 70s (even into the low 80s) and allow to sit for a day to come to temp. Then grab one bottle in each hand, flip them over and give them a swirl with the neck downwards to loosen the yeast. Do this once a day for every bottle for a week. At the end of the week, put one beer in the fridge for 24 hours and then open to check the carbonation. If it’s good, refrigerate the rest, if it’s still low, swirl the bottles for another week and try again.

If there’s no carbonation at all, and you’re sure you primed correctly, you’re going to have to re-yeast them. Or find someone with a keg and force-carbonate.[/quote]

Exactly, do the above. I know you got a comment about cooling them down to get the co2 absorbed and that was probably confusing, especially in light of the fact that there is no C02.

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