I just made my first beer in my new kit with glass carboys. Formerly used plastic bucket in a basic kit. I siphoned into secondary fermentor, and then after a week, I bottled with priming sugar as usual. 2 weeks later I crack one open, and its flat. I tried another bottle and its flat too. Very very little carbonation. Tastes ok otherwise. I think the bottle caps leaked the carbonation out. the caps come off very easily. These gold caps came in my kit. My question is: How can i get this batch carbonated? Can it be done and rebottled? Im not equipped for kegging yet. If i get a kegging setup, i could just dump all of the bottles to a keg, and force carb with co2. Any ideas about doing it in the bottles, and using the old caps ive always used?
You would have to re-bottle with added priming sugar. If you have tablets, you could probably decap and drop a couple in and recap. You might want to check to see if your capper is capping right.
its the same capper ive always used. I think the new caps are the problem. Would the beer carbonate ok by re-suraring? When siphoninc from primary and secondary fermentors, is it advisable to leave all the sludge in the bottom? is that waste? or is it live yeast im leaving behind, and thats why i have no carbonation?
I have had bottles still flat after two weeks. What i have found is the biggest contributor is the TEMP. In winter now the warmest part of my house id about 65F so it can take a bit longer. If you can get the bottles up to the 68 - 70 range for a few days i bet they carb up.
You could also try the gentle swirl method to get the yeast back in suspension.
USUALLY there is enough yeast in suspension to naturally carbonate in the bottle. The exceptions are extended lagering, high ABV beers and sometimes highly flocculant yeast. Be absolutely sure that the caps are the problem. Not all beers carbonate in 2 weeks. I’ve noticed most of mine are fully carbonated at the 3 week mark if my temperature is in the 60’s.
If you’re sure that yeast have consumed the priming sugar and you lost carbonation through the caps, you could make up a new sugar mixture and put a few drops into each bottle and recap. Carb tabs would probably be the easier and more accurate way to go, but I’ve never used them…
vanwagmj may have a point, sometimes it can take longer if the yeast is not active. Try to keep the bottles at the same temp as fermentation for a couple weeks. Before just assuming the caps. I jumped the gun too.
thanks for the quick replies. temp might be my issue. I always keep the bottles in an UNPLUGGED refrigerator in the basement (door craked open a little). its likely 50-ish down there. maybe a little warmer. maybe ill bring them upstairs and see what happens after a week. if not ill drop some more sugar in, and stir them up after recapping with the caps ive used in the past.
Temperature is the culprit here. Get them warmer and you’ll have them carbed up in no time.
I’ll try it. thanks to all.
