I just opened my first 12 oz. bottle of White House Honey Ale and it’s pretty good but it’s carbonated like a soda. I bottled 10 days ago and used the Fizz Drops supplied in the kit. When I poured it in the glass it had a very light head which disappeared almost immediately. It drinks with a carbonated " bite " on the back of my throat, just like soda but I don’t see any " fizz " at all. Will this correct itself with more time in the bottle? My Caribou Slobber, which I primed with sugar, was wonderfully carbonated after 7 days so I’m a little worried about this one. Luckily it’s only a 1 gallon batch. Any thoughts/advise ?
How long has it been in the bottle?
10 days.
Give it some more time. I usually go 2-3 weeks at room temp, then chill for 1 more week to get perfection. (of course I’m usually trying a few samples before nirvana)
Also spin the bottle end for end a few times to get the yeast back in suspension.
At 10 days, the beer is not fully carbonated. Give it more time, but also make sure your beer glass is clean and free of dish soap or dishwasher residue.
When I started to homebrew (only about a year ago), I was amazed at how much difference a clean glass makes with regard to head and head retention. I rinse my glasses with very hot water as soon as it’s empty. I let it air dry, no soap no nothing. I’ve heard of people using a baking soda mix to clean the glass or a dunk in a star san mixture, but I’ve never found a need for that.
Thanks for the info everyone, I’ve never used Fizz Drops before so I was a little worried about their effectiveness. Just be patient…got it !!!
My 1st batch was the WH Honey Ale - 1 gallon kit. I left it in the carboy for about 4 weeks and then the bottles for another 3 and it seemed to have a nice head, not big but just kinda normal-like.
It does seem like the more time the beer sits the better it gets although I’ve only done one batch so far.
