3 weeks and counting

kfgolfer · 01-12-2007, 12:18 AM

My beer has been in the bottle now for 3 weeks with little carbonation.... Is it true that a lot can change between week 3 and 4??? Also, this is a honey beer, someone once said honey beers could take longer than average to bottle carbonate, is this true??

**the_bird** · 01-12-2007, 12:21 AM

What temps are you carbing (or trying to carb) at?

I've heard the honey thing in relation to primary fermentation, but the honey should be all fermented by the time you bottle (or did you use honey to prime?)

kfgolfer · 01-12-2007, 12:34 AM

beer is in my bedroom closet. (warmest part of the house).. temps should be around 70-72. (although I don't have a thermometer).

The primary ferm was pretty long. .took about 9 full days for the bubbling to stop..

I've been checking a bottle every few days. One is pretty carbed, the next is flat. drives me crazy..... that 's why I went to keg, but I still have this batch in bottle. thing is, when Iget one that's carbed.. MAN, does it taste FINE... hopefully another week will do the trick..

gnef · 01-12-2007, 01:38 AM

hmmmmm, how did you mix the priming sugar in? if you have erratic carbonation, and the bottles are all located in the same location, i would be very careful of bottle bombs.

if you can, i would put trash bags on the ground and around the bottles just in case anything happens. it will be much easier to clean up.

kfgolfer · 01-12-2007, 02:08 AM

why would you think I would have bottle bombs? the ones that I try that are carbed are not way over cabed..their perfect!! and the others are just flat.

gnef · 01-12-2007, 02:20 AM

doesn't that seem odd to you?

this is a plausible scenario:

you boil your priming sugar, cool it, add it to the bucket, and rack the beer over into the bucket. you see it swirl, and think it is mixed up well enough. in the past it was good enough, so it should be good enough this time too. unfortunately, it is entirely possible that the priming sugar didn't mix well enough, and when this happens, some beers have the exact right carbonation, some are flat, some are overcarbonated (gushers), and others are bombs.

again, i would say to be careful, and use liquid proofing around the bottles just in case. this is one of those things that it is better to have it and not need it, rather than not have it and need it.

**Rook** · 01-12-2007, 03:20 PM

Question on this subject. if gnef was correct in it not being mixed well, what is the proper procedure to make sure that it IS all mixed up prior to bottling? Is it OK to stir your beer before bottling? Use your racking cane and make sure its stirred up a little before siphoning to the bottles?

Fiery Sword · 01-12-2007, 03:30 PM

I'd use the racking gane (very gently) to slowly swirl the beer up. It's doesn't take much to get proper dillution, and you really want to be careful to not "stir".

About the original issue, give the bottles more time. Try them in another 2 weeks, I bet they will be more alike each other.