tomlivings

Recipes 

I made myself a batch of all-grain IPA. Everything seems to have gone to plan except for conditioning. I have a bunch of bottles that have been sitting for a week. I guessed that most of the carbonation action would be over and the next 3 weeks it would just mellow out the flavors. Am I just being impatient? Does it take 4 weeks to get fizzy?
Thanks!
Tom.

Llysse

Recipes 

Depends on the temperatures at which you're conditioning as to precisely how long it will take... but a week is too early, for sure. We use DME for priming, and it seems to take about 3 weeks to get good carbonation. Carbonation isn't usually detectable for us at a week, particularly in the winter when it's cooler.

Seriously, just wait a bit. I bet your beer will be yummy--first batch always seems to be!

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Two Rooks Brewing

jbambuti

Recipes 

Give them at least 3 weeks. Some condition more quickly, some more slowly. I follow this rule and have yet to have a batch that doesn't carb.

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Primary 1: 4 Hop IPA

Primary 2: Apfelwein

Primary 3: Air

Bottled: Hammered Squirrel Nut Brown Ale (btl. 5/9/10), Jamil's Evil Twin (btl. 3/29/10), Crazy Ivan RIS (btl. 2/14/10), English Pale Ale (btl. 12/29/09), Apfelwein

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tomlivings

Recipes 

Oh thats great news. I was a bit worried.

l1ranger

Recipes 

takes time.
what temps are they at? like many things that are temperature dependent, a little lower temps can equal a lot longer wait.

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Josh

bottle - some odds and ends
Primary - Belgian Pale
Secondary - smoked ale, christmas ale
on deck - brrrrr-ley wine

tomlivings

Recipes 

Im in chicago, its warm right now. Its prob been at around 74 for most of the time. Should I put it in the fridge? I dont have a dedicated beer fridge so its in a cupboard.....

Sacdan

Recipes 

No. don't put them in the fridge. That will stop the fermentation that is carbonating the beer.

benmoore

Recipes 

Some monk breweries do 1 week initial bottle conditioning above 75 degrees F for carbonation.

I have had trouble in the winter finding a warm place for mine. So I often give my beers a nice warm-to-hot water bath for an hour or so after bottling to help jump start carbonation. Try not to get your caps wet though, that encourages rust.

You could just do this with one bottle to test your beer's carbonation potential as well. Give a bottle a couple warm baths, then let it rest for a few hours or a day, then open and see how it's doing. Gives you something to do while you wait at least.

benmoore

Recipes 

You did prime during bottling though, right?

Sacdan

Recipes 

Leave them in the cupboard for a few weeks.