Low carbonation

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Dachter

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Even after two weeks I have low carbonation. I took a pint of the wort and put it in the carboy, then bottled.

Is that wrong? My hone brew book is at my house where my soon to be ex wife is residing, so... The Internet or you guys.

You guys.

Thanks

Drew
 
A pint of the un-fermented wort? If so, it would depend on two things: (1) the OG of that wort, and (2) the volume of beer you added it to.

W/O that it's hard to tell... but from my experience even some beers I thought were undercarbinated came around w/ a few more weeks.
 
OG (original gravity?) I didn't check and the carboy had about 3 gallons in it. I need to check the OG next time. I have the instrument for it but I need to get a glass "tube" to check it in.

I'll let you know at week three.

Thanks
 
turn all the bottles upside down and shake them a little bit to "rouse" the yeast. that worked for me one time, but then again, i know i had the correct amount of priming sugar in there.
 
OG (original gravity?) I didn't check and the carboy had about 3 gallons in it.

From what you said originally, it sounded like you used (leftover?) wort as the new fermentables at bottling time. You would need to know how much sugar was in that (measured in specific gravity, plato or brix) to calculate how much of it to add/if you added 'enough' to carbonate 'properly'.

If you have that glass tube (hydrometer), it usually comes in a plastic case. You can use that as a measuring tube.


Of course, I may have misunderstood how you bottled.
 
next time, try a bit of dextrose (corn sugar) available online or at your Local HomeBrew Supply store (LHBS). Usually 4 oz to a 5gal batch.

Boil a bit of water, add the dextrose, boil a bit longer, allow to cool. Put cooled mixture (actually simple syrup) into bottom of bottling bucket, siphon fermented wort on top. Stir very very gently. Bottle.
 
Regardless of whether you primed with krausen/wort, or the more conventional method we use of boiled priming sugar, OR even prime tabs, the 3 weeks at 70 degrees, that we recommend is the minimum time it takes for average gravity beers to carbonate and condition. Higher grav beers take longer.

Stouts and porters have taken me between 6 and 8 weeks to carb up..I have a 1.090 Belgian strong that took three months to carb up.


Temp and gravity are the two factors that contribute to the time it takes to carb beer. But if a beer's not ready yet, or seems low carbed, and you added the right amount of sugar to it, then it's not stalled, it's just not time yet.

Everything you need to know about carbing and conditioning, can be found here Of Patience and Bottle Conditioning. With emphasis on the word, "patience." ;)

If a beer isn't carbed by "x number of weeks" you just have to give them more time. If you added your sugar, then the beer will carb up eventually, it's really a foolroof process. All beers will carb up eventually. A lot of new brewers think they have to "troubleshoot" a bottling issue, when there really is none, the beer knows how to carb itself. In fact if you run beersmiths carbing calculator, some lower grav beers don't even require additional sugar to reach their minimum level of carbonation. Just time.

The second issue though is what, njbabs discussed in his post, the gravity of the wort you primed with. We don't know how much sugar was present for the yeast to eat, and consequently the volume of co2 that will be produced because of it.

But the first thing is to give it sufficient time to carb up. If it's been less than three weeks (sometimes up to 6) we don't even know if there yet really is a problems.

A lot of beer are under carbed at 2 weeks.....And carb fine a few weeks later.
 
Revvy - since you mentioned it here, could you tell me how you carbed your Belgian Strong?

I have one fermenting in seconday, and in 3 months time, I am interested in what you used to carb up, I am surmising that you didn't keg?

Thanks!
 
I think I understand. I am trying to do an IPA. There's something I've missed in my research that is coming together with y'all's comments. Thanks

I'll let you know about my next and my new found "patience". :)

Patience!
 
I think I understand. I am trying to do an IPA. There's something I've missed in my research that is coming together with y'all's comments. Thanks

I'll let you know about my next and my new found "patience". :)

Patience!

Didn't know y'all said y'all in Columbus Ohio :tank:
 
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