Low carbonation after secondary

I just sampled a scotch ale I brewed a while ago, which happened to be my first time using a secondary fermenter, and found it to significantly lacking in carbonation. It's not completely flat, but I basically need to pour the beer from about six inches about the glass in order to get a head (which dissipates quickly). When I brewed a German Oktoberfest and a European Bock, I didn't use a secondary fermenter, and the carbonation was great. Any ideas why the scotch ale is so flat? Could the secondary fermenter have allowed too much yeast to settle out of the beer before I bottled it?

It was in the secondary for about two weeks, and it's been in bottles for another three. My thought is that it should be fine. Any thoughts?

Give it some more time and see where you are. You are in Chicago, so your place might be a little cool, which means it might take longer than three weeks for the beer to properly carbonate.

If you added the correct amount of priming sugar, and something happened in the bottle, the carbonation should get there in time.


TL

3 weeks is the minimum time in bottles. most beers are best after 6. give it more time.

+1 forget about it, brew more to get it off your mind, the longer the better. I brewed a pale ale about three months ago, and after three weeks in bottles no good, after 6 weeks the hops really came out and the head is great. Just give it time.