Flat bottled beer HELP

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marcusbroadside

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Hello all..!! I am new to HBT and new to home brew... I am a huge ale fan.. Could not live without it...

Just done my second batch... Did two stage fermentation.. Had great head on it fermented well.. Left it 5 days... Moved it to second fermentor... Left it there for just over a week.. THINK that my mistake! Bottled it then.. Added sugar etc.. It's now been a month... Bottles kept between 50-60F should of been warmer? It's woodefordes wherry... Opened a bottle tastes nice beautiful clear.. Not alot of sediment in bottle.. BUT completely flat!!!! Arrrr!!
Can I save it? Without infecting it can I open bottle add more yeast or sugar or just leave it longer or is it all ruined now??? Please help!!
 
Keeping the beer in the fermenter for weeks won't inhibit carbonation. I've lagered for months at 34 degrees, and still had the beer carb up!

What is stopping the carbonation now is the cool storage temperature. Some ale yeast strains go dormant, or at least slow way way down, below 65 degrees.

I'd get the bottles, turn them end-over-end to resuspend any sediment, and put them in a warm place, 70-75 degrees.

Storing the bottles at 50 degrees IS the problem!
 
hey, thats too bad. its completely flat? or just barely carbonated?

if its been bottled for a month that's definitely a problem. temperature of 50-60 isnt the problem, i would say you perhaps didn't add enough sugar in total, or you didn't mix the sugar evenly before bottling. what was the OG/Fg? if it was a high alc beer the yeast might not be able to start up again.

if you did mix the sugar evenly and there isn't any danger of a bottle exploding from overcarbonation, it would be safe to sterilize some sugar-water solution by boiling, cool it down and add an appropriate amount to each bottle carefully.
 
Welcome to Home Brew Talk and the passion of home brewing.

Warm the bottles to 70 to 75F and let it set for 21 days at that temp, the 50-60F will take much longer than a month to carbonate.
Also 5 days is a little short for primary (IMO). I let my brews primary for 21 days before I take the 1st gravity to see where its at. If ready (stable gravity for 3 to 5 days) I dry for 7 days (as appropriate) and then cold crash and bottle. I let the bottles sit for 21 days at 70F before testing the 1st one. Sometimes they need more time (specially the higher gravity ones). Once ready I age them in the basement for another 10 to 20 days and test again. I have an oatmeal stout at 28 days + on the carbonation time think it will need another week or even 2. With all of that said actually need to know what you brewed and how it was brewed, how much sugar and what type of sugar you used for priming in order to give you a real accurate answer as to what to try next.
 
hey, thats too bad. its completely flat? or just barely carbonated?

if its been bottled for a month that's definitely a problem. temperature of 50-60 isnt the problem, i would say you perhaps didn't add enough sugar in total, or you didn't mix the sugar evenly before bottling. what was the OG/Fg? if it was a high alc beer the yeast might not be able to start up again.

if you did mix the sugar evenly and there isn't any danger of a bottle exploding from overcarbonation, it would be safe to sterilize some sugar-water solution by boiling, cool it down and add an appropriate amount to each bottle carefully.

Here is your first lesson OP. You are going to get contradictory advice on here. Most often its because there are many ways to successfully execute the different tasks in brewing.

Your issue is however more black and white and you should listen to the person with 40k plus post who is a moderator...

good news is your problem is easy to fix and only requires time :mug: Edit: and a higher temp, as yooper suggested, if the that wasn't clear
 
fredthecat said:
hey, thats too bad. its completely flat? or just barely carbonated?

if its been bottled for a month that's definitely a problem. temperature of 50-60 isnt the problem, i would say you perhaps didn't add enough sugar in total, or you didn't mix the sugar evenly before bottling. what was the OG/Fg? if it was a high alc beer the yeast might not be able to start up again.

if you did mix the sugar evenly and there isn't any danger of a bottle exploding from overcarbonation, it would be safe to sterilize some sugar-water solution by boiling, cool it down and add an appropriate amount to each bottle carefully.

Yea the temp is the problem, the yeast very well could have gone dormant at those temps, and then it won't consume the sugar
 
+1 to temperature.. Time will not solve the problem like the person with 200+ posts stated if the temperature is too cold!!

Remember that post count has nothing to do with knowledge! I'm a big blabbermouth, that's all my post count proves.

Some of the most "famous" homebrewers that I respect have the lowest post count. I guess they are busy brewing and writing books and not yakking on the internet. (JamilZ has like 45 posts on this forum). :D
 
Thanks everyone for the feedback.... I have researched what I can and more sugar could well be the answer BUT most say about the temp so hopefully that's it.. I have moved bottles to warmer room and turned them ... Will give it a few weeks and see what happens... Hope it works..
if not then will try the sugar...
The hardest thing about home brew is the waiting!!
 
lmao yeah i posted when there were zero replies and yooper just happen to reply before me. sorry if you disagree with my advice, but its based on my experiences (much less than yooper and other experienced brewers). you guys should probably chill out and just say "i agree with yooper" if you think so.

how about next time someone has a question no one give any suggestions except the person with the highest post count?
 
fredthecat said:
lmao yeah i posted when there were zero replies and yooper just happen to reply before me. sorry if you disagree with my advice, but its based on my experiences (much less than yooper and other experienced brewers). you guys should probably chill out and just say "i agree with yooper" if you think so.

how about next time someone has a question no one give any suggestions except the person with the highest post count?

lol.. on the post count.. yoop said it best that the post count is just a way of knowing if that person likes to talk..
I agreed with your post but it was after yoop's so I probably jumped a little fast too.. what's great about this board is its fast and if someone does make a incorrect comment someone will jump on it and will lead to debate, some civil some not so.. to me, that's where the most teaching comes from and leads to researching the most correct answer and the OP can make there decision on that..
:mug:
 
Just wanted to say..... Fredthecat.... I am not ignoring your advice I am very grateful for it. Just being new to home brew in my ignorance I just feel I first want to try an option that prevents me from opening the bottles as I do not want to contaminate my lovely beer.. If the other idea does not work I will do as you say cos that obviously makes sense..... It's nothing to do with post counts... Thanks
 
yep, sorry for this thread getting derailed a bit, though i feel that that's not exactly my fault. yes, yooper is right, and its a safer all around bet to see if it can ferment. make sure to give them a little jiggle around to perhaps awake the yeast. what kind of yeast did you use? some tend to fall asleep, some dont
 
The hardest thing about home brew is the waiting!!

I said that too after my first couple batches. Then i had beer on hand that I liked to drink, and the hardest part became the OTHER stuff. Like CLEANING!!! Edit: +1 for temperature. Warm em up a bit you'll see! that cool spell you gave them will certainly clear them up a bit as well. You'll get a good beer, dont panic!
 
Just being new to home brew in my ignorance I just feel I first want to try an option that prevents me from opening the bottles as I do not want to contaminate my lovely beer..

the GOOD news is your beer is mostly fermented. The alcohol will make contamination pretty difficult now!
 
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