Inconsistent bottle carbonation

I'm having issues with one bottle with tons of head and carb and the next with little or none. I put the cooled priming sugar solution in the bottling bucket first. The wort swirls the whole time it's being racked. Is that a good enough mix, cuz that's all I do?

Mike

That should be yes. Sometimes you just don't luck out with it. You can try and gently stir with a racking cane, just dont splash, you don't want aeration, or you'll get off flavors.

Check your capper and capping quality too. I've had "help" from friends at bottling time, and later discovered they had some lopsided or not well crimped. But from your description you probably are on the right path suspecting the mixing of priming sugars. You could try cooper's carb drops or similar products for a batch to confirm that.

hoppybrewster said:

I'm having issues with one bottle with tons of head and carb and the next with little or none. I put the cooled priming sugar solution in the bottling bucket first. The wort swirls the whole time it's being racked. Is that a good enough mix, cuz that's all I do?

Mike

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I do the same thing and have never seen any issues from one bottle to the next. Also make sure that you are filling to the same level in each bottle. I used to fill all the way until the top with my wand still inside the bottle, but now I tend to anticipate it hitting the top of the bottle and pull it out a second before that. It all comes with practice. RDWHAHB

So far I'm doing everything you guys have said. I don't get it. By the way they do all taste the same.

Mike

I have had similar issues as have others who have posted on here....gentle stir after bottling bucket has filled to mix the sugar...don't do too much to oxidize.

How long are you letting the bottles sit before opening? I like to try throughout the aging process (read: I'm impatient) and get a flat beer from time to time. After a month or two they're consistient.

I had that problem. Instead of adding the cooled priming sugar only at the bottom, I started adding half of it at the bottom, and the other half when I'm almost done racking it into the bottling bucket. So, a little at the bottom and a little at the top, then gently stir it (without splashing). It seems like that distributes it more evenly for me.

stirring sounds like the way to go. I've had similar issues, although not usually finding flat ones. I'm doing the average amount of corn sugar so I don't think it's just that I used too much, but most of my bottles have been slow volcanoes.

Maybe I'm just unlucky and I'm going to find some flat ones at the end, or I guess it's possible my yeast gave up a wee bit prematurely (although FG and time suggests not) and there was extra sugar that they found later on in the bottle?

But I was going to try a gentle stir or two once in a while as my bucket's filling after I add the sugar next time.

I add all of the sugar to the bottling bucket first. Then start racking the beer on top. As the last gallon or so is coming into the bucket, I'm providing some gentle swirling with the racking tube. Not enough to induce oxygen, but enough to get that sugar fully mixed in with the beer.

Make sure that you give each bottle a minimum of 24 hours in the fridge to get the CO2 into solution. 2 or 3 days might be better. If you were to open a freshly carbonated bottle with only a few hours of fridge time, I would guess much of the CO2 is still in the headspace.

quentin said:

I had that problem. Instead of adding the cooled priming sugar only at the bottom, I started adding half of it at the bottom, and the other half when I'm almost done racking it into the bottling bucket. So, a little at the bottom and a little at the top, then gently stir it (without splashing). It seems like that distributes it more evenly for me.

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I have gone to this approach as well. Each batch goes in the bottle for three weeks and then to the Frig they go for at least two days.

solbes said:

I add all of the sugar to the bottling bucket first. Then start racking the beer on top. As the last gallon or so is coming into the bucket, I'm providing some gentle swirling with the racking tube. Not enough to induce oxygen, but enough to get that sugar fully mixed in with the beer.

Make sure that you give each bottle a minimum of 24 hours in the fridge to get the CO2 into solution. 2 or 3 days might be better. If you were to open a freshly carbonated bottle with only a few hours of fridge time, I would guess much of the CO2 is still in the headspace.

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That could be my problem. Sometimes I frig just long enough to get cold. I ever knew the co2 had to go into solution.

Thanks much
Mike

solbes said:

I add all of the sugar to the bottling bucket first. Then start racking the beer on top. As the last gallon or so is coming into the bucket, I'm providing some gentle swirling with the racking tube. Not enough to induce oxygen, but enough to get that sugar fully mixed in with the beer.

Make sure that you give each bottle a minimum of 24 hours in the fridge to get the CO2 into solution. 2 or 3 days might be better. If you were to open a freshly carbonated bottle with only a few hours of fridge time, I would guess much of the CO2 is still in the headspace.

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I never knew the co2 had to "go into solution". I always just refrigerated until cold enough to drink. I bet if I was paying attention I would have noticed the ones in the frig longer would have been the better ones.

Thanks
Mike

I didn't know it either until someone else on here pointed it out. Hope they turn out perfect from now on.

CO2 is more soluble in colder liquids, but there is still some in solution even at room temps, I doubt that is your issue. My vote is non-homogenous priming sugar distribution.

Happens to me from time to time even with mixing of the sugar solution

Somebody talk to me about adding 1/2 tsp. of priming sugar to each empty bottle, skipping the bottling bucket step.

Mike

Mike

Bottled my second batch ever the other day. 1/3 way through racking to the bottling bucket I realized that I hadn't added the priming sugar. I added it and stirred SLIGHTLY but I'm paranoid that I didn't get the job done (that's why I'm reading this thread). My plan is to be as patient as possible and hope for the best. Any suggestion beyond being patient? Anything you can do with a flat bottle if you get one other than an expensive custom steak marinade?

Beer batter, fish, onion rings and shrimp. Not a bad mistake, ehh ?

Mike

As some others have said - 3 weeks in the bottle 48 hours in the fridge works for most normal gravity beers. The whole mixing/stirring the sugar thing unevenly just cannot make that much difference - if you put your corn sugar solution and rack on top of it, you are getting even mixing. Stirring shouldn't hurt, but you do risk oxidation.

If you dry hop and have hop particles in your beer, those can cause foam overs sometimes since they act as nucleation points (think mentos in diet coke).

Sent from my iPad using HB Talk

I've had similar issues with the last 3 batches I've bottled. Like previous posters have mentioned, I always boil the priming solution, add to the bottling bucket and rack the beer on top. 40% of the last attempt was absolutely flat with zero carbonation. I had one bottle bomb (my first and only) and some gushers. The bottles sat at room temp for months, so I know they were as carbed up as they were going to get! I've got a Belgian Tripel that I really want to bottle rather than keg, but I'm definitely gun shy at this point.

The only deviation in my process is that I typically use basic table sugar, but wouldn't think that would have anything to do with it. The only thing I can think of other than poor priming sugar distribution would be whether or not the caps are getting crimped down properly. I typically fill the bottles and my buddy caps them. Looks like he clamps down pretty hard, so I'm not thinking that is it, but who knows.

I did not know about the 24 hours in the fridge thing. Looking back, that explains a lot. Is there anything wrong with storing for long periods in the fridge? I have a lot of brews that just finished carbing and wasn't planning on storing them in the fridge (would drink them too quickly) but I might do that now.

And is there a point when you know patience isn't going to do it, and you relegate to marinade and soup base duty?

dwshotwell said:

And is there a point when you know patience isn't going to do it, and you relegate to marinade and soup base duty?

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I've carbed hundreds of gallons of beer, and never had a beer that wasn't carbed, or under carbed or anything of the sort (Except for a batch where I accidently mixed up lactose or Maltodextrine for priming sugar). Some took awhile, (as I said up to six months) but they ALL eventually carbed.

I don't believe there are ANY carbing problems (besides the rare capper that maybe puts a bad seal on a bottle, or tired yeast in a HIGH gravity beer) that isn't simple impatience.

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."

Lazy Llama came up with a handy dandy chart to determine how long something takes in brewing, whether it's fermentation, carbonation, bottle conditioning....



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.

I read in a book last night that you should allow 1 week per 10 points of starting gravity. Fits with the general advice of three weeks minimum, and more for bigger beers.

I think the biggest problem is that most brewers start with a kit, and all the kit instructions seem to be predicated on convincing new brewers to buy the kit, and therefore don't want to encourage patience as that may inhibit the sale.

Speaking for myself, it wasn't lack of WILLINGNESS to be patient, but rather that I'd been told it didn't take too long and was disappointed that it wasn't ready on the silly schedule given on the kit. My third batch is in bottles now, and I'm fully prepared to not even think about them until four weeks out.

So, folks go out, buy the kit, expect one week in primary, one week in secondary, one week - ten days in bottles, ready to go. Then, when it doesn't work, we go online, find these forums, and find that our beer is fine, just our expectations out of whack.

Since most new brewers don't seek advice beyond kit instructions until after they've cracked their first flat, green beer, how do we change that dynamic? Lobby for better instructions?

mdatum said:

I did not know about the 24 hours in the fridge thing. Looking back, that explains a lot. Is there anything wrong with storing for long periods in the fridge? I have a lot of brews that just finished carbing and wasn't planning on storing them in the fridge (would drink them too quickly) but I might do that now.

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As I stated in an earlier post,even my mid gravity ales get a bare minimum of 1 week fridge time. Co2 isn't fully absorbed in a mere 24 hours. I keep my fridge set at 47F,which seems to work better at keeping things in the back for long periods from freezing. 1 week is good,but 2 weeks fridge time is great! Thicker head,longer lasting carbonation,& the dregs get more compact on the bottom of the bottles. The beer just flat out tastes way better.
So storing in the fridge isn't a bad thing,just make sure they're fully conditioned at room temp 1st. I can't wait to get a fridge for the ol' man cave so I can fridge'em all!:rockin: