Carbonating question...

We added 3/4 cup to 5 gallons of beer before bottling. We have had 2 batches that came out with only slight carbonation. Can anyone give me an answer on why?

How did you add the 3/4 cup of dextrose and how long did it sit in the bottle before opening?

Did you dissolve and boil the sugar first? How long has it been and at what temperature? What did you make?

3/4 cup can be pretty variable...it's much more consistent to weigh out the priming sugar (1 oz per gallon is a good starting point). I had a similar problem with my first couple of batches and found that I was only using about 4 oz instead of 5.

Some batches also take 4-5 weeks to attain proper carbonation as well.

Make sure that you're storing the bottles at 70 degrees or a little warmer for 3-4 weeks after bottling. Colder and it'll take much longer to carbonate.

+1 on weighing your priming sugar.

I use this calculator as a general starting point on how much sugar to use for different styles of beer.
TastyBrew.com | Homebrewing Calculators | Botting Priming Calculator

Are you always supposed to boil the priming sugar first?

You don't HAVE to, but it's a good idea to sanitize it. You don't have to boil it long. Lots of folks just get their water boiling, dissolve the sugar in it and start it cooling. Makes sure it completely dissolves as well.

BrewatDrews said:

Are you always supposed to boil the priming sugar first?

Click to expand...

It will kill the nasties. And then when you put it into the bottling bucket and rack on top of it, it should evenly carb the beer.

How long have the beers been sitting at 70 degrees?

Generally speaking the 3 weeks at 70 degrees that we recommend is only a guideline, a minimum, for beers below a starting gravity around 1.060...the higher the grav, the longer it takes to carb and condition. Don't forget, just because a beer is fizzy doesn't mean it is still not green, and tastes like a$$...

I've had stouts and porters take 4-8 weeks to carb...I have a 1.090 Belgian Strong Dark Ale that is 2.5 months in the bottle and it is barely beginning to carb up, I don't think it will even begin to stop tasting green and like rocket fuel for about another 2-3 months....


Read this,

Revvy's Blog; Of Patience and Bottle Conditioning.

And if it's been under 3 weeks, then let them alone for some more time, and make sure they are being stored at 70 degrees or higher. Any less and it will take forever to carb.

Also there's a lot of other bottling tips in the st of the thread where my blog is. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/revvys-tips-bottler-first-time-otherwise-94812/