Carbonation question again.

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max-the-knife

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My last two brews, (Lite Ale and Cream Ale) both used Nottingham ale yeast. I have had trouble getting both to carbonate in the bottles. I like cold beer and is it possible that I'm trying to drink my ales at too low a temperature? Would this effect my carbonation?

My cold ales are flat.
 
You have to keep your ales at room temp until they carbonate and then put them in the fridge. If you are refridgerating them as soon as you bottle them they won't carb because the yeast go dormant at lower temperatures. However once they are carbed you can get them as cold as you like and it won't effect carbonation.
 
I've let both brews condition in the bottle for 3 weeks. Then I refridgerate them and give them a taste.

I still think I didn't get enough of a mix when I added the priming sugar.
 
How much Priming sugar are you using? I would suggest next time bottling at least one in a PET bottle, so you could squeeze it and feel for carbination. Then you would not chance putting it in the fridge too early and stopping the process. FYI...when they are ready, they are as hard as a rock.
 
If you follow the 3/4 cup regimen it should carb up fine.

Couple of tricks:

Make sure they are at 70-72 degrees while conditioning.
Give the cases a good rock back and forth every couple days to agitate the yeast.

Set them aside and forget about them...get to brewing your next batch to help you resist the temptation of chilling and grilling too soon.
 
joshpooh said:
However once they are carbed you can get them as cold as you like and it won't effect carbonation.[/QUOTE

Actually, at a colder temperature, the co2 is disolved into the beer, making it seem less carbonated, at warmer temperatures, the carbonation is released from suspension and seems more carbonated.

Have you ever had a warm soda, tastes much fizzier than a cold one, because the carbonation is released at warmer temperatures. You actually would have to carbonate more to achieve the same mouthfeel in a refrigerated brew than in a room temp brew.

That being said, I would think that it would be ok as long as you are using the right amount of priming sugar, and keeping relatively warm for a few weeks after bottling. Don't refrigerate too early, and if you do remember, it will get better. Don't over prime either, you don't want glass and beer blown everywhere, just wait it out and I'm sure all will be ok.

RDWHAHB :mug:
 
BierMuncher said:
Give the cases a good rock back and forth every couple days to agitate the yeast.


I actually turn the whole box upsidedown and give the whole thing a swirl, make sure it's closed well.
 
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