Beer only weakly carbonated?

I have just taste tested my Brown "Draught" BrewTec can kit beer. The beer had a quieter then usual hiss when I opened the PET bottle. The beer was very flat tasted, and absolutely no head at all, even when poured fast.

At the bottom of the bottle there was white "syrup" which I assumed was the remaining of the 2x carbonation drops (brewcraft) that I used for the 750mL bottle. The beer was 1010 when bottled, and 1044 to start with.

I made Coopers Lager, and even after 5 days the brew was fully carbonated with a good head.

With this Brown Draft I used "Edmonds Active Yeast" from the super market. I know its not ideal but said is ok for homebrewing as well as baking... multipurpose yeast. Is this the problem? I think the yeast may have "died" and isnt fermenting in the bottle?

Thanks in advance for your reply! :cross:

make sure you store the bottles at around room temperature like 68 fahrenheit or something. That white stuff at the bottom is the yeast which fell out of suspension you just have to pour the most of the beer out and leave that behind.

if you rouse the yeast up in the capped bottles again to get them back into suspension by gently swirling the bottles, then store them somewhere at room temperature and try again after a week. this has worked for me many times.

Carbonation drops often take longer than when carbonating with priming sugar. Regardless, to see carbonation in less than a week is somewhat unusual. Typically it takes 2 - 3 weeks, and expect it will take longer with the carbonation drops.

Generally, I don't even bother TESTING to see if my bottles are carbonated until at least 3 weeks after bottling (sitting at room temperature the whole time).

Oh so that would explain the very bitter yeasty taste when I tryed one. Will this go away though when it eats all the sugar?

Have just noticed that my Coopers Lager (bottled 3-4 weeks ago) has a little bit of yeast at bottom also, but not as much. Is this normal? Some of the Coopers beer tastes overly Yeasty, though some are nice.

Kiwi_Jonno said:

Oh so that would explain the very bitter yeasty taste when I tryed one. Will this go away though when it eats all the sugar?

Have just noticed that my Coopers Lager (bottled 3-4 weeks ago) has a little bit of yeast at bottom also, but not as much. Is this normal? Some of the Coopers beer tastes overly Yeasty, though some are nice.

Click to expand...

The bitter taste is probably a bit of yeast bite associated with green beer, but it is hard to say. Generally, the beer will improve with a few weeks of aging.

The amount of yeast on the bottom of the bottle has to do with a lot of things, but principally how much yeast was suspended in the beer when you racked to the bottling bucket and how much you sucked up off the bottom of the fermenter when you racked. If you use a lot of priming sugar to achieve a high level of carbonation (e.g., Belgian) then you might notice a bit more than typical as well.

Sing the bottling mantra with me...


21 days at 70 degrees
21 days at 70 degrees
21 days at 70 degrees
21 days at 70 degrees
21 days at 70 degrees
21 days at 70 degrees

No shorter...no cooler.

BierMuncher said:

Sing the bottling mantra with me...


21 days at 70 degrees
21 days at 70 degrees
21 days at 70 degrees
21 days at 70 degrees
21 days at 70 degrees
21 days at 70 degrees

No shorter...no cooler.

Click to expand...

Hmmm ok sounds simple enough. lol easy to remember too... I wasn't doing long enough in the bottle. I think also - at least with my Coopers Lager that has been bottled nearly 3 weeks and tastes yeasty.... its because it was brewed at 22-24 degs C as well.....? Iv heard yeasters/easters get in?