sudsman
Active Member
Bottled an american amber 2 weeks ago 5 gal batch with the 5oz priming sugar added as directed.Opened one last night taste great but little if any carbination.??? whats up??
after 2 weeks no carb
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Are you storing the bottles st a warm temp? If not, put them in a warmer area. Also, did you dissolve the sugar in boiling water and evenly distribute it in the beer before bottling?
How long did you leave it in the primary fermenter?
If you racked it into bottles after a long time in primary, there is less yeast in suspension when you do rack. This causes carbonation to happen much slower than if you left it in primary less time. Don't worry, though, there is still plenty of yeast there to do the job of carbonation - it will just take longer. Also, a positive is that there will be less yeast cake on the bottom of your bottles.
If you racked it into bottles after a long time in primary, there is less yeast in suspension when you do rack. This causes carbonation to happen much slower than if you left it in primary less time. Don't worry, though, there is still plenty of yeast there to do the job of carbonation - it will just take longer. Also, a positive is that there will be less yeast cake on the bottom of your bottles.
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.
And just because a beer is carbed doesn't mean it still doesn't taste like a$$ and need more time for the off flavors to condition out. You have green beer.
Temp and gravity are the two factors that contribute to the time it takes to carb beer. But if a beer's not ready yet, or seems low carbed, and you added the right amount of sugar to it, then it's not stalled, it's just not time yet.
Everything you need to know about carbing and conditioning, can be found here Of Patience and Bottle Conditioning. With emphasis on the word, "patience."
If a beer isn't carbed by "x number of weeks" you just have to give them more time. If you added your sugar, then the beer will carb up eventually, it's really a foolroof process. All beers will carb up eventually. A lot of new brewers think they have to "troubleshoot" a bottling issue, when there really is none, the beer knows how to carb itself. In fact if you run beersmiths carbing calculator, some lower grav beers don't even require additional sugar to reach their minimum level of carbonation. Just time.
I've carbed hundreds of gallons of beer, and never had a beer that wasn't carbed, or under carbed or anything of the sort (Except for a batch where I accidently mixed up lactose or Maltodextrine for priming sugar). Some took awhile, (as I said up to six months) but they ALL eventually carbed.
Stouts and porters have taken me between 6 and 8 weeks to carb up..I have a 1.090 Belgian strong that took three months to carb up.
And just because a beer is carbed doesn't mean it still doesn't taste like a$$ and need more time for the off flavors to condition out. You have green beer.
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."
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'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.
TopherM
Well-Known Member
Also, even after carbonation at room temp, a good % of the CO2 stays in the headspace of the bottle. You have to be at room temps to CREATE CO2, but CO2 doesn't dissolve into the solution very well at room temps.
The beer needs to be in the fridge for a good THREE DAYS for the CO2 in the headspace to dissolve into the beer and have a consistent carb in the actual liquid.
The beer needs to be in the fridge for a good THREE DAYS for the CO2 in the headspace to dissolve into the beer and have a consistent carb in the actual liquid.
sudsman
Active Member
Thanks for the advice!!! I must learn patience Revvy you are right!!
If you pitch properly even big beers don't require months to condition that's just old thinking
