Flat beer

Hey all, first time brewer here. I bottled a week ago Monday, so a mere 10 days or so ago. I do know the standard is 2 weeks to bottle condition, but I just had to crack one tonight. Beer has decent taste, a little thin for my tastes, but hey, first try so I'll take it.

My concern is over how flat it is. I do recognize that it's not 2 weeks just yet, but there was practically no carbonation at all. Will it magically carbonate more, or should I anticipate a fairly flat batch of beer? Would it be that I didn't add enough sugar?

The way I transferred was I boiled the water with the sugar in it, let it cool, then put it in the bottom of the bottling bucket. I then siphoned from the fermenting bucket into the bottling bucket, making sure to keep the hose underneath the liquid in the bottling bucket so as to limit oxygenation. Then I just bottled away. I didn't stir or anything. Is that a problem?

For what it's worth, it's a red ale, (specifically a malt extract kit from homebrewery.com). Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

Standard around here is usually 3 weeks minimum. They need more time, no worries

How much sugar did you use? Let it go three weeks at 70F. It will take much longer at cooler temps.-even by a couple of degrees.

It's around 65 degrees where the bottles are stored. I used about 3/4 cup of sugar (not sure what kind, actually, since it was just part of the kit).

Everything ok with my process for bottling? I have another batch that's fermenting now.

I am also a new brewer, and I had the exact same experience, and concern as you. I tried it a 1 week, flat. 2 weeks had some fizz and head, but it was still flat. 3 weeks and, as if by some magic, it was carbonated. Where's Revvy with that YouTube video of carbonation?

Check this video out, it has been referenced to by many experts here as a good video about carbonation. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlBlnTfZ2iw&feature=related]YouTube - time lapse carbonation[/ame]

Excellent, thanks for easing some of my concerns I'm like a nervous parent here, haha

I know exactly how you feel. I have only 3 batches under my belt. But, with every batch, I get more and more comfortable (and confident). This all seems like magic to me still.

Get that beer to 70 degrees.

BierMuncher said:

Get that beer to 70 degrees.

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I second that.

I tried my first beer after one week in the bottle and it was well carbonated. The bottles have been kept between 62-65 degrees. The amount of priming sugar was for a 5 gallon batch,(packet came with the kit like yours) my batch ended up at around 4.4 gallons, so I don't know if that has anything to do with it. I also gently stirred the beer in the bottling bucket with the priming sugar after reading some posts here about some bottles being under-carbed and others being over-carbed from the same batch. Maybe I just got lucky, I would give the beer another week or so and raise the temp as everyone else has said.
Cheers,
Brian

Is stirring the preferred practice?

I usually let the hose from my autosyphon curl along the bottom circumfrence(sp?) of the bucket. That way it sets up a gentle circular flow as the bucket fills, continuously stirring the brew. After the syphon starts I then pour in priming water and let it fill up the bucket. Usually though, I can't resist giving the brew a couple of swirls with the autosyphon after I take it out of the carboy, just to be sure it is mixed well. Not sure if that is necessary but I haven't had any mis-mixings yet.

Beer will carbonate differently depending on the ingredients, temp, and amount of viable yeast in each bottle. 10 days is def early to assume there is any problems. I'd up the temp to 70 or so and give it another week or two and then check again.

Excellent, thanks for all the replies. I feel better now, haha