flat beer in bottles

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mheitt

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I brewed my first batch in well over a decade, and even tried a secondary fermentation which went well. Primed and bottled three weeks ago.

Popped open a bottle last night (bottles are in the basement but not in a fridge), and though it tasted much better than my few brewing attempts years ago, it was pretty flat. When I opened the bottle I did hear a small 'fiz' and there was that cloudy haze hanging inside the mouth of the bottle. But when I poured it up there was practically no head and minimal bubbles.

I can't imagine it'll get any more carbonated after three weeks in the bottle. Will refrigeration help?

Is there anything I can do at this point, or just enjoy the flat beer?

Thanks,
michael
 
What temp did you store the bottles at? If it is lower than 70* it will take longer than 3 weeks to carbonate. Chilling the bottles also will help.
 
Its about 65 degrees downstairs... I guess I'll put a 6-pack in the fridge and wait a while.

Patience is a virtue, huh?
 
You want warmer temps for carbonating, so if you put them in the fridge and wait they will not get more carbonation.
 
well, the haze should mean there is co2 in there. i'd say go with your plan on keeping 3-6 in the fridge for a couple days because lower temperature liquids do dissolve gas better.
 
I'd get them upstairs in a warmer place, and wait two weeks. Then, I'd chill one overnight and see how it is.

If it's cooler than 70 degrees where you're storing them, it'll take longer for them to carb up. They usually carb up in 3-4 weeks at 70 degrees, but may take twice as long in a cooler place.
 
Refrigeration does dissolve more CO2 into the liquid, but it'll also stop carbonation. So warm the bottles up into the 70s or even low 80s for a couple of weeks, and then refrigerate them.
 
I had the same problem with my first couple batches, and since I remember seeing your post this morning, I HAD to respond. I just cracked a bottle from my second batch, which I brewed on 11/8/08 and bottled on 12/18/08, and it is finally carbonated and is great!! All the previous bottles I opened from this batch were flat. My apartment is cold in the winter, and there was no way to keep the bottles at 70 degrees. Even so, I thought 3 or 4 weeks would be plenty. Not true. I think what finally did it was leaving it at room temp for several weeks, then leaving it in the fridge for at least a week.

So I'm really, really excited, I'm drinking the first brew I've ever made that is as good as a storebought IPA. The sad part: this was a 1-gallon batch and the bottle I'm drinking now is the last one!
 
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