Beer didn't carbonate, can I use drops?

[Randy_of_Neuron]

Hey everyone,

I made some Irish Strout, and after a week it didn't carbonate. So I thought it was the temp. Put it at a warmer temp, still nothing.

So can I get those Cooper carbonation drops and carbonate it anyhow. The catch is that the drops are for 12oz bottles, and I have 16oz bottles.

Also wondering why it didn't carbonate. I had one bottle, the last that was only 1/2 full, so I opened it first. It was carbonated. The rest wasn't.

Theory: I used no rinse EZ clean on the bottles. Could this kill the yeast inside? If so will the carbonation drops still work? Damn it, I don't want to loose 5 gallons of beer. That is just alcohol abuse!

Please advise.

 

[Revvy]

Oh my god only a week and you a freaking out????? Relax buddy, nothing is wrong.

I have had stouts take 6-8 weeks to carb up.....

We recommend 3 weeks at 70 degrees minimum for standard gravity beers....anythling higher than 1.060 will require more time..

Please, don;t mess with your beers, they just need more time...and even if a beer is carbed up, it might sitll taste like A$$..might still be green.

Heck my 1.090 Belgian Strong took 3 months to carb up, and stop tasting like rocket fuel...so one week is waaaayyyyyyyyyyy too soon to even begin worrying. We are NOT making Koolaid here.

Read this, then relax...

Revvy's Blog, Of Patience and Bottle Conditioning.

Lazy Llama diagramed it best...

I don't sweat any beer before 8 weeks......

 

[Mazey]

+1 with Revy, give it more time first.

But if that doesn't work there's another product called Muntons Carb Tabs. They're alot smaller than the Coopers drops. You use 2-4 per bottle depending on the carbonation level you want. I used them to recarb a batch that didn't carb up to the level i wanted after three months conditioning. Did some w/ 1 tab some w/ 2, both added carbonation. I sanitized the full bottles, opener, and tweezers. Opened the bottles. Then had add tablet(s) to 1 bottle at a time because they foamed like crazy when the tablet hit the partially carbonated beer. Had to get the caps back on very quickly.

 

[Randy_of_Neuron]

Thanks dudes. This is my first batch of beer. I was just going off what the video from Midwest says. In the video they say the beer is ready after a week, however they are doing a light colored beer. My fear was that I have heard of people waiting too long and the beer exploding.

So I have to wait another 5 weeks then. If it isn't carbonated then what do I do? The drops? Just planning ahead.

 

[Revvy]

Thanks dudes. This is my first batch of beer. I was just going off what the video from Midwest says. In the video they say the beer is ready after a week, however they are doing a light colored beer. My fear was that I have heard of people waiting too long and the beer exploding.

So I have to wait another 5 weeks then. If it isn't carbonated then what do I do? The drops? Just planning ahead.

You won't have to do anythng..they will be carbed...did you read my blog? Over 95% of these threads turn out fine....

Seriously...Just start a new batch of beer right now....and test one of these in 2 more weeks. And if not, try one a week later, and keep doing that until they hit the carb level and taste you like.

 

[Homercidal]

If you listen to Revvy, you will get the impression that beer will practically brew itself and no matter what you do you will end up with great beer!

Yeah, it sounds funny, but in most cases he is right. A LOT of people post here with problems that are really nothing more than a case of the impatients. I strongly suspect that this is what is wrong in this case as well.

Many people are fooled by the instructions that come with the kit. They are usually best-case scenario, and very optimistic in their schedules. Never mind that you will most likely have a much better tasting beer in 8 weeks, even if the thing did get carbed in 1-2.

 

[Randy_of_Neuron]

Thanks dudes, I will be waiting. I really want this beer to turn out. I don't have kids, so this is the next best thing <snicker>

 

[Arkador]

My fear was that I have heard of people waiting too long and the beer exploding.

Those beers exploded because they added too much priming sugar or fermentation was not completed. this caused too much CO2 production, which pushed the pressure inside the bottle beyond it's maximum.