Beer still undercarbed after on week in bottle

[All-Hail-IPA]

Hey guys,
I bottled 5 gallons of IPA using 5oz of priming sugar about a week ago. I boiled the sugar in a pint of water, poured it into my bottling bucket and then added the beer on top of it. The beer has been bottled for about a week now and I took one out to try it. It tastes great but it is fairly undercarbed. The beer still has about 2 weeks left in the bottle to condition but I am nervous that the beer wont carb all of the way, should I be? if so what can I do to fix the problem and how can I avoid this problem in the future?
Thanks!

 

[DrNecropolis]

Hey guys,
I bottled 5 gallons of IPA using 5oz of priming sugar about a week ago. I boiled the sugar in a pint of water, poured it into my bottling bucket and then added the beer on top of it. The beer has been bottled for about a week now and I took one out to try it. It tastes great but it is fairly undercarbed. The beer still has about 2 weeks left in the bottle to condition but I am nervous that the beer wont carb all of the way, should I be? if so what can I do to fix the problem and how can I avoid this problem in the future?
Thanks!

It will work out.. a week isn't any kinda gauge on the long term outcome of the brew..


Patience, grasshopper..

 

[Rockn_M]

You just need more time. 1 week is not enough time to bottle carb. If the temperature where the bottles are are below 70f then it may take more time.

 

[twistr25]

I'll save Revvy the trouble.

Three weeks at 70 degrees is a typical minimum to properly carbonate and condition the beer. Of course after one week it won't seem ready. You are welcome to check again next week, it still likely won't be ready, but I bet you'll see a difference a week makes. It's good to learn this and then you'll be able to sit back on your next one and say "Oh yeah, just wait it out and it'll be fine".

 

[All-Hail-IPA]

Whew, thanks guys thats a relief...as a broke college student I would prefer to not mess up a batch

 

[Iamslow]

I've screwed up a lot of beer and it all was drinkable... well, except for the stuff that ended up on the ceiling, wall, and carpet. Wife kept slapping me as I licked the wall.

 

[twistr25]

This wasn't really a screw up, just newbie impatience and naivety(No offense meant OP). I was there once as well, have to learn the hard way kind of thing.

 

[All-Hail-IPA]

None taken...I am still very naive when it comes to the nuisances of brewing, that's why this site is so great.

 

[m_stodd]

How long it takes largely depends on the yeast. The past two beers I've made used absolute monsters. My hefewizen was carbed in three days, maybe less. My saison was carbed within a week also.

One thing you can do is shake the bottles (same reason people use a stir plate in yeast starters). The more you help the yeast find the sugar, the sooner it'll get eaten. I wanted to take some saison on a trip shortly after I bottled, so I kept it in a warm place, and twice a day agitated it to get the yeast worked up. I can't prove this had an effect, but it was ready in time!

 

[woozy]

Hey guys,
I bottled 5 gallons of IPA using 5oz of priming sugar about a week ago. I boiled the sugar in a pint of water, poured it into my bottling bucket and then added the beer on top of it. The beer has been bottled for about a week now and I took one out to try it. It tastes great but it is fairly undercarbed. The beer still has about 2 weeks left in the bottle to condition but I am nervous that the beer wont carb all of the way, should I be? if so what can I do to fix the problem and how can I avoid this problem in the future?
Thanks!

Let's replay this post but lets pretend that instead of making beer you are taking a plane from New York to Chicago. Let's reread your post in that scenario (changes in italics):

I started flying from New York to California about two hours ago. I boarded the plane and we taxied from the gate and took off. I've been flying for about two hours now and I took a look out the window. It has a nice altitude but only just passing over Chicago. The flight still has about four hours to go but I am nervous that the aiplane won't make it all of the way, should I be? if so what can I do to fix the problem and how can I avoid this problem in the future?
Thanks!​

How would *you* answer such a post?

 

[Paradingbull]

I find that when I am ready to try a beer(s) refrigerate at least 3-4 days before drinking. The extra time forces the CO2 gas from the head space of the bottle into the beer. You did not mention the size of the bottles, but if they are the larger 22 oz. size expect a week or two longer to get to the right carb level.

 

[All-Hail-IPA]

They are 12oz bottles

 

[BadDeacon]

You'll be fine. My first batch I thought it would be OK to carb in a 40 deg garage and wondered why they weren't carved in a week. Brought them inside and they finished up nice and dandy over the next 2 weeks.

My piece of advice is once you get them at they level you like, put them in the fridge. It will help in clarifying them.

 

[poundtown]

Moving/swirling/shaking(gently) the liquid will help dissolve CO2 in to solution but isn't necessary to fully carb a batch and will stir up your sediment for the short term.

 

[FifteenTen]

Brew another batch. Watching that batch ferment will occupy your time as the first conditions and since you'll be drinking the first batch as the second conditions you won't be fretting about it. It's a wonderfully vicious cycle.