Coffee porter carbonation problem

[jeb227]

Hi all,

I'm new to home brewing (3rd batch is in the fermenter now), and I was hoping for some insight. My first brew was a porter kit from the LHBS:
http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7102/files/orca.pdf?228

I started the batch on 1/13, and hit the intended OG of 1.050. I took a reading a week later and had 1.010. I bottled 2 weeks later (on 2/3). Here, I added 3.5 oz (by weight) of priming sugar provided with the kit after boiling it in 2 cups of water. I racked the beer onto the sugar and stirred with a sanitized spoon. I bottled 24 12 oz bottles, then added 2 cups of strong French press coffee and stirred again and bottled the rest. (I like coffee porters like kona pipeline, and was curious what it would taste like +/- coffee).

It's been a month bottle conditioning. The regular porter has some carbonation (I'd prefer more), but the coffee porter is essentially flat. A little hiss when I open the bottle, but no head, no bubbles. It's been conditioning at around 62F. However, the northern brewer American wheat I brewed the following weekend is nicely carbonated in the same conditions.

Does anyone have any ideas, and how I might recover? The coffee porter tastes pretty good, but it needs the body from carbonation. Thanks!

 

[feinbera]

That should be enough sugar to get at least some carbonation... you could try bringing the bottles up to 70-72, swirling them a bit to get the yeast re-suspended, and giving them another week or two at the warmer temperature, but, honestly, I've (over)carbed just fine in the low 60's.

What sort of capper and bottles did you use? I've had trouble getting a good seal with my "wing capper" on stubby 12oz bottles which have a short distance between the cap and the bottom of the little ring around the neck where the wing capper "grabs" the bottle -- the symptoms being poor carbonation and gross, oxygenated beer (real bummer, the first half of the batch, bottled in long necks, still holds the title of my best batch).

 

[jeb227]

I used the red plastic hand capper that came with my northern brewer starter kit. The bottles are ones I've scavenged from beers I drink. They're mostly long necks, but the coffee porters I tried we're from Sierra Nevada bottles (ruination rye). Maybe I'll look around and see if I have any in other kinds of bottles.

It's tough for me to raise the temp - we live in the SF Bay Area, and our house doesn't have much in the way of insulation. I'd like to eventually buy some sort of temp control unit, but that's down the road a bit. But for now I can't get much higher than the low 60s.

Maybe I'll just try and be patient. It's tough though....

 

[BigFloyd]

If you have a closet that you can put the bottles in and place a ceramic heater there to get it to 70, you can get them to carb in the normal time.

Your temps are great for fermentation, but bottle conditioning may take 2-3 times longer.

Oh, better to roll each bottle a few times on its side than to shake or swirl.

 

[C-Rider]

I used the red plastic hand capper that came with my northern brewer starter kit. The bottles are ones I've scavenged from beers I drink. They're mostly long necks, but the coffee porters I tried we're from Sierra Nevada bottles (ruination rye). Maybe I'll look around and see if I have any in other kinds of bottles.

It's tough for me to raise the temp - we live in the SF Bay Area, and our house doesn't have much in the way of insulation. I'd like to eventually buy some sort of temp control unit, but that's down the road a bit. But for now I can't get much higher than the low 60s.

Maybe I'll just try and be patient. It's tough though....

Wow, your house is always in the lo2 60's this time of year. I'd die there after 49 years in Hawai`i. LOL

 

[Johnny_Five]

It's tough for me to raise the temp - we live in the SF Bay Area, and our house doesn't have much in the way of insulation. I'd like to eventually buy some sort of temp control unit, but that's down the road a bit. But for now I can't get much higher than the low 60s.

It's not the question you're asking, and using lager yeast seems like it would be a bad idea for a beginner, but I thought it was fun reading about Anchor Steam, perhaps our first California Common. It uses lager yeast that works at a higher than normal temperature, right around the temp of where you live. I suppose I would eventually inquire to how hard or easy making that stuff would be after you get more batches under your belt, if you even like the stuff, because apparently your "temperature issue" could then be an ideal temp...?

Also regarding coffee, if you want good French Press, aim for 4 min brew, +/- a few degrees from 200F, weight ratio water:beans of about 17:1 (can change 16:1 to 18:1, perhaps 16:1 for you). If there is a high end shop near you that might have a Ditting 805 and the Mahlkonig Tanzania grinder, and that it doesn't cost an arm (I almost never go to coffee shops myself, I wouldn't know if you could fine such a place) they could get the grinds at the ideal size of about 900 microns, and not just ballpark, but ideal would be that they are as consistent as possible at that size (that's why the burrs alone cost half a grand). I have absolutely no idea how much coffee is used in beer batches, but if it's not much, and you want the best, without excessive tannin extractions, etc, you might look into that. The time thing is a big deal btw.

 

[jeb227]

Wow, your house is always in the lo2 60's this time of year. I'd die there after 49 years in Hawai`i. LOL

Yeah, it can be a bit rough. But u grew up in Pennsylvania, so low 60s is nice. It's in the 20s around where I grew up right now. Of course, they have insulation in their walls and a bigger heater.... I'd sure prefer Hawaii, though. I'm hoping to get out there sometime next year.

 

[jeb227]

It's not the question you're asking, and using lager yeast seems like it would be a bad idea for a beginner, but I thought it was fun reading about Anchor Steam, perhaps our first California Common. It uses lager yeast that works at a higher than normal temperature, right around the temp of where you live. I suppose I would eventually inquire to how hard or easy making that stuff would be after you get more batches under your belt, if you even like the stuff, because apparently your "temperature issue" could then be an ideal temp...?

Also regarding coffee, if you want good French Press, aim for 4 min brew, +/- a few degrees from 200F, weight ratio water:beans of about 17:1 (can change 16:1 to 18:1, perhaps 16:1 for you). If there is a high end shop near you that might have a Ditting 805 and the Mahlkonig Tanzania grinder, and that it doesn't cost an arm (I almost never go to coffee shops myself, I wouldn't know if you could fine such a place) they could get the grinds at the ideal size of about 900 microns, and not just ballpark, but ideal would be that they are as consistent as possible at that size (that's why the burrs alone cost half a grand). I have absolutely no idea how much coffee is used in beer batches, but if it's not much, and you want the best, without excessive tannin extractions, etc, you might look into that. The time thing is a big deal btw.

Thanks for the insight! I have a cuisinart burr grinder - it's decent, definitely better than a blade grinder. I hit the 17:1 ratio, and get the water to about 200f, and I like 3:30 more than 4:00. I should've cold-brewed the coffee for the beer, but I had forgotten about it the night before. Thanks for the info on those grinders - definitely something to aspire to.

Steam beer is definitely on my to brew list. Maybe in the fall. I want more ales under my belt before I try a lager yeast. I figure its Cali common beer for a reason. The temps are so easy to achieve especially in the winter. The anchor brewery is only 20 miles from my door, and its a beer I like.