Tarindel
Active Member
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2008
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Hey everyone -- I made my first batch of homebrew a few months ago, and the results were not quite as expected. I was brewing a batch of mild brown ale from a B3 kit, modified slightly to increase the alcohol level. The brewing day process went well -- no major issues. Put the brew into my primary fermentation vessel and fermented for 3 weeks. I used a highly flocculating yeast so there was quite a nice trub.
Then came bottling day. I mixed 4oz of corn sugar with water, and put it in the bottom of my bottling bucket. Then I siphoned my flat beer, taking extreme care not to disturb the trub. Finally, I bottled my beer and let it sit for 3 more weeks at 70-72 deg F. Outside of some issues getting the siphon to start, no major issues here either.
Then came time to drink the beer. Here's where the problem is: I'd say 85% of the bottles are relatively flat. They hiss a little when opened, but they taste pretty flat and gross. The other 15% of the bottles appear to have carbonated properly and taste great. Also, the bottles appear to have no yeast in the bottom, which I assume they should based on everything I've read. I've rolled some bottles on the floor and given them another 3 weeks, but there's no change.
Given the inconsistency, the only thing I can think of that makes sense is that I was overly careful to not disturb the trub, and combined with the highly flocculating yeast, I simply didn't get enough yeast into most of the actual bottles to properly carbonate.
Does this sound reasonable? If this is the case, what is the best way to ensure I do get enough yeast into the bottling bucket to carbonate my brew for next time?
Any and all help appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Then came bottling day. I mixed 4oz of corn sugar with water, and put it in the bottom of my bottling bucket. Then I siphoned my flat beer, taking extreme care not to disturb the trub. Finally, I bottled my beer and let it sit for 3 more weeks at 70-72 deg F. Outside of some issues getting the siphon to start, no major issues here either.
Then came time to drink the beer. Here's where the problem is: I'd say 85% of the bottles are relatively flat. They hiss a little when opened, but they taste pretty flat and gross. The other 15% of the bottles appear to have carbonated properly and taste great. Also, the bottles appear to have no yeast in the bottom, which I assume they should based on everything I've read. I've rolled some bottles on the floor and given them another 3 weeks, but there's no change.
Given the inconsistency, the only thing I can think of that makes sense is that I was overly careful to not disturb the trub, and combined with the highly flocculating yeast, I simply didn't get enough yeast into most of the actual bottles to properly carbonate.
Does this sound reasonable? If this is the case, what is the best way to ensure I do get enough yeast into the bottling bucket to carbonate my brew for next time?
Any and all help appreciated. Thanks in advance!