Flat tasting first brew

[edm1602]

So I bottled my first beer two weeks ago. Out of curiosity, my girlfriend and I opened a bottle last week. Nice head on it, tastes great but tasted flat. I said, well it's only been a week, let's give it another week and try again. Last night opened another one and again, nice head on it, but tastes flat. I've got no problem waiting longer but my concern is that there's no real difference since last week. It was a Coopers Wheat Extract and I used priming sugar.

I'm looking for any input. I want to brew again soon, was considering today but am concerned I made a mistake last time that caused this and don't want a repeat. Thanks!

 

[Revvy]

Two weeks is not three weeks....The 3 weeks at 70 degrees, that we recommend is the minimum time it takes for average gravity beers to carbonate and condition. Higher grav beers take longer.

Stouts and porters have taken me between 6 and 8 weeks to carb up..I have a 1.090 Belgian strong that took three months to carb up.


Temp and gravity are the two factors that contribute to the time it takes to carb beer. But if a beer's not ready yet, or seems low carbed, and you added the right amount of sugar to it, then it's not stalled, it's just not time yet.

Everything you need to know about carbing and conditioning, can be found here Of Patience and Bottle Conditioning. With emphasis on the word, "patience."

If a beer isn't carbed by "x number of weeks" you just have to give them more time. If you added your sugar, then the beer will carb up eventually, it's really a foolroof process. All beers will carb up eventually. A lot of new brewers think they have to "troubleshoot" a bottling issue, when there really is none, the beer knows how to carb itself. In fact if you run beersmiths carbing calculator, some lower grav beers don't even require additional sugar to reach their minimum level of carbonation. Just time.

I've carbed hundreds of gallons of beer, and never had a beer that wasn't carbed, or under carbed or anything of the sort (Except for a batch where I accidently mixed up lactose or Maltodextrine for priming sugar). Some took awhile, (as I said up to six months) but they ALL eventually carbed.

 

[edm1602]

Thank you! The gravity was slightly higher than expected so I'll just keep waiting as long as needed.

 

[twistr25]

Also don't forget to chill the beers for 48 hours or so before cracking one either. It'll help push the CO2 back into solution.

And likely if you do a search for any question you have and find Revvy's response, you'll be good to go!

 

[lawnboy881]

Temp and gravity are the two factors that contribute to the time it takes to carb beer. But if a beer's not ready yet, or seems low carbed, and you added the right amount of sugar to it, then it's not stalled, it's just not time yet.

Everything you need to know about carbing and conditioning, can be found here Of Patience and Bottle Conditioning. With emphasis on the word, "patience."

I have a Maharaja clone that I brewed on Feb 15th. OG 1.082 FG 1.022.

after fermentation + bottle conditioning, it was pretty solid and decent carbonation. I waited another couple of weeks past the recommended 60 day bottle conditioning and it was fairly "standard carbonation". Now it is extremely FLAT.


Care to enlighten?

 

[amandabab]

So I bottled my first beer two weeks ago. Out of curiosity, my girlfriend and I opened a bottle last week.

your mistake was opening in at one week and 2 weeks.
I'm not even sure I agree with 3 weeks as the minimum. I wait a month for most brews.