Hi all!

[TREMBLE]

Hi everyone, I have just started brewing and could use some advice.

I started my first brew about 6 weeks ago, it was a Art of Brewing (UK homebrew shops) own brand lager kit. Used 1kg brewing sugar with it, in a 5 gallon bucket and added the yeast once it was ready. It seemed to bubble up, even blowing the lid off the bucket at one point!
After about a week the hydrometer stayed at the bottle reading for a few days so I primed the 1ltr pet bottles with more sugar and bottled it, waited 2 weeks and unfortunately it has stayed flat!
It does not seem to have improved over time either, tried another yesterday (6 weeks since start) and it still had virtually no fizz at all! Very disappointing, especially as I have felt like a big kid all the way through the process! I must add that it tastes ok, definately beer but just no carbination.

Anyway I put on a second batch while the first was in bottles and I bottled it after tasting the first batch, the second kit was Coopers Canadian Blonde kit. It has been in the bottle now around a week and is very clear, so in the interest of learning more about judging the different timings of beer I decided to open one up and have a taste. I know after 6 days it was way to early but I want to understand what exactly is meant by "Green" beer.

It did not taste bad, it was a little lifeless and again did not have alot of fizz, even though this kits instructions called for more sugar in priming (8g per ltr). It also had a slightly fruity taste. Supposed to be a lightly hopped lager.

So, my questions!

1. Once the bottles have cleared will it continue to carbonate or is that as carbonated as it will get?

2. Do alot of people have trouble getting there beers to fully carbonate? I have seen a few other threads relating to similar problems.

3. Rather than using brewing sugar should I be using things like spray malt or beer kit enhancing powders, and if so are they substituted for the same weight as sugar? I noticed that alot of these powders come in 500g bags rather than the 1kg that most sugars come in.

4. The first batch is not very drinkable as flat lager kinda sucks, is it just a right off?

If you can answer those to help me out I will be much obliged, I have no doubt I will be back soon with a few more questions!

 

[david_42]

Open the bottles & add more sugar. Recap & shake them a bit. That should rouse the yeast. Try putting in a location that is about 22-24C for a week (but out of the light). Make certain the caps are tight.

Erratic carbonation is a problem for many people when they start.

 

[TREMBLE]

Thanks for the reply, what amount of sugar would you recommend adding? The bottles where primed with 3/4 of a teaspoon.

Any answers for the other questions? Especially interested in when carbonation stops, ie does that only occur until the bottle clears or does it continue after that point?

Thanks again for any help!

 

[Walker]

before you add more sugar.....


at what temp were you storing the bottles? if you bottled and immediately put them in cold storage (like a fridge), just move them to a warmer place, but do NOT add mroe sugar. The yeast will wake up and get to work on that sugar.

also... .my beers are often not carbonated until about 3 weeks. at 2, they are often flat. they don't need more sugar, just more time.

 

[TREMBLE]

The bottles are being stored at a pretty constant 19.5-20C, I know most of you guys work in Fahrenheit so I think thats about 68F. Thanks!

 

[Walker]

The bottles are being stored at a pretty constant 19.5-20C, I know most of you guys work in Fahrenheit so I think thats about 68F. Thanks!

I'd just try warming them up a little or giving them more time.

I bottled two batches on Aug 22nd, and had them sitting at 70°F for 2.5 weeks and they were pretty flat. I moved them into the garage where it was in the low 80's and they were good to go after another 2 or 3 days.

 

[myersn024]

My first brew didn't quite carbonate either. I think my problem was an insufficient amount of brewers sugar for priming...I used 1/2 a teaspoon for each bottle and I was using 20 oz. plastic soda bottles and kept them stored right between 70*F and 72*F. Since then I've gotten a bucket that I use for primary and a glass carboy for secondary. I'll do what most suggest this time around which is priming the whole batch in a bottling bucket and then racking to bottles. I think 3/4 cup brewers sugar is standard for 5 gallon batches. If you want to use spray malt instead, I think it is more like 1.25 to 1.5 cups for 5 gallons.

 

[TREMBLE]

I tried another bottle tonight. Been in the bottles about 10 days now and I am really impressed!

It is not 100% right though was still pretty darn nice and I have no doubt it will improve more with time. There was plenty of fizz and even though it generated almost no head on pouring it remained fizzy all the way down!

I have the biggest stupid grin that will not go away!

The disappointment with the fist batch being flat was like a kick in the nuts but it has made this feel even better!

I gonna invite some buddies round next weekend for the first public outing, figure another week (that will be just shy of 3 weeks in the bottle) will help the flavour even more. This was the Coopers Canadian Blonde Lager from their World series incase you skipped the above posts.

I think I want to open my own pub now!