no carbonation and tast kinda like water

[mjkopp]

Well im new to site and im still learning how to use it. Also im new to brewing beer and pop. So here we go.
Grains- 12 oz caramel 10,4 oz chocolate = 25 min 155-160 temp.
Then I added 6lbs munich malt took that up to a boil
Hops= 2 oz crysta pellet and 1 oz nugget hops ( nuggets are from the back yard)
boil time 50 min.
Hops = 1 oz Hallertau and .5 oz nugget hop ( back yard ) 5-7 min
cooled down to 78 or so put it in the bucket added as much air as i could and put the yeast on top and sealed.

The airlock bubbled for two days and on the third I put it into a carboy and let it sit for 3 days. My friend said i could bottle at that time. so I did. Primed the sugar, bottled, and let them sit for 7 days. but the temp was around 58-62f kind cold..

I tried one and it was FLAT and kinda tasted like water( alittle). Not sure what to do now any insite would help? Thanks for reading my post Jamie

oops I did take a reading on the first day ( I can't figure out how to read it) it said 5% and on the 3rd 8% and the 6th= 8%??
thanks Jamie

 

[althea]

It sounds like you moved it to the carboy too early and killed the fermenation. Probably should leave it in the primary fermenter until primary fermentation is complete (7-10 days at the very least) before racking to carboy. Lots of people say racking to a secondary isn't necessary at all. I'd suggest you learn to use that hydrometer so you know where your original gravity is and then your final gravity as well. You really only can tell if fermenation is complete by taking gravity readings. You shouldn't bottle before the fermentation is complete.

 

[Fennis]

I'm not a very experienced home brewer, but 3 days the primary seems very short. I usually leave mine alone for 2-3 weeks. I have a batch now that was in the primary for 3 weeks, I transferred it to bottles where its been for another 2 weeks so far. In another week or so I will then put it into the fridge for a week or two and start drinking it. Of course, curiosity got the best of me and I tried one last weekend. It was a little on the flat side, something time will most likely fix.

At this point, I'd let it sit in the bottles for a few more weeks. It won't hurt anything and should let the bottles carb up more. I am not trying to say you did anything wrong or incorrectly, you will learn as you go, but it might be best to give your next batch a lot more time in the primary before you bottle.

 

[janivar123]

Am i to assume the munic malt is malt extract?
Strange readings, did you use a alchometer?(wich is only usable for distilled spirits)
you need a hydrometer to measure the gravety and then you need to calculate persentage based on OG and FG

 

[evanmars]

As for the site, this post should probably go in the
Beginners Beer Brewing Forum section.

As for the beer, a general rule of thumb is 1-2-3. One week primary, 2 weeks secondary, 3 weeks bottled. As mentioned previously, a hydrometer can be your best friend. If gravity readings don't change for about 3 days you should be OK to bottle. Assuming your F.G. is near where it should be from your recipe.
A secondary is not totally necessary. Let the bottles sit around 70* to carbonate.

 

[unionrdr]

With only 6 days total between primary & secondary,it wasn't done fermenting. My ales have taken up to 3 weeks to get down to FG. I don't bother with a secondary unless I'm doing an addition that doesn't play well with the yeast cake. So one week in primary is usually never enough,ime.
You may get bottle bombs,so be careful. And the hydrometer I have has the ABV scale on the other side from the specific gravity scale. It seems like you read the wrong side.

 

[mjkopp]

Thanks for all of your insite on my problem!!!! I guess having No patience got the best of me this time. I did bring the bottles upstairs with the temp being around 70* or so.I'll let them sit for a few weeks and see what happens? Do you think I can to drink them or will I get sick? I'm not a fan of wasting beer or $ so? I do have a hydrometer that I recieved in my kit that I will figure out how to read ( dumb ass ) and that will help me out. I do have a new batch going right now and I WILL let it sit alot longer this time.. Thanks again for reply Jamie..

 

[unionrdr]

Just remember that the specific Gravity scale is the side with the bigger number graduations. Like 1.000 (water at 60F),then 10,20,30,40,etc with smaller lines of 2,4,6,8 between those bigger number lines.
So,if you take a reading,& it's 1 small notch below the "30" line,you'd read "1.028". Hope this helps a little.
And that's a good temp to keep the bottles at. No,they won't make you sick if they weren't infected when you bottled it. If it smells/tastes good at bottling,& you cap the bottles properly,you'll have good,safe brew in a couple of weeks.

 

[KevinM]

howtobrew.com is helpful.
Yes, the no patience is the main issue.
1) fermentation was likely short. There can be fermentations that short though.

The big glaring issue will be your short bottle conditioning time. check all the other threads of this type and you'll see it's because people test their beer too soon, your exact situation. at one week carbonation will not have equalized into the liquid. You need to wait 3+ weeks.

 

[unionrdr]

You don't have to wait 3+ weeks every single time. My latest,an APA,was properly carbed & conditioned in 8 days flat. It did,however,spend about a month in primary. So,most of the time,3 weeks then 4-6 days in the fridge is good. But not always. But patience is a virtue. Especially in brewing beer. You will not have "equalization in the liquid" merely by room temp conditioning. That happens mainly in the fridge,when co2 in the head space is driven into solution.

 

[Revvy]

1) It tastes watery because it's not carbed.

The co2 of carbonation goes a long way to lifting flavors and aromas to our tongue and nose. It appears thin and watery because the co2 isn't there to give it the appearance of more body.

You ever pull a soda at a fast food joint that the gas wasn't working? It tastes watery too. The mix is exactly the same whether it's flat or not, but that carbonation is what gives it a fuller mouth feel.

2) It's not carbed because it's only been a week AND you're storing your beer too cold for the yeast to carb your beer.

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.

And just because a beer is carbed doesn't mean it still doesn't taste like a$$ and need more time for the off flavors to condition out. You have green beer.

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."

3) Going by your airlock and when it starts or stops is a disaster waiting to happen. You really need to use a hydrometer to determine when a beer is finished fermenting. Taking 2 consecutive hydrometer readings over a 3 day period is the ONLY accurate way to tell if a beer is done fermenting.

And a week is even too soon to check. This is not making coolaid, time is your friend. The yeast are the only ones to tell you when they are finished with the job, and they have their own agenda. They can't read recipes and don't know a calendar for ****. So you have to wait and let them tell you when they are finished.

Many of us leave our beers alone for a month in primary, skipping secondary. But if you do choose to secondary, wait til you determine that fermentation is complete.

I suggest that folks don't even take their first of the 2 hydrometer readings til the 12th day, then again at 14 and if the gravity is the same you can rack to secondary.

I really suggest that folks whether or not they secondary or opt for a long primary, that they don't bother for one month. It gives plenty of time to ensure that fermentation is complete, that they yeast have an opportunity to go back after they are done fermenting and clean up after themselves all the byproducts they created during fermentation that leads to off flavors, and that their beer has a chance to clear.

Then you again have to wait the minimum 3 weeks, if not more for carbonation and bottle conditioning to occur.

All fermentations, including the carbonation process has the potential to produce byproducts of fermentation, the yeast is tossing off waste products as it goes along eating the sugar to ferment the beer or carb it. But when left alone, the yeast will usually go back and clean up those byproducts. That's why we talk about prolonging yeast contact and bottle conditioning.

The yeast are fastidious creatures and like to clean up any messes.

I would just pull the beers you have out of the cool place they are in, give them a shake, and leave them for a few more weeks, just to see if the yeast will make them better. I've found beers that were 6 months or more in the back of closets, that were pretty mediocre initially or downright crappy, that have been vastly better, with some extra time.

Your beer will be fine...and your future beers will be better, if you wait things out....

 

[mjkopp]

Thanks brewtalk people!! So the name of the game is Patience Patience Patience!! That I learned quickly lol. As for the hydrometer it's a triple scale hydrometer -Wine/beer- most of the ones I saw on google pics seem to be a simple reading scale but, I did figure how to read it and when to use it!! yaaaa I guess if the beer taste like crap I'll have to chalk this one up as (dumb ass) beginner luck. haha Hopfuly in the future I can help other people out in the world of home brewing like you all did 4 me!! Thanks Jamie

 

[biggerthanyou83]

OK well your beer is not done fermenting. So you need to think how to get your beer to finish fermenting. And if you added the sugar and it wasn’t done fermenting you might have some bottle bombs. I had a problem were I over sugared the beer before bottling and I left them in the bottles and vented the lid to let the co2 escape then re sugared using drops and recapped with new tops. I would probably suggest doing the same since you don’t want to pour it back into a carboy or fermenter since it will oxidize. I left them alone for one month in the vented bottles before I re primed and they turned out really good. this is the link to my post. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/double-sugar-before-bottling-i-hope-its-ok-now-246400/

And here’s a great video on proper carbonation…. You might have seen it on here before. Its AMAZING!



And don’t take this the wrong way but you will save yourself a ton of headaches if you go to your local brew shop and ask them questions on how to read the OG and FG of your beer. Also this website is a great place for information as well. And don’t freak out about thinking about messing up your beer. That one thing I learned. Every batch you brew you will probably learn something new! Best of luck and hope it turns out well! Also remember relax…. Have a beer!

*** Hope the links show up***

 

[biggerthanyou83]

OHHHH and listen to revvy…. Hes the Jedi Master of home brews… hence the avatar!

 

[unionrdr]

Hey Jamie,that hydrometer of yours is sounding like the glass ones cooper's used to give with their micro brew system (they called it a "kit",but that's confusing). Triple scale,color coded,etc. But you still read specific gravity from the side with the big number scale. 1.000 being water,then 10,20,30,40,etc on the big lines. Small lines between them are 2,4,6,8. So one line below the "20" would be 1.018.

 

[wileyriley69]

I have been brewing off and on for a few years, I leave my wort in primarry for around 7 days then rack it to secondary and let it sit for another seven days, then priming sugar and bottles they sit for about a month,,but after a week or so I got to try it and see how it tastes,,

beers to you

 

[mjkopp]

Well it's been a little over three weeks in the bottle and still no carbonation or head? I cooled one down in the frig for a few hrs and poped the top! I did get a little hiss when I opened it but, still no carbonation.
People are telling me to watch out for bottle bombs but, I'm not even close to that (yet?) It did taste better this time..I would drink them just how they are for sure! Do you all think I should open them and add some sugar ? Thanks for the help again... Jamie

 

[Revvy]

You don't need to add more sugar, if you added the right amount you don't want to consider adding more. The problem isn't the sugar, it evidently is the yeast.


Honestly if you're getting a pfft, which you weren't before that means your getting closer. I personally still wouldn't do anything. But if you did want to try something you could carefully sprinkle a few grains of dry yeast in each bottle and re-cap. Then give them a good swirl and wait a couple more weeks.

But don't ever think throwing more sugar into the bottles is an answer, that's how you get bottle bombs. A set amount of sugar produce a set amount of gas, if the yeast eats it. If you add more sugar, if they were to start munching (which what makes you think if they didn't munch your sugar then, that they would with new sugar?) then they'd eat all the sugar including the old sugar and produce more gas which could be more than the bottle can handle.

I still would make sure they are in a warm place and check back in a couple more weeks. I've had beers that needed 6-8 weeks to carb up. And I've never had to add more yeast or anything.

 

[mjkopp]

hey thanks!! I'll let them sit for a few more weeks and give them a try! I was hopeing not to buy and more beer from the store for a wile but, I'm learning about time time and more time! lol I have a question for you? Would you say pop tops are better than swing tops? I was going to get a few to try them out and I was j/w what you thought about it? thanks again Jamie

You don't need to add more sugar, if you added the right amount you don't want to consider adding more. The problem isn't the sugar, it evidently is the yeast.


Honestly if you're getting a pfft, which you weren't before that means your getting closer. I personally still wouldn't do anything. But if you did want to try something you could carefully sprinkle a few grains of dry yeast in each bottle and re-cap. Then give them a good swirl and wait a couple more weeks.

But don't ever think throwing more sugar into the bottles is an answer, that's how you get bottle bombs. A set amount of sugar produce a set amount of gas, if the yeast eats it. If you add more sugar, if they were to start munching (which what makes you think if they didn't munch your sugar then, that they would with new sugar?) then they'd eat all the sugar including the old sugar and produce more gas which could be more than the bottle can handle.

I still would make sure they are in a warm place and check back in a couple more weeks. I've had beers that needed 6-8 weeks to carb up. And I've never had to add more yeast or anything.

 

[Revvy]

Swing tops are cool, I know several hb-ers that use them exclusively, and the rest of us try to snatch as many as we can. But they have some issues. They gasket will wear out eventually and you won't really know when. So that's a bit of a risk, a bad gasket= zero carbonation. Some folks just replace all their gaskets every couple of years.