why is my beer flat the longer its chilled? | HomeBrewTalk.com - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Community.

Homebrew Talk

Help Support Homebrew Talk by donating:

  1. Dismiss Notice
  2. We have a new forum and it needs your help! Homebrewing Deals is a forum to post whatever deals and specials you find that other homebrewers might value! Includes coupon layering, Craigslist finds, eBay finds, Amazon specials, etc.
    Dismiss Notice

why is my beer flat the longer its chilled?

Discussion in 'Bottling/Kegging' started by Brewmex41, Jul 15, 2013.

 

  1. #1
    Brewmex41

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Jul 15, 2013
    I bottled a batch a few weeks ago and so I popped one in the fridge. It was a Bavarian style hefeweizen with about 3.8 vol of co2. I set it in the fridge maybe 6 hours before pouring it and it was perfectly carb'd.
    Then tonight i cracked open a 6er i put in the fridge for about 24 hrs and it had 0 head. Why is this happening?
     
  2. #2
    webby45wr

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Jul 15, 2013
    Was the 24 hour beer flat or lacked head? You mention both in your post and there is a difference.

    Glassware plays a big part in head retention. Certain dishwasher soaps can eliminate head. So if there was still carbonation but no head, glassware could be the culprit.

    If it's no carbonation - how long did you let the bottles sit at 70F to carb up? Perhaps they weren't left long enough to fully carb up. 3 weeks is generally recommended.
     
  3. #3
    Brewmex41

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Jul 15, 2013
    You're right, I didn't mean flat, just no head.

    I used the same type of glass that had been washed at the same time with the same dish soap.
    I poured a 12 oz bottle into a 22 oz wheat glass. The first bottle filled the glass perfectly, beer and about 3" of head. The pack that sat in the fridge over night had no foam whatsoever.

    They sat in my closet just over 3 weeks.
     
  4. #4
    shawnstr71

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Jul 15, 2013
    I am a pretty new brewer, but b4 I got started I helpes a friend with his brewing. The time I helped him bottle, we forgot to stir the beer as we bottled. Some bottles came out with a great head, others none at all. Some got more corn syrup than others, I am thinking. Could this have been the culprit to ur problem?
     
  5. #5
    Brewmex41

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Jul 15, 2013
    I boil my sugar water mix and add it, then siphon over it. I let it sit for a little bit before bottling. I have faith the sugar is mixed in properly.
    There's also the same amount of sediment in each bottle after I pour it.
     
  6. #6
    webby45wr

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Jul 16, 2013
    Curious. Have you tried more beers from the fridge and they all lack head? Could it be a pouring issue? (i.e. the first beer was poured kind of rough and the next one gently down the side of the glass?) I found a post from Yooper back in 2011 with a few other suggestions:
    1. If you use one-step, it may have left a film on bottles. Maybe switch to star-san. Some other contaminant, ever so slight, may have also gotten into a few bottles.
    2. Scrub your glass with salt and water, then give a good rinse. Then pour a beer and see if you get adequate head.

    Here's a link to the thread with more details: http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f37/fizzy-beer-no-head-219847/
     
  7. #7
    Brewmex41

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Jul 17, 2013
    Ok here's one I just now poured.
    This is what I got the first time, and this is what I expect them to look like.


    ForumRunner_20130717_004915.jpg

    I don't know what the difference is, between this and the others, as this one was in the fridge over 24 hours.
    And I know how I'm supposed to pour a wheat beer lol
    But for now I'll relax, not gonna worry, and gonna drink this home brew :)
     
  8. #8
    webby45wr

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Jul 17, 2013
    I'm glad this one was better. Maybe just some contaminant in that one bottle.
     
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page

Group Builder