1st brew sux - 2d nice - but carb issues?

[MDB]

My first brew was an extract amber ale, it only sat in primary 5-6 days no hydrometer then, racked to 2dy for another 2 weeks then bottled. Tastes a little dry like a bitter light beer, have to drink a 6 in 2 hours to get a buzz. I'm 5 batches into the pipeline and have done alot of reading and my guess is without hydrometer readings it was not quite fermented before I racked to secondary.

My 2d beer was an irish stout. This one I used the hydrometer, hit my numbers, left in primary only for 4 weeks then bottled. Left in bottles for 4 weeks and I'm drinking a 48 hour chilled stout right now.

Damn good beer!!!

However, I will say that the carbonation is about the same in both -- not quite enough. It's like "cask pulled" (I don't even know what that means but I've drank it at bars). Head is absent. It has carbonation, just not enough.

Wondering why. 3/4 corn sugar made into syrup, into racking bucket and beer racked on top. I used iodophor to sanitize bottles. One thing for sure, bottles were not dry when I beered them (I read somewhere that if the bottles are dry, the sanitization is now gone or at least potentially impaired). Would that have something to do with it? I would have guessed on the 1st brew that it was just a result of being my first brew, but this stout (which is now almost gone) is about identical carb level.

If it matters, I was fermenting about 62-65 ambient temp on both beers.

I will say, the taste of this stout is killer. Makes it all worth it. Even though it's good now, I'm going to let it sit probably for the summer because while I like stouts, I like them more in the fall-winter. I'm bottling a rasberry wheat and an ipa this week, both have had great tasting samples so far and from what I read is fine to drink them young (maybe even preferred). But I sure would like to amp up the carb in them. Ideas?

Thanks

 

[DrummerBoySeth]

There are a few variables here. 3/4 cup of corn sugar should produce sufficient carb levels in most beers. If you use large bottles (22 oz. or 750 ml.) then they will take longer to fully carb. Cooler temperatures will also increase the time to complete carbonation. One thing many people miss is cold conditioning time. After allowing the bottles to carbonate for three weeks at room temperature, putting the beer in the fridge for 48 hours before drinking will allow the carbonation to saturate the beer. This forces the bubbles into the beer rather than letting them escape out the top when you open the bottles. If this still gives you beer that is flatter than you like, then you can consider slightly increasing the amount of priming sugar to increase the carbonation level.

You also mentioned sanitizing with idophor. I have never used idophor, but I know that star -San is actually a yeast nutrient and will not damage your yeast in any way. It would be worth thinking about switching. It works really well and keeps the yeasties happy.