Almost no carbonation.

[Diechipmunk]

I brewed my first batch in about 25 years. A simple, dry, stout. I did it from a 1 gallon DME + specialty grain kit. It's been in the bottle (16oz swing tops) for 3 weeks, and it tastes great, but it's almost flat. I used the carbonation drops provided with the kit when I bottled. I think I may have moved the bottles to the 60' basement too soon after bottling. I did it right away, actually. The carbonation drop was dissolved in the bottle I drank.

How likely is my issue the result of storing the bottle cool too soon? Is it too late to put them in a warmer part of the house now for a couple of days?

Thanks

 

[VikeMan]

How likely is my issue the result of storing the bottle cool too soon? Is it too late to put them in a warmer part of the house now for a couple of days?

60F certainly would have slowed things down, perhaps considerably, depending on the yeast strain. It's not too late to put the bottles in a warmer place. But if they are currently almost flat, as you put it, a couple days probably isn't going to do it. I would plan on a couple weeks before cracking another one.

 

[Diechipmunk]

Thanks. I'll give it a week. It tastes great as is, but the carbonation would make it better.

 

[D.B.Moody]

I've never used drops, but is it possible they were for 12oz. bottles instead of 16 oz. bottles?

 

[VikeMan]

I've never used drops, but is it possible they were for 12oz. bottles instead of 16 oz. bottles?

Good thought. Just spit-balling, let's say each drop is intended to produce a total of 2.5 volumes of CO2 in 12 ounces. And say that ~0.8 volumes of those 2.5 volumes are residual, from fermentation. That would mean ~1.7 volumes coming from the drop itself. 1.7 volumes in 12 ounces would translate to 1.275 volumes in 16 ounces (1.7 x (12/16)). And 0.8 residual plus 1.275 would make a total of ~2.1 volume. Would ~2.1 volumes seem almost flat? Probably not.

But what if a drop was supposed to produce a total of 2.2 volumes of CO2 in 12 ounces? That would mean ~1.4 volumes coming from the drop itself. 1.4 volumes in 12 ounces would translate to 1.05 volumes in 16 ounces (1.4 x (12/16)). And 0.8 residual plus 1.05 would make a total of ~1.85 volumes. Almost flat? Maybe, depending on one's definition of almost flat.

I'm ignoring headspace on the back of the envelope, because it's a PITA.

 

[Diechipmunk]

I've never used drops, but is it possible they were for 12oz. bottles instead of 16 oz. bottles?

You are right that they are for a 12oz bottle, but I figured I didn't want a stout to be as foamy\carbonated as an IPA so I figured they would be fine for a 16oz bottle of stout.
Thanks

 

[Diechipmunk]

Good thought. Just spit-balling, let's say each drop is intended to produce a total of 2.5 volumes of CO2 in 12 ounces. And say that ~0.8 volumes of those 2.5 volumes are residual, from fermentation. That would mean ~1.7 volumes coming from the drop itself. 1.7 volumes in 12 ounces would translate to 1.275 volumes in 16 ounces (1.7 x (12/16)). And 0.8 residual plus 1.275 would make a total of ~2.1 volume. Would ~2.1 volumes seem almost flat? Probably not.

But what if a drop was supposed to produce a total of 2.2 volumes of CO2 in 12 ounces? That would mean ~1.4 volumes coming from the drop itself. 1.4 volumes in 12 ounces would translate to 1.05 volumes in 16 ounces (1.4 x (12/16)). And 0.8 residual plus 1.05 would make a total of ~1.85 volumes. Almost flat? Maybe, depending on one's definition of almost flat.

I'm ignoring headspace on the back of the envelope, because it's a PITA.

Damn, VikeMan, you're sacring me away from homebrewing with all this math! I'm trying to ease in again. I used to brew in the 80s and 90s with extract\specialty grain. It was simple, Sanitize, boil add a little table sugar to the bottle and I got decent beer. Over carbonation was more of an issue for me than under.

I do think you're right, I just have to progressively get better with each batch. At least I got what I was looking for with the taste.