BB dunkel: bottled for 10 days, no head very little carbonation. More time beeded?

[IanPC]

This is my first kit, I tried one bottle after 10 days to make sure that it wasn't sour. Chilled it for 3 hrs flavor was ok, but not suds...so to speak.

 

[BrewinHooligan]

Most people on here will tell you 3 weeks is the absolute minimum to let the beer carb and condition in the bottles. I don't have tons of experience, but I tried a "surveillance beer" at ten days on my first batch which had very little carbonation and after three weeks the same brew had a massive head. That being said, patience is the key and I make sure to give it the time it needs.

 

[IanPC]

Excellent...how much will the flavor be effected with time. My brew tasted a little like a chocolate/bread/hint of coffee. Nothing like the description, or maybe I don't have a good nose for tasting.

 

[BrewinHooligan]

Other than wheat beers that lose their desired flavor after a lengthy time in bottles, most beers get better over time. Especially if it is a higher gravity beer. In the meantime, get another batch going and pick up a case of commercial beer to help the waiting. Costco's Kirkland beer is cheap ($18/case) yet surprisingly good and the bottles are very tough.

 

[IanPC]

I actually just did that, I picked up a case of dogfish head 90 min IPA. Talk about flavor. Thanks for the info.

 

[mtk6006]

@ IanPC Can i ask you a question? During ferment did your dunkel give off a sulfur smell?

 

[IanPC]

No...nothing like that. I only opened it to rack it to the secondary. Smelled like beer. I wasn't sure what was supposed to be normal, so I paid more attention to off smells. Which there seemed to be none of.

 

[Revvy]

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."

If a beer isn't carbed by "x number of weeks" you just have to give them more time. If you added your sugar, then the beer will carb up eventually, it's really a foolroof process. All beers will carb up eventually. A lot of new brewers think they have to "troubleshoot" a bottling issue, when there really is none, the beer knows how to carb itself. In fact if you run beersmiths carbing calculator, some lower grav beers don't even require additional sugar to reach their minimum level of carbonation. Just time.

I've carbed hundreds of gallons of beer, and never had a beer that wasn't carbed, or under carbed or anything of the sort (Except for a batch where I accidently mixed up lactose or Maltodextrine for priming sugar). Some took awhile, (as I said up to six months) but they ALL eventually carbed.

 

[jtrux]

Do higher gravity brews require longer time to force carb as well?

 

[IanPC]

I admit I'm not being as patient as I should be. My bday is feb 12 and I'll try one out then. It still needs time then I'll let it sit. My room in the basement is a constant 69-71 degrees. I did this kit according to the directions because it was the first time I brewed. The next brew will sit a little longer. I'm going with a dry Irish stout. Hopefully it will be good by st patty's. If it isn't then it isn't. Just more time in the bottle.