Beer tastes flat/watery - help

[Autonamic]

First batch ever, Golden ale - everything went smooth until time to cool down wort after boil. Using anvil foundry - mistake 1. hooked up chiller and water pressure was too high from hose and popped off from clamps and a little water got in wort. Mistake 2. pitch yeast - opened up refrigerator and found smack pack was inflated and fridge stopped working. For how long ? Idk. It was sitting in my fridge for at least two weeks before I found it . Was at 70 f . Said f it and pitched it . No way I could get another yeast in time. Mistake 3. Racked to corny keg to ferment . Rookie me thought that the yeast co2 would build up to 10 psi and hold there with spundit 2.0 sounding valve and hold there . I didn’t have co2 because of supply issues where I live . Watched it for One week with no activity scratching my head! Later found out that the lid wasn’t sealed . Finally got co2 and hit it with 30 psi to seal lid the. Backed off to 12 psi. By then there was no activity. Fast forward to 4 weeeks later in kegerator sitting with 12 psi and forced carbed a couple times and it’s still flat. Smells and tastes like beer just no carbonation. No off flavors . It should be well carbonated by now.

is therea way to fix this? Researched that it coUld be from old yeast? Can I pitch more yeast?

Total newbie thanks for reading . Apologies for any typos posting from my phone. Aloha.

 

[GoodTruble]

Sounds like the beer fermented and tastes like beer. So good up that point despite the mishaps. If your keg is sealing & holding pressure, the beer will carbonate in time. My guess is leaking seal.

 

[Beholder]

Didn’t see it mentioned, but to be sure, beer needs to be chilled to effectively absorb CO2. You can do it at room temp, but need much higher pressures to get the same volumes into the beer - check out a carbonation chart for reference.

if not that, then I would also second a leak. Put pressure on it and turn off valve on tank. If the pressure drops to 0 after some time you have a leak. If pressure drops and holds steady, you have CO2 into the beer, but undercarbed.

 

[Autonamic]

Sounds like the beer fermented and tastes like beer. So good up that point despite the mishaps. If your keg is sealing & holding pressure, the beer will carbonate in time. My guess is leaking seal.

I would think so too but it’s been over 3 weeks sitting in the fridge connected to co2 ? Turned off co2 to see if keg held pressure and it did for a few days. That would rule out a leaking seal correct?

 

[Autonamic]

Didn’t see it mentioned, but to be sure, beer needs to be chilled to effectively absorb CO2. You can do it at room temp, but need much higher pressures to get the same volumes into the beer - check out a carbonation chart for reference.

if not that, then I would also second a leak. Put pressure on it and turn off valve on tank. If the pressure drops to 0 after some time you have a leak. If pressure drops and holds steady, you have CO2 into the beer, but undercarbed.

Beer is in fridge at 38 degrees. Cold enough yea? Pressure actually did drop from 12 - 10 and now has been holding for a few days.

 

[GoodTruble]

Are you charging it to 12 psi and them disconnecting and leaving it? Try leaving it connected at 20 psi for 2 days.

 

[bracconiere]

what line length and dia" is your serving line?

 

[Autonamic]

Are you charging it to 12 psi and them disconnecting and leaving it? Try leaving it connected at 20 psi for 2 days.

Yes. Ok I’ll try that.

 

[Autonamic]

what line length and dia" is your serving line?

3/16” ID. 5 ft I’d say.

 

[Summa_Brewologica]

I know this may seem odd, but what yeast did you use? Did you temp control? You said first batch ever. You mean ever ever or just with the foundry? Was it all grain extract? What kind of water did you use? What was your OG and FG?

The flat taste is probably carbonation but the title also says “watery.” There could be a lot of things that might cause the beer to be thin.If the beer is thin and watery that might be the reason you are needing more co2 than normal. Because the beer is lacking in other areas.

I don’t mean that in any offensive way. I have the same problem right now but it’s the recipe I used combined with the kveik that left the beer with no body at all which is leaving it feeling flat at 12 psi where other beers might not be.

 

[bracconiere]

3/16” ID. 5 ft I’d say.

i use 10ft 3/16ID with a serving pressure of only 10 psi....are you getting foam?

 

[Autonamic]

i use 10ft 3/16ID with a serving pressure of only 10 psi....are you getting foam?

A LOT of foam. Ok I’ll do that.

 

[bracconiere]

A LOT of foam. Ok I’ll do that.

damn man, that was one of the first thing i learned back in 2006 or so....before i had people to talk to, i thought it perfectly normal to carb at 30psi, serve at 2....and i still got foam! glad a peon like me can help a brother out!