Bottles not carbonating...

[dandw12786]

I know, I know: "Wait."

2nd batch has been bottled about a week and a half. Our first one was fully carbed after 6 days (it was a brown ale). Still had a green flavor, but a very nice, frothy head. This one has absolutely no head at all. I was expecting at least some. Wondering if this should be cause for concern. When we were bottling, we lost about a gallon somewhere (still new, so probably got scared of the yeast sediment in the primary and secondary and stopped siphoning early), so when preparing the bottling sugar solution, i used the whole 5 oz of sugar, but didnt pour the whole solution in the bottling bucket, just most of it. Could I have underestimated what I needed?

Any suggestions? Thanks guys!

 

[Andy_LV]

whats the style of the beer? do you see yeast sediment in the bottles - white stuff at the bottom. Is beer clear in the bottles?

 

[dandw12786]

It's an american amber ale, and yes, I can see sediment. What do you mean by clear? Theres nothing floating in it, if thats what you mean. I've also been swirling the bottles periodically.

 

[northernlad]

I expect my exwife will stop being a raging *****, but that aint going to happen.

WAIT

 

[Revvy]

Its only been a week and a half. There's nothing wrong except that. I'm on my phone so I can't link it but go up to the stickies look for my bottling tips one and scroll down to post 8 my blog called of PATIENCE AND BOTTLE CONDITIONING, hint hint

 

[Andy_LV]

It's an american amber ale, and yes, I can see sediment. What do you mean by clear? Theres nothing floating in it, if thats what you mean. I've also been swirling the bottles periodically.

well, I have noticed that carbing up usually is gradual - first nothing, no sediment, beer is clear, then it clouds up - yeast starting to work, then it settles down making sediment and beer is clear again - thats about it.

What I have noted from my bottling experience is following:
1. filling up - beer is clear, nothing happens

2. 24-72 hours later beer is cloudy, fermentation occurs in the bottle

3. week later - usually all is done, beer is almost clear, most yeast settled down - if opened at this stage, I get nice coca-cola - big bubbles, no head, beer goes flat soon

4. 2 weeks later - a bit better, but still a lot of coca-cola effect, beer is clear and sediment is compact, at this stage I start to drink up some lighter brews.

5. month - you get nice hiss popping bottle, see gas comming out and beer
is very lively.

 

[Mermaid]

Patience, grasshopper.

I'm totally spoiled after getting a tap-a-draft. I'm almost through the 1.6 gallons I brewed at the beginning of Sept. The stuff in the bottles is still. not. carbed. (It's only been about 2 weeks)

Wait a couple weeks,, then wait a while longer. You can certainly test them at a week, 2 weeks, etc. but be prepared to pour them down the sink.

I think this is probably one the worst newbie brewer lessons to have to learn - the beer has it's timeline and nothing you can do (aside from force carbonation) is going to change that.

Hell, the dubbel I brewed in August is like an f'ing barleywine - it's starting to carb up now but damn it's green. I'm not even going to open another bottle of that sucka until after Christmas.

 

[Reno_eNVy]

I'll help you out Revvy. I've seen this post in far too many threads

The 3 weeks at 70 degrees, that 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.

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 ore 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.

Revvy knows.

 

[TheWeeb]

There are some other factors to consider while waiting for the carbonation to happen. For example, my first batch was split between caps and flip top bottles; the capped ones carbed up fine, but the flip tops did not. Turned out the seals were dried out and cracked and would not hold. I replaced them and they held on a later, very bubbly Hefe batch. Likewise, if you use press caps on screw top bottles there is a good chance you are not getting a good seal. I do not know what South Dakota is like this time of year, but here in Denver, the house is around 65 degrees, which is less than optimal for carbonation. Though I agree completely in waiting, patience, letting the yeast do their work, there are some other more mechanical things that can be looked at and at least eliminated as possible issues with slow carbonation. This would at least give you piece of mind that you did everything correct and thus can simply wait.

 

[dandw12786]

Okay... I have been educated.

I will RDWHAHB.

Thanks for putting my mind at ease.