carb issues ...

[edsrockin]

i brewed a BB European Bock extract kit a month or so ago and it has been bottled for a little over 2 weeks now. I figured it should've carbonated by now, so tested this evening.

While the flavor was good, it just didn't have much carbonation to it. There was *some* but it never formed a head during pour and it tasted "flat".

This is only my second batch and the first carbed up nicely (another BB - a English Brown Ale). I like using liquid yeast instead of dry, so swapped out what was in the kit for a White Labs Calif. Ale. It fermented nicely -- quick and active.

I added the priming sugar as suggested. I thought I stirred it enough, but am having second thoughts now.

We tried one last week, just to see and it was obviously not ready then. When tested tonight, 8 days later, it showed no increase in carbonation. I am hoping it is just early and not done bottle conditioning yet, but with no noticeable signs of increased carbonation, figured I could ask ...

Is it typical for a bock to take longer to carbonate than ales? thanks.

 

[Revvy]

i brewed a BB European Bock extract kit a month or so ago and it has been bottled for a little over 2 weeks now. I figured it should've carbonated by now, so tested this evening.

You kinda figured wrong...

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.

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."

Read the above blog, and come back to the beer in a couple more weeks.

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.

 

[Nuggethead]

If you added the priming sugar to the bottling bucket prior to racking your beer, usually stirring isn't a problem. As the beer swirls in the bucket and the bucket fills, the mix is taken care of, so that shouldn't be a problem. Carb times are beer type and temp dependant. You didn't say what temp you carb at, but I had a batch that sat near my furnace for three weeks. The bottles closest were carbed perfectly while the bottles furthest away were barely carbed while the space between the first row and last were only 30 or so inches apart. Be sure that all the bottles are at 70F, no more than 75F and they should carb just fine. (Three weeks minimum) Two weeks has never been enough time for mine.

Oops, Reevy beat me to the punch, Disregard my reply and follow Reevy's. He is the Guru.

 

[tojo]

I have an English IPA that I'm having the same issues with. I initially stored the bottles in my basement which is approximately 58 degrees. I moved them to a closet on my first floor figuring the low temps in my basement made the yeast go dormant. Well I opened a bottle the other day and got a volcano spewing out of it. I feel like I can't win but it's all part of the learning curve.

 

[edsrockin]

okay thanks revvy. will read up on that.

thanks nuggethead. it is at "room temperature" which is within the 70 and 75 range you suggest.

i figured i was overly concerned, but the fact it was no different than a week ago made me wonder.


patience ... <sigh> i'm still trying to learn it after 42 years. not sure i am making any headway LOL

thanks all

 

[Revvy]

I have an English IPA that I'm having the same issues with. I initially stored the bottles in my basement which is approximately 58 degrees. I moved them to a closet on my first floor figuring the low temps in my basement made the yeast go dormant. Well I opened a bottle the other day and got a volcano spewing out of it. I feel like I can't win but it's all part of the learning curve.

How long was it upstairs before you opened one? Did you chill it for at least a day? Read my blog, and watch the video, more than likely it gushed not because anything was wrong, but the co2 wasn't absorbed wholly in solution, either because it wasn't finished generating in or you did let it long enough in the cold to further lock it in.

Like I said, three weeks min. at 70 is a nice rule of thumb for starting to check them.