Carbonation problems

[Eisey10]

I recently finished and bottled a Belgian Dubbel. I let the beer sit and condition in the bottle as I have with every other beer i have brewed. after 2 weeks i put one in the fridge to chill and try. Very little carbonation !!! I was considering trying the carbonation drops in one or two of them to see if that helps. Any suggestions or anyone have experience using them. do they alter flavor

 

[McKnuckle]

At what temperature did you allow the bottles to carbonate, what size bottles, and how much sugar in each? (or how much total beer if you used a bottling bucket)

The drops are not something magical or weird. They're just hard sugar in an oval candy type of shape. So they don't alter flavor any more than another form of sugar would.

 

[Eisey10]

At what temperature did you allow the bottles to carbonate, what size bottles, and how much sugar in each? (or how much total beer if you used a bottling bucket)

The drops are not something magical or weird. They're just hard sugar in an oval candy type of shape. So they don't alter flavor any more than another form of sugar would.

they are in 12 oz bottle at about 67-68 degrees. i used about 3/4 of a cup like i have in the past

 

[ncbrewer]

If you add carb drops, it might be too much sugar and give you bottle bombs. I wouldn't risk it.

 

[McKnuckle]

It's probably a combination of relatively high ABV, hence not quite enough time for good carb, and the always-present risk of uneven sugar mixing in the bucket.

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

i would give it another 2 weeks.... at least, i know its not easy but patience is important. plus that style is only gonna get better as it sits.

 

[MikeCo]

What yeast did you use? The first Dubbel I made was with Wyeast 1214, and I did not add any fresh yeast at bottling. I kept the bottles around 70F or higher, and it took 2 months for them to fully carbonate. I'm not really sure why it took so long, but conditioning time is dependent on many variables, including yeast strain, yeast health, alcohol content, aging time & temperature before bottling. I always add fresh yeast when I bottle now to speed up the process.

 

[catdaddy66]

they are in 12 oz bottle at about 67-68 degrees. i used about 3/4 of a cup like i have in the past

Your issue may be how you measured your priming medium. I used to estimate volume (half cup, full cup, etc) and carbonation was very inconsistent. Then I learned weighing the priming sugars was much better and more consistent. It can be grams or ounces, but it's more accurate to weigh than guestimate volume in my experience.

Hope that helps

 

[MikeCo]

Agreed - buy a scale and use it to weigh your priming sugar in the future. Also make sure you have an accurate measure of the beer volume, and don't rely on the volume markings on a bottling bucket. They are almost never accurate in my experience and can be off as much as a half gallon at the 5 gallon mark.