Champagne-like carbonation in bottled saison (carb drops)

[TravelingLight]

I've been a kegger since I started. But I recently bottled my first batch, a raspberry saison (11# Pils, 1# Vienna, 1# Wheat, WY3711).

I used carb drops because, well, someone gave them to me for free and I figured hell, this seems so much easier than effing with priming sugar and calculations and stirring but not oxidizing, etc etc. I bottled on 9/11/16, and decided to open one last night to see how it was doing (15 days after bottling). Good hiss when I cracked the bottle. Nice carbonation in the pour. But the head fades quickly after pouring. The mouth feel is solid, very bubbly, almost champagne-like, but not awesome. And they're big, fat bubbles, not tight compacted bubbles like I get on my kegged beers.

Is this "champagne-like" carbonation...

(1) Because I used carb drops instead of priming sugar mixed?

(2) Because it's only been bottled 15 days, is still a little green, and will improve in another week or more?

(3) Combination of the first two?

(4) Something else entirely?

I really love the flavor on this beer. It's my first fruited beer and might be one of the best beers I've made yet. But I can't decide yet if I love the carbonation/mouth feel yet. Thanks.

 

[ChemErik]

I've noticed the large bubbles you're describing when my beer is almost, but not completely done carbonating. I would give it few days before making any judgements.

Also, your building my anticipation for the crab apple saison I bottled 3 days ago, similar recipe just less pils, even used 3711.

 

[TravelingLight]

I've noticed the large bubbles you're describing when my beer is almost, but not completely done carbonating. I would give it few days before making any judgements.

Also, your building my anticipation for the crab apple saison I bottled 3 days ago, similar recipe just less pils, even used 3711.

Excellent, thanks. I really love the beer. And this was my first time using 3711 and MAN people weren't lying about it being a beast. I love this yeast. And your crab apple saison sounds awesome. I'd be interested in trying that. I have a love-hate relationship with crab apples. I loved the jelly my mom and grandmother made with them every year. But it was my brothers and me who were forced to spend our summer afternoons picking crab apples from the neighbor's yard, i.e., the hate aspect.

 

[m00ps]

Any chance the bottle you opened was one of the 3-4 final ones you filled? I always get overcarbonated bottles in the last few I fill. They always have excess yeast sediment in the bottom which I believe causes it. I always make sure to mark them and just use them as "test bottles" for sampling how its doing. If I wait too long to try one of these (+1month or more) they almost always are gushing a bit out of the bottle and the pour is mostly head, but not stable

 

[TravelingLight]

Any chance the bottle you opened was one of the 3-4 final ones you filled? I always get overcarbonated bottles in the last few I fill. They always have excess yeast sediment in the bottom which I believe causes it. I always make sure to mark them and just use them as "test bottles" for sampling how its doing. If I wait too long to try one of these (+1month or more) they almost always are gushing a bit out of the bottle and the pour is mostly head, but not stable

Very interesting. Honestly I have no idea when this one was filled in the process. But you raise some interesting points. I will be marking these last fills from now on when I bottle. Thanks for the heads up, brother.