Differing Carbonation levels

[Jbileau8090]

I am finally drinking batch #1. 2 weeks in primary, 2 weeks in secondary, an a month in the bottle...taste is pretty good now but I have a question about the carbonation. One bottle has a nice head and good carbonation all around, and the next is foamy and practical impossible to pour, and the next has little/no head and is on the flat side. what is going on?

 

[Bob]

There are several possible causes. Let's play House and go through the differential diagnosis.

First, the foamy bottles could have picked up a bug. I think that's unlikely; usually, if one bottle has a bug, all the bottles are infected. But you should still detail your sanitation process to rule it out.

Second, the flat bottles could have been sealed poorly. Do you use a bench or hand capper? Pry-off or twist-off bottles? Swing-tops?

Third - and this is the one that explains all the symptoms - bottles do that sometimes. You're relying on an unknown amount of yeast to ferment an unpredictable amount of sugar with uneven fills. There are lots of variables here. Let's get a more detailed patient history.

Did you bottle all in 12oz longnecks, or did you do like most new brewers and use a wide variety of bottle sizes?

How did you dissolve the priming sugar into the beer?

How did you store the beer for its month of bottle-conditioning? In detail, describe the environment in which it was stored, including temperature and other conditions.

If my diagnosis is correct, the carbonation should eventually even out. Might take another few weeks in the bottle, but the gushers should settle and the flats should come up. But in order to confidently stand behind that diagnosis, I need that history.

Be quick, or I send in Chase to get spinal fluid.

Bob

 

[Jbileau8090]

ok doc, lets see...
i don't believe sanitation is the problem. all bottles were sanitized with a bleach/vinegar solution. The taste of all the bottles are consistent, if some were infected wouldn't there be something off in those beers?

I did use a hand capper and the thought of a poor seal crossed my mind. they seemed well sealed. none of the bottles are completely flat, i get a nice sounding pssst when they are opened. but who knows.

all of the bottles are identical 12oz sam adams bottles.

the priming sugar was disolved in a couple cups of water and then put into the bottling bucket and then the beer added on top of that.

all of the bottles were conditioned together in a nice dark basement, temps 65-70deg.

All around the beer is good, not fantastic but good for a first batch. I will drink it and be happy. I am planning on bottling batch #2 this weekend, so if there is something i can do to avoid this in the future i'd like to know.

well ther you go doc put that on your white board and let me know
thanks.

 

[Bob]

Thank you for confirming my diagnosis. You're suffering from unevencarbonationitis. The treatment is another couple of weeks of waiting.

You know what sucks? This is your first batch. You want to pop a couple in the fridge, come back in an hour and enjoy them. But you can't. Not if you want consistent carbonation.

Dude. That's suckage! It's hard enough to wait three weeks; now I'm telling you to wait another two!? Hell, I've been brewing since 1994 and I hate waiting three weeks!

Seriously, give it another coupla weeks. It should even out.

Bob