First Stout- Not carbed.

[jasno999]

Ok let me start by sayign I am usign a Mr. Beer kit. I purcahsed the premium stout and made it as I would any. The only extra I added was a small amount 1.5 cups of cold brewed coffee. I also used the liquid stout made for yeast.

I let it ferment for about 2.5 weeks. After this I bottled the beer in normal 12 oz bottles and I used a coopers drop in each bottle. After sitting for 2 weeks I put a few in the fridge and left them there for a night. I popped one open today and it did nto have a big air release when the top was popped. It had some but not a big one.

I poured the beer and little to no carbonation. There was no head at all. I tried a bottle that was nto refigerated and it had some head to it but not a tremendous amount nor did it have good retention. The beer tastes good but flat.

What did I do wrong if anyhting? No bad tastes.... Does stout need more than a single coopers drop per bottle for any reason? Could this be due to the use of liquid stout? Will lettign it sit for another week or two help????

 

[WillPall]

Normally, three weeks is best for carbonation. I've never had a brew carbonate in less than three weeks. Also, you said you used cooper's drops? Are those just carbonation tablets? I always hear that you need to put 2-2.5 per bottle, but I may be completely wrong.

Edit: Nope, one drop is fine apparently. Just let it sit and RDWHAHB.

 

[jasno999]

Normally, three weeks is best for carbonation. I've never had a brew carbonate in less than three weeks. Also, you said you used cooper's drops? Are those just carbonation tablets? I always hear that you need to put 2-2.5 per bottle, but I may be completely wrong.

Edit: Nope, one drop is fine apparently. Just let it sit and RDWHAHB.

I will let them sit longer not a problem. I was just concearned that stout might need more sugar for carbinaton or something like that. I used the coopers drops, 1 per bottle, on my wheat beer and it worked out perfect. Also the wheat beer I did with the drops and the ale I did with regular table sugar both took about 10-14 days to fully carbonate.

I wonder if the fact that thsi is a stout means it required mroe time I jsut hope that the carbonation builds up some more....

I may move them off the floor in my apartment cuase maybe the temperature is a bitt cooler there and it is causing it to take longer. I really don't know just takign shots in the dark here.

 

[Revvy]

I brewed a 5 gallon batch of sweet stout the day after Christmas (my first stout as well.) 1 week in primary and 2 weeks in secondary. On the 3rd week of being in the bottle I opened one...Same as you, little or no carbonation...I've opened one or 2 every week since then...

About 2 weeks ago I turned each bottle over once to agitate the yeast and moved them to a warmer place.

This week it is finally fully carbonated and tastes great. (And I'm getting a nice buzz drinking them tonight..They're smooooth!)


Sometimes it just takes awhile. I've wondered the same thing, if stouts take a little longer.

 

[jasno999]

I brewed a 5 gallon batch of sweet stout the day after Christmas (my first stout as well.) 1 week in primary and 2 weeks in secondary. On the 3rd week of being in the bottle I opened one...Same as you, little or no carbonation...I've opened one or 2 every week since then...

About 2 weeks ago I turned each bottle over once to agitate the yeast and moved them to a warmer place.

This week it is finally fully carbonated and tastes great. (And I'm getting a nice buzz drinking them tonight..They're smooooth!)


Sometimes it just takes awhile. I've wondered the same thing, if stouts take a little longer.

Yes it is interesting and I wonder if it has somehting to do with the type of beer. I am guessing more so than the type of beer it could be the fact that I used liquid yeast for the first time. IT worked well and took effect fast so I am not worried about that.

Anotehr strange fact is that I added some corn sugar during the boil to bring the alchol content up to around 5.5%. However the beer does not tase like it has a lot of alchol in it. It was flat but tasted fine. Had no sweetness or anyhting like that but it did not tase like it was at all strong.... Very strange all around... I just hope the carbonation gets better. I will agitate my bottles a little and move them to the countertop. Hopefully some more time and the yeast gettign mixed up will do the trick.

I have a strawberry blond and a caniadian lager with brown sugar and maple suyrup experiment in my Mr. Beer fermentors right now so they will be ready to bottle in about a week.