Flat beer after bottling

[doogle]

Hi all this is my first batch of a coopers pale ale kit. The wort finished fermenting and it's now bottled and has been for nearly two weeks. It's bottled in the FEP plastic bottles that came with the kit. The kit also came with carbonation drops which were 1 drop for 375ml bottles and two drops for 750ml. The bottles supplied were 550 ml bottles so I put just one drop in. My question is can you tell if the ale is flat by looking at it in the bottle or does it not bubble until it's opened?

 

[stru]

Can't tell without opening the bottle.

 

[2drunk2]

You'll have to open one. A beer can't bubble in a sealed bottle. Since the tabs are for a smaller bottle, it might not be as carbonated as you'd like. It should have some carbonation though.

 

[TopherM]

Make sure you get it down to fridge temps for about 48 hours before opening. A good % of the CO2 won't dissolve into the beer at room temps, and will just linger in the headspace of the bottle. You need the cooler temps before that CO2 will actually dissolve into the beer!

 

[2drunk2]

Good to know TopherM.

 

[Hello]

And those bottles have been sitting at room temp for 2 weeks, right?
I'd chill one first to be sure it is carbonated.

 

[doogle]

Yes they have been at room temp so far as per the instructions. I have started brewing the beer so I don't run out over the festive season. I will put one in the fridge and see how it goes from there I did turn a couple of the bottles upside down to see if any bubbles generated which they did just not very many. I am hoping that because the beer will mature for a few months before I drink it it will taste awesome but I would be so disappointed if it came to Christmas I open one and it's flat. I didn't understand why the kit included 550ml bottles but the drops were for with smaller or bigger bottles. Thanks for the help.