Flat beer

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

tanktop

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2015
Messages
47
Reaction score
3
Location
Colorado Springs
So I took a class and they/I used a Brewers Best double IPA. It's been bottles and stored in a box at about 68 for 2 weeks. Tried my first bottle tonight, nice flavor but completely flat =\ I'm hoping it was just that bottle...
 
Is this something that you made with the class?
Here is a silly question... did you add the package of dextrose to the beer before bottling?
Is it dead flat? Is there a layer of yeasty white stuff at the bottom?
How long did you ferment it?
Did fermentation go okay?
All the details that you could add about the experience and process would help.
 
I think everything went perfect. 2 weeks primary, 1 week secondary and yes we added dextrose melted in sugar and gently stirred before bottling. And 15 days at a consistent 66-70 degrees in brown bottles inside a cardboard box in a closet. That was my first bottle. Perhaps I should gently agitate the bottles and leave for another week?

Edit: dextrose melted in water
 
This is probably a ridiculous question but I believe there are some rules in various states governing the pitching of yeast to wort. If making wort in a class do they allow you to pitch the yeast there. If not, did you add yeast. Sorry in advance if this is a ridiculous bordering on the idiotic question. Just thought I'd throw it out there.

If the ferment looked all good, yeast was pitched, temps were good and the bottles were sealed this could be related to your bottlng technique.

The better way to mix your priming sugar with the beer is to add the sugar/water solution to the bottling bucket first. Then rack (transfer) the beer on top of it. The tubing can be coiled in the bottom of the bucket resulting in a gentle subsurface mixing of the sugar solution and beer. No other mixing or stirring should be done.

the result will be optimally mixed solutions and equal priming sugar amounts in each bottle.

My hope is that this is just an aberrant bottle and there wont be any over carbonated bottles. Also I would wait a minimum of 3 weeks at 68-70F. This will give you a more consistent carbonation. Higher ABV brews will take longer. I am sipping an 8.5% Apfelwein now that took 5 weeks to carbonate well. Patience is a virtue when it comes to bottling so don't despair

For a double IPA I would suggest 4 weeks minimum at 70F
 
^ second to the yeast in different states. My class just gave us unfermented wort and we had to add our own yeast. But your beer would not taste so good like you mentioned right? Wouldn't it be way too sweet?
 
A double IPA may take up to four weeks to fully carbonate. What was your original gravity and final gravity for this beer?
 
We pitched yeast. This class they only use pre packaged kits for consistency. I'll wait another week then try another bottle.
 
I had an ESB once that was completely flat at 2 weeks but by 4-5 weeks carbonation was perfect. Let it sit, the yeast works on its own schedule
 
Out of curiosity, what kind of bottles did u use? I had a few flat bottles myself the other day and realized that some weren't sealed properly.

One was a swingtop with a seal needing to be changed and the other was a plastic 1L bottle that wasn't twisted tightly enough
 
Back
Top