Help fixing a brew?

[zhubbell]

Ok, so my first brew was a clone of Arrogant Bastard, The taste was pretty solid (could've been happier I thought, but none the less, good flavor), but it was WAY under carbonated. I added 1/2 cup of corn sugar after first fermentation, as I was moving it to the second fermentation, and then the recipe just kind of ended, so I waited about 10 days in the 2nd fermenter and bottled.....
I'm guessing too much sugar or maybe I should've gone right from first ferment to bottling after mixing in sugar?
Advice on the error, and also and possible correcting it at this point?

 

[wtfDean]

when adding priming sugar, you want to do it immediately before bottling. the best way to do that is to have a bottling bucket ready to pour your priming sugar solution into, then siphon the beer from your primary (skip the secondary for now) into that bucket, then transfer siphon to the bottling bucket and bottle the beer.

edit: to finish answering your question, if it isn't carbonated, you can try buying carbonation drops from your LHBS or on the internet. pop the caps on your batch, drop those babies in, and recap the whole thing. that should carbonate the beer properly. the sugar in the fermenter will only make it more alcoholic, but 1/2 cup will only make it slightly so. it probably didn't carbonate your beer

 

[zhubbell]

So popping the caps, pouring into the bottling bucket, adding more corn sugar, and re-bottling isn't a viable answer?

 

[zhubbell]

Also - if I can attempt to fix this by returning beer to bottling bucket, adding sugar and re-bottling - how much corn sugar would you add??

 

[RM-MN]

So popping the caps, pouring into the bottling bucket, adding more corn sugar, and re-bottling isn't a viable answer?

Not really. It's nearly impossible to do that without oxidizing your beer. Use the carbonation drops as that is really the only viable solution for now.

 

[davygoat2]

It's not recommended to dump the beer and try to prime the batch again.
Ask the LHBS for the tablets and a new set of bottle caps.
Don't forget to sanitize the outside of the bottles and the new caps.
I'd leave well enough alone, drink it up as is and move on to the next batch.
Remember where you went off the beaten path and don't retrace your steps

 

[zhubbell]

Alright - :/ I was hoping for some sort of miracle fix that left me with an amazing product! Oh well...

 

[wtfDean]

to be honest the carb drops are your miracle fix. you should definitely go that route if at all possible. pouring out the beer and re-priming will carbonate your beer, but as a few others have pointed out you run into a number of sanitation and oxidation issues with that method. it's your brewery, so it's your call, but i'll echo the advice of the other responders here by saying that you should just prime with some carbonation drops and take this as a learning experience.

 

[zhubbell]

Alright, il stop by my local store today. Will there be directions on the product as too how much to add, how long to wait, etc? They're 22oz bottles.

 

[wtfDean]

a google search turned up a forum discussion in which people were discussing using 2 carb drops per 22oz bottle successfully, so just go ahead and add 2 per bottle (or one if you want, be creative)

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/carbonation-drops-10583/

that forum discussion is mostly people saying "don't use carb drops" but remember that you're using them in a pinch. the comment at the bottom of the thread is what you're interested in. you now know how to properly prime beer for carbonation, so you'll only need carb drops for this batch, right?

 

[zhubbell]

Correct - I got it now!! Thanks everyone - just add fermenters favorite fizz drops to my northern brewer cart set to ship out tomorrow!

 

[zhubbell]

Well, I stopped by the LHBS yesterday and got brewers best conditioning drops I think they're called. Directions said for a 12oz beer, add 3/low carbonation, add 4/medium, add 5/heavy. Mine are 22oz so I added 7 to each beer, and then did a couple with 6, and a couple with 8, just so I can see what I think.
How long would you recommend waiting? Instructions didn't say anything about that.

 

[RM-MN]

Well, I stopped by the LHBS yesterday and got brewers best conditioning drops I think they're called. Directions said for a 12oz beer, add 3/low carbonation, add 4/medium, add 5/heavy. Mine are 22oz so I added 7 to each beer, and then did a couple with 6, and a couple with 8, just so I can see what I think.
How long would you recommend waiting? Instructions didn't say anything about that.

At 72 degrees you'll probably see carbonation in 24 hours. Don't open any that soon though, give them at least 3 days, preferably more. If you open them too soon the yeast that gave you carbonation will still be in suspension and may cause the bottles to gush as the yeast particles will serve as points where the carbonation starts.

 

[zhubbell]

They've been at a constant 54 degrees...should I put them somewhere warmer? I don't mind being patient.

 

[RM-MN]

At 54 degrees they may not carbonate because that is too cold for many yeasts to work or if they did carbonate it might take months. I'd move them to a warmer location.

 

[zhubbell]

Alright - they're officially at 72 degrees (my ambient house temp). I'll leave them for about a week? Or would you guys recommend longer?

 

[Math0]

Carbonation in bottle takes way longer. Ive seen going from 2 weeks to 2 months really. Easiest way to check is to open one and drink. Cheers!

 

[zhubbell]

Alright - time to play the waiting game!

 

[zhubbell]

Well, I patiently waited, and opened one up tonight, it's a bit more carbed up but not nearly as much as I anticipated with 7 tabs....
Oh well, it's drinkable - oddly smooth and malty considering it was supposed to be an arrogant bastard clone. Remind me more of terrible, which we just got on draft at my bar - similar fruit ester notes it seems like to me?


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[zhubbell]

Not much of a head to it, but to be honest, I like it....I guess that's all that matters, but it does make me glad I spent the last month researching & carefully planning my next brew instead of rushing into it - just no one tell my gf she was right that I shouldn't rush into it...


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[Math0]

View attachment 180437
Not much of a head to it, but to be honest, I like it....I guess that's all that matters, but it does make me glad I spent the last month researching & carefully planning my next brew instead of rushing into it - just no one tell my gf she was right that I shouldn't rush into it...


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Exactly! Thats whats important! Never say to a girlfriend she is right haha


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