How long does it take to get a good carbonation in the bottle

[slym2none]

There seems to be some rumour/myth that carb drops don't work. I can't see why they wouldn't, they are sugar compressed into a tablet. They will dissolve in water (beer is 95% H²O or so) and the sugar doesn't just not work. I think people with carb-drop problems have bad seals and/or inactive yeast. Just MHO.

For anecdotal evidence, I have used carb-drops twice and had perfect results with them.

 

[jhave1012]

I've heard people say that about the tablets as well. The only thing I can think of is that it doesn't distribute through the beer as well as mixing it the sugar water. I've gone 8 weeks and always had some carbonation after a week of priming. Most are fully carbonated in two weeks.

 

[N4teTheGreat]

I used carb drop in my first batch as I mistakenly fermented in the bottling bucket and didn't want to both with a bunch of racking. The beer had been in the fermentor for nearly 8 weeks. It was a stout which I bottled into bombers. I was seeing activity in the bottles within a week, and when I chilled and opened a couple at week four they were both well carbonated. For control I'll certainly use sugar next time, but in a pinch they seem to work just fine.

-- Nathan

 

[TxBigHops]

My beer did spend longer than I prefer in both the primary and the secondary. I'd have to check, but I think it was probably about four weeks in each. Should I just give it another week or two? I've heard of people re-bottling, or cracking the caps and putting carb drop in the bottles.

Assuming you used a proper amount of priming sugar when you bottled, I don't think adding carb drops would make any difference. I don't think you said what your gravity readings were, but if it's a fairly high ABV, they seem to take longer to carb by my experience. So I would certainly give them a couple more weeks, but if they're still flat, it's more likely to be not enough viable yeast, as opposed to not enough sugar.

Are you also giving them several days in the fridge for the beer to absorb the CO2 before you open them? I like to chill for a minimum of four days for the first couple bottles in any batch.