Munton's CarbTabs Are Horrible - DO NOT EVER BUY THEM! (a fellow home brewer's rant)

[mthelm85]

I recently had an issue with a beer not carbing up so I decided that the easiest way to rescue it would be to buy some carbonation tablets, open each bottle, pop them in, recap and then wait to enjoy the fruits of my labor.

I didn't know at the time that I would prefer to drink a flat beer than a beer that has been primed with Munton's CarbTabs. I should have checked here before making any decisions but who would suspect that carbonation tablets would ruin their beer?

As you will find here and on any other home-brewing forum, people who have used Munton's CarbTabs have had nothing but horrible experiences. And they are all the same - unreliable carbonation and horrid, revolting, ghastly little chunks floating around in the beer. When holding a bottle up to the light, it looks as if someone suffered a severe bout of diarrhea and had to relieve themselves of their intestinal pressure in my bottling bucket just before bottling the beers.

This product is a disgrace to the home-brewing industry and Munton's should be absolutely humiliated. I have never been so disappointed by any product that I paid my hard-earned money for in my entire life.

Can you imagine your local auto parts store selling car wax that scratches your car while making the paint shiny? Or your local drug store selling tooth paste that cleans your teeth but turns some of them brown? Of course not; that would be absurd. So why should your local home-brew supply store sell a carbonation tablet that does a mediocre job, at best, of carbonating while leaving repulsive little morsels floating around in your beer that you invested a significant amount of valuable time, money and passion into making? They should not. I hope any home-brew supply store owner/manager/employee that sees this post decides to pull this horrible product off of their shelves immediately.

This is the first Munton's product I've bought and it will be, without a doubt, the last. Munton's should bow out in disgrace and get out of the home-brewing industry completely.

If you are ever considering purchasing this product, do not. In fact, I would be extremely wary of purchasing any Munton's product after seeing the quality of their CarbTabs. If they are willing to push garbage like this into the marketplace as if it were a legitimate product, their nerve and impudence know no bounds.

You have been warned fellow lovers of beer. Munton's CarbTabs will ruin your beer just as they have ruined mine and the beers of countless others. Please don't make the same mistake. Life's too short to drink beer carbed with Munton's CarbTabs.

 

[GroosBrewz]

How do you really feel?

I used them once years ago. Honestly don't remember how it worked though.. I must not have been that impressed...

 

[jmprdood]

Never used carb drops - but Muntons LME and DME are very good...

 

[klyph]

This one time I was drinking a glass of water and I choked on some of it. Never drink such a disgraceful product such as water. I can't believe they allow it to be sold. Anyone who has ever drank water should be ashamed.

 

[DannyD]

ever maybe think the beer was crap before that tabs went in? seeing that its the first and only time you used them? and also the fact that there was carbing suger in there + more sugers from the tabs? more fermentables = more waste/sedement. Most of the time its my process at blame (and frikin tape water)
just my 2c

 

[Slipgate]

I've used them twice and both times they performed as advertised. No issues and I always keep some on hand in case I have more beer than the kegs will hold.

 

[jburk]

I used them once when I forgot to throw in the priming sugar before bottling. While there were a few tiny pieces of residue floating in the bottles, they pretty much settled out once the bottles were chilled for a while. Not as nice as bulk priming, but they certainly didn't ruin my beer.

 

[mors]

I've used them for beers I've entered into competition before...got gold medals...can't be that bad ;-)

 

[Revvy]

"Unreliable carbonation" what does that mean? Usually it means "I didn't wait long enough to let the beer carb after I added whatever form of fermentable I was carbing with, because the process of carbing is foolproof, you add sugar and the yeast eats it, and farts co2....In time." So if it's "unreliable" it usually means "I'm in patient." Because all beers carb eventually, though they may not carb at the same rate, because every bottle is a seperate little fermenter, and they're going to all be affected by the environment, so slightly warmer bottle, maybe closer to the nearest heat vent will carb a tad faster than it's neighbor... But they all will usually carb within 3-6 weeks when above 70...

And most folks know, that carb tabs take longer for the yeast to break down, since it's not a nice little liquid like bottle primers add. So they know to factor in a couple MORE weeks....if you have chunks, floating, that's a good indication it ain't done, and you should even bother opening them till all that is dissolved or settles into the sediment layer.

I vote operator error (in other words impatience).....For all the folks online who complain about them....

 

[mthelm85]

Just do a Google search and you all will see that there are countless examples in various forums all over the internet of the exact same problem. If you don't consider your beer ruined when it has chunks of sh%t floating around in it, you just don't take enough pride in your craft. I had a few bottles that didn't need the CarbTabs and they are crystal clear. The Munton's tabs don't break down all the way. Sure, the chunks got smaller but they reached a point of not breaking down any further. Other posters have said they've experience beers that still have chunks after 1 year.

 

[IffyG]

I vote operator error (in other words impatience).....For all the folks online who complain about them....

I'm gonna have to agree. For the rare occasion I've bottled a few beers on a batch I've used both Coopers Carb Drops and Muntons Carb Tabs. Both worked perfectly fine if I left the beer in the closet to condition for a month...

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

I have used carb tabs of various producers for many, many batches. The product works as advertised. Your problem and other problems is not due to a fault of the product. I suppose you could have purchased a faulty batch or something, but more than likely it was operator error. Sorry dude.

Perhaps you should attempt to find the reason your beer didn't carb after your first attempt. You may have infection or myriad other problems that would have given you these problems.

 

[Scruffy1207]

I have used carb tabs of various producers for many, many batches. The product works as advertised. Your problem and other problems is not due to a fault of the product. I suppose you could have purchased a faulty batch or something, but more than likely it was operator error. Sorry dude.

Perhaps you should attempt to find the reason your beer didn't carb after your first attempt. You may have infection or myriad other problems that would have given you these problems.

+1, tbh this is the first I've heard of this problem. I wouldn't imagine a company that produces a product that ruins your beer would last very long. Though I could be wrong, but I'm probably not.

 

[NateLTB]

"Unreliable carbonation" what does that mean? Usually it means "I didn't wait long enough to let the beer carb after I added whatever form of fermentable I was carbing with, because the process of carbing is foolproof, you add sugar and the yeast eats it, and farts co2....In time." So if it's "unreliable" it usually means "I'm in patient." Because all beers carb eventually, though they may not carb at the same rate, because every bottle is a seperate little fermenter, and they're going to all be affected by the environment, so slightly warmer bottle, maybe closer to the nearest heat vent will carb a tad faster than it's neighbor... But they all will usually carb within 3-6 weeks when above 70...

And most folks know, that carb tabs take longer for the yeast to break down, since it's not a nice little liquid like bottle primers add. So they know to factor in a couple MORE weeks....if you have chunks, floating, that's a good indication it ain't done, and you should even bother opening them till all that is dissolved or settles into the sediment layer.

I vote operator error (in other words impatience).....For all the folks online who complain about them....

I'm still new around here and have never used carb tabs but I think I'd trust the guy with over 34,000 posts... Just a thought.

 

[Soma]

i vote operator error (in other words impatience)

+1

 

[mthelm85]

Again, just do a Google search and you all will see that there are a lot of people who have experienced the same problem. My case is not an isolated one. The reason the beer didn't carb to begin with was because I attempted to prime with candi syrup and racked 45 degree beer on top of it without stirring. I normally just boil water and corn sugar and don't have to mix because it's a watery solution. The syrup sat at the bottom of the bucket and the last beers in the line got plenty and didn't need the carb tabs. They are all beautifully clear.

The CarbTabs didn't affect the flavor; the beer tastes fantastic. The effect of the CarbTabs was purely cosmetic. If you're like me, the first thing you do with your glass of beer is hold it up to the light and check out the color and clarity. That's important to me and these CarbTabs completely ruined the visual appeal of the beer.

 

[D_Nyholm]

I've used coopers drops and have been relatively happy except that I've had a few that seem to be more carbonated than others. From each batch I keg, I take a 6 pack and bottle it with carb drops and store it away. I opened up two different batches and they were severely overcarbed. One was a stout and the other was a German altbier. The only other thing I can attribute it to would be not chilling it long enough. I put them into the fridge for 2 days to chill, but I can't imaging that would be the reason for the eruptions and overcarbonation?

 

[MoPhunk]

I hate carb tabs but for an entirely different reason.

Who wants to put tabs in 60 bottles when corn sugar plus water plus time works like a charm?

 

[Bradinator]

I tried carb tabs once before and found that they did not work for me. They did dissolve after about 4 weeks, but left a film of DME on the bottom of my bottles and provided very little, if any carbonation.

Not sure why they did not work, maybe something I did (I was under the impression I just added several drops to the beer and wait. Maybe I needed to pray to the Beer Gods and sacrifice a small goat...)? Either way I went back to good ol' reliable dextrose after that.

 

[Yooper]

I've only used them a couple of times, like when I was kegging and wanted to just bottle about 6 when I racked to the keg. They worked ok. I liked them better than the Cooper's Drops.

 

[kh54s10]

I have to say that this rant is preposterous.

There was an error made in beginning and then the carb tabs were used.

The OP used the tabs only once and claim that they are faulty.

That would be like buying a car, putting contaminated gas in the tank, adding new gas. Then saying that this brand of car was junk.

The Munton's carbonation tabs may not be great, but they would definitely NOT be on the market any longer if they ruined everyone's beer.

 

[bja]

The effect of the CarbTabs was purely cosmetic. If you're like me, the first thing you do with your glass of beer is hold it up to the light and check out the color and clarity. That's important to me and these CarbTabs completely ruined the visual appeal of the beer.

You should sue the manufacturer for the replacement cost of your cosmetically unappealing beer. You could probably get a pain and suffering judgement to.

 

[dougdecinces]

I had about a gallon leftover when I transferred a Baltic Porter to secondary for lagering. As it was only five bombers, I used carb tabs. After a month of bottle conditioning and 5 weeks lagering, I had probably my best beer ever.

I know there's some quote out there somewhere about a bad carpenter blames his equipment. Same thing here.

 

[IffyG]

I hate carb tabs but for an entirely different reason.

Who wants to put tabs in 60 bottles when corn sugar plus water plus time works like a charm?

I would never use them for a full batch, but they are perfect for doing a 6 pack or two.

 

[user 30639]

Used the Coopers tabs and never had a problem. I always bottle 5-10 bombers of a batch before I keg, and it's easier than corn sugar. No complaints here.

 

[Teromous]

Measuring spoon and priming sugar works wonders.

 

[JonM]

I used them while bottling and it worked just fine.

I also used them, like the OP did, to try and rescue some under carbed beer. That didn't work. At all. (In fact, as I wrote this, I'm having some BBQ beef that I cooked in the flat beer.)

Maybe it's the trying-to-rescue a beer that's the problem?

 

[theveganbrewer]

I had the same problem. I also hate Munton's yeast, it's terrible.

 

[DannyD]

chunks of sh%t floating around in it.

you just added suger, the Sh!t comes from the yeast. I bottle condition all my beers and if there is a batch where the finning did not work as good or the trub got desturbed during bottle filling there will be sh!t in the bottle. the tabs does not add anything more, then there already was

 

[VladOfTrub]

Sounds like poor brewing syndrome.