Noob carbonation question

[bulldogbrit]

First off - I love this forum.

Secondly - Ive run into an issue with some bottles of my second batch - a ginger ale made with 1lb of ginger in the primary of a true brew home brewing pale ale kit. Some of the bottles have very little carbonation when refriderated for a few hours and others go off like a champagne cork (Im using grolsh like bottles so theyre not capped). Whats the issue?

I suspect it has something to do with not mixing the priming sugar well enough in the bottling bucket (I havent until very recently been using a secondary by the way so I have no idea if I bottled too early before fermentation had ended).

Thoughts?

BDB.

p.s it tastes AMAZING and I am HOOKED (having bought two carboys, 36 blue grolsh type litre bottes and seriously giving thought to a label printer to replace using a sharpie on the top of each bottle).

 

[JebCkr]

Your problem isn't in using a secondary or not, nor would I think it is in your mixing of the priming sugar. As long as you are putting your dissolved priming sugar in your bucket then racking from your primary (or secondary) into your bottling bucket you should be fine as far as evenly mixing.
I'd guess the problem is the grolsh bottles. Your seals may be leaking a bit and thats all it'll take As far as a solution...use crown tops or I think you can get seals for grolsh bottles that are better han what they come with.
A more experianced member can probably help you out more.

 

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

+1 Jeb. Good call on the Grolsh bottles. That's what I'm assuming it is.

 

[Yankeehillbrewer]

yep, I would suspect the bottles as well. I've had that problem with those, and haven't really liked to use them since. I personally prefer to bottle in Bombers with a regular cap. FWIW

 

[scinerd3000]

if the seals are in good shape odds are your looking at poor mixing of the priming sugar. We have all had that happen at somepoint. I microwave the sugar and water until it boils and disolves and then pour into the bottling bucket and syphon so the beer swirls and mixes with the sugar water leading everything to be pretty well mixed. Occasionally if im extra paranoid i will additionally stir but i havent had a problem with carbonation using that method.

 

[hopvine]

Where did you find blue grolsch style bottles?

 

[bulldogbrit]

Where did you find blue grolsch style bottles?

brewing shop in Rochester - up state new york.

Thanks for the advice here, have checked the bottles - seem fine to me but might invest in a few new rubber seals for them just in case (though where Id get these I have NO idea ). I think its the priming sugar and will stir additionally after siphoning. Being a Brit expat in the US I kind of enjoy less carbonated beers in any case but would probably change my position three months in with bad beer!