Problem with Carbonation

[Bouza]

Bottling today...
My last few beers have gone 3 weeks or more in the bottle.
Each of them has failed to develop proper carbonation.
Anything that I may be missing?
Just a thought... I have been using Dawn to wash my bottling bucket and hoses... but rinsing thoroughly. Any chance that could be causing an issue?
Thanks.

 

[Revvy]

Dawn's a distinct possibility...Soaps can affect head and stuff.

What sized bottles?
What's the ambient room temp where you store them?
What's your priming process?

We kinda need more info to help.

 

[Bouza]

12oz. bottles
70 - 72 degrees
Siphon to bottling bucket... adding priming sugar (4.5 oz.) which has been boiled 5 minutes with 2 cups of water.
The siphon tube lays in the bottom of the bucket (wrapping the inside diameter of the bucket) creating a whirlpool as the beer incorporates into the sugar.
I will try stirring today... lightly of course.
Any other thoughts?
What should I use for general cleaning the equipment?
I DO use StarSan as well after rinsing.
Thanks!

 

[menschmaschine]

I would think if the residual (if any) Dawn had any effect, it would be only for head retention and wouldn't have any effect on the yeasts ability to ferment or on the retention of CO2 in solution.

Are you sure your caps are sealing right and the right size for the bottles? Doubtful, but worth asking... you're not using bottles from twist-off capped beer, are you?

 

[Bouza]

Nope.... nothing like that.
Proper caps and proper bottles here. I haven't even tried capping a twist-off. Most of my bottles are Sam Adams or Sierra Nevada.
I DO getting a hint of a "pop" when I open the bottles. However, pouring the bear... no head.

 

[Revvy]

However, pouring the bear... no head.

If that's the case, and if you added the right amount of sugar...Then you need more patience. I've had some beers take 6-8 weeks to come up to carbonation.

They're getting there...

One thing to do is to roll the bottles on the table back and forth a couple times to re-suspend the yeast, then let them sit for awhile.

I couldn't see anything wrong with your process...

 

[Bouza]

Thanks Revvy. I'll give it a couple of weeks.

 

[amitche1]

Any update on your carbonation problem? Did you let them go on their own, or did you have to add sugar/yeast?

 

[slindsay198]

I am having this same problem with a batch I recently bottled. The last batch I bottled did this as well. To fix that I carefully uncapped each bottle and sprinkled a small amount of dry Safeale English ale yeast into each bottle and re-capped with sterilized caps. Time consuming process, but worthwhile, as within 2 weeks I had perfectly carbonated beer.
This last batch that didn't carbonate may be because it sat in the secondary for almost 6 weeks. I am going to re-yeast this batch and will post an update with results. Hope this was helpful

 

[TampaTim]

Nope.... nothing like that.
Proper caps and proper bottles here. I haven't even tried capping a twist-off. Most of my bottles are Sam Adams or Sierra Nevada.
I DO getting a hint of a "pop" when I open the bottles. However, pouring the bear... no head.

Not an expert by any means, but maybe it's the soap residual in your preferred sampling glass?

Do you wash your glassware in the dishwasher? If so...do you use Jet-Dri?


Try rinsing your glassware out before you pour a brew. Wipe it down with a paper towel (optional), and see how that works out.

If you are getting a pop when you open a bottle, you probably have carbonation. Can you see little bubbles in the solution?

 

[steelerguy]

Not an expert by any means, but maybe it's the soap residual in your preferred sampling glass?

Do you wash your glassware in the dishwasher? If so...do you use Jet-Dri?


Try rinsing your glassware out before you pour a brew. Wipe it down with a paper towel (optional), and see how that works out.

If you are getting a pop when you open a bottle, you probably have carbonation. Can you see little bubbles in the solution?

I don't think he is having a head problem so to speak, but a lack of carbonation which allows the head to crap out pretty quickly.

I noticed that in the winter, it is taking at least 3 weeks for my beers to carb. I actually warmed my last batch up a bit to 78 in the bottle to get them to carb faster.

Have also noticed that if I secondary the beer for a few weeks it does make a difference in how quickly it will carbonate. It will do it, but it have taken up to 6 weeks to reach full carbonation.

 

[medic_35057]

NEVER have had any luck with adding priming sugar to the bottling bucket. EVERY time I have added priming sugar to the bottles the carbonation has been good although it takes a little time to put the sugar into all of the bottles.