Random Carbonation !@#$%$@

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gunnyart

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I only got 4 liter bottles out of 18 that went POP. I used a no rinse sanitizer. I was wondering if since I didn't rinse it killed off the yeast in the bottleing step. As a side note I attempted to re-yeast the bottles and gave them another two weeks but alas no POP. I hate it when I ruin a batch. It make me want to quit brewing... for the second time!:mad:
 
A few things could cause this. There's the obvious, did you remember priming sugar? (one reason why its a good idea to keep a brew journal) I almost forgot it in one of my first batches, and I've read of someone accidentally dumping sanitizer into his beer instead of priming sugar, a big oops.

There could also be a temperature problem. Even at around 70 degrees it can take 3 weeks, or even more, for some good carbonation. If your beer is on a cold floor in a 70 degree room, try to get it off the floor somehow with a blanket or some cardboard.

There's also the unlikely problem that this is a really big beer (high abv) and there is too much alcohol for the yeast to get a foothold and start producing CO2.

You can always buy kegging equipment and carb it with that, if you have the spare cash. Sorry you're having problems with a batch and i wish you the best!!!! Welcome to the forum, you'll feel right at home here.
 
ez capper. I think I was pretty carefull to make sure they were seated properly.
 
I was shooting for a very High abv. I'm not up to speed on beer homebrew terminology "yet". High alcohol content was one of my criteria I mentioned to my home brew shop.

Here is the recipe in a nutshell

9lbs golden light malt
1/2 lb two row
1/2 lb english chrystal
1/2 lb carapils
1oz amarillo hopps
1oz fuggle hopps
"dry english" liquid pitchable yeast

What I wanted -dark color with full flavor, thick creamy head and high alchol content.

What I got -orange wort, sticky sweet, and no pop.

If you have a surefire recipe for what I hope to brew and I don't have to use rocket science to make it I'd be much abliged!
 
If it's both sticky sweet and has no carbonation it sounds like your yeast wasn't viable enough. What was your OG and FG?
 
What temperature are the bottles being stored at? If it's too cold, the yeast won't work. I'd get the bottles to a warmer location.
 
If you used no rinse santizer at the proper dillution it wouldn't harm your yeast...else we wouldn't be using it in the brewing/bottiling process. In fact if it was starsan it would have helped your yeasties (it becomes yeast nutrient when left behind.) How many weeks did you wait before openning your bottles? If it was less than 3 weeks, I'd say they were just still green and needed more time to condition...in fact if it was a high ABV beer, it would take a lot longer still to be ready.
 
I don't have a hydrometer. But I will for the next batch! I did have 4 bottles that did ferment and made a nice head and attenuated the sweetness. (still orange in color however). The flavor of the ones that did carbonate was very reminesent of Fat Tire. I had a vigorous bubbleing in the primary fermenter's check valve. Wouldn't that indicate that it fermented just fine? I've been surfing this fine forum and have discovered I may be in over my head. You guys are serious !!! I just want to brew a decent beer without having to throw away every other batch.
 
I've been surfing this fine forum and have discovered I may be in over my head. You guys are serious !!! I just want to brew a decent beer without having to throw away every other batch.

Any body can brew a great batch of beer if you just follow some basic processes, have good sanitization practices and have patience to let the beer ferment, clear and bottle condition thoroughly before drinking...

It's really rare to have to throw out a batch of beer...It takes a heck of a lot to ruin beer. Most of the time people think a beer's ruined when it's just too "green" and hasn't finished conditioning in the bottle...or they rushed through the fermentation into the next step (like moving to secondary or bottling too soon by not taking a hydro reding- or in lieu of a hydro reading letting the beer sit in primary for 2 weeks.)

Thre are some great resources here on this forum that can help anyone brew great beer, if they just follow the info left here by people with more experience then them.....There's always someone here who's brewed even 1 more batch of beer then us and has one more piece of the puzzle to share.

Here's some "sticky" links with great info...I wish more people would read them BEFORE they brew their first batch, so they'd know things to look out for, and not to wory about.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=54362

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=43635

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=43014

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=7909

yea, some people here are really hardcore...they "build" their own water, or grow yeasts, or can cite the amount of sugars that can be extracted by mashing of ANY given malt....Some of them make great beers, and some of them don't.

And there are others here who, crack open a beer,, then just slap a bunch of ingredients together, let it ferment for 2 weeks, clear for 2 weeks and bottle for 3 without taking any readings, and some of them turn out great beers, and others don't.

I've had great beers that have come out of $3,000 dollar herms systems with all the bells and whistles, and I've had some that were worse than skunky budweiser....I've tasted award winning beers that were made with extracts, and even kits, and I've tasted kit beers that were crappy as well...Even had some fantastic beers that came from mr beer kits...

The point is, that you can approach beer making at any level...you can be all grain, or all extract, AND MAKE EITHER GREAT BEERS OR LOUSY BEERS, depending on how good or bad your basic processes are. And the only ways to perfect your process, are to learn as much as you can, ask as many questions as you can, and brew as much as you can....And have patience to let the beer do what it needs to do...oh and to learn to RDWHAHB!!!

You can do it gunny!!!! Everyone can!!! :D

(end of peptalk/sermon):mug:
 
English ale yeast would have attentuated less and along with 1 full pound of crystal/cara, I'm not surprised the beer tastes sweet. Flat beer often tastes sweet. Proper carbonation actually "bitters" up a beer.

If you didn't have those bottels conditioning at 72 degrees for at least 3 weeks, I doubt they'd have carb'd up.
 
Thanks for the links and pep talk. I'll do my homework before the next batch. I'm sure I'll have questions as I go.

Before I buy my next batch of ingredients I had better figure out what I would like the finished product to be. Do you know of a reference that will explain the various varieties of ale so I can figure out what my goal might be?
 
gunnyart said:
Thanks for the links and pep talk. I'll do my homework before the next batch. I'm sure I'll have questions as I go.

Before I buy my next batch of ingredients I had better figure out what I would like the finished product to be. Do you know of a reference that will explain the various varieties of ale so I can figure out what my goal might be?

No problem...glad I could help.

For beer styles, this is one of the 2 followed style guides.

http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/catdex.html

When you read or hear someone reffering to "brewing to style" that is what they're talking about....or "hitting their numbers" in brewing, having your FG, ABV, Color (Measured in SRM's) and Bitterness Units (IBU's) falling within the range of numbers for that particular style.
 
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