Rescue Beer

[Super64]

I made an IPA, probably closer to and IIPA. It spent 2 weeks in the primary and then 2 weeks in the bottle. The amount of carbonation I selected was toward the low end of the scale. After ALMOST two weeks, a warm bottle I opened, had the kind of carbonation I was looking for. Nice initial head, that resulted in a small bubble residual while it sat in the glass.

A test "cold" bottle showed signs of chill haze, that's my fault, but the brew still tastes good. But the carbonation is now, for all intents an purposes is non-existent.

This has never happened to me before. The beer is good, but in the bottle it is flat.

I'm, looking for suggestions for what to do. I have plenty of time to make a correction, and can/will rebottle with a more sugar if necessary.

What help can my brothers and sisters offer?

Thanks guys, this is important to me, the brew is for my kid brother, an ex-Marine who I try to surprise whenever I make something.

 

[hoppymonkey]

This probably a situation where you should give them a bit more time at room temp. was is just one beer that you tried that was flat? If so it could have been that you just didn't mix the priming sugar well enough at bottling.

 

[djfriesen]

+1. Without a little more to go on, it's almost impossible to tell. Short of inconsistent priming or a bad seal on a bottle, I can't imagine beer losing carbonation.

 

[phenry]

Two weeks in the bottle is more than likely not long enough. Put them out at room temperature for at least another week, possibly more. I like to age my IIPAs a little longer than normal beers, I have yet to have one that doesn't have even a slight bit of "booziness" when young. Mind you they're usually ~9% abv.

 

[Piratwolf]

This probably a situation where you should give them a bit more time at room temp. was is just one beer that you tried that was flat? If so it could have been that you just didn't mix the priming sugar well enough at bottling.

+2 on more time and warm temp (70-ish) to condition & carb. High ABV seems to mean slower carb in some cases, plus cold puts your yeasties to sleep.

 

[Super64]

Thanks guys,

I think I'm pretty consistent on the bottling end. I bottled this batch from a carboy and used my mash paddle to stir the priming sugar into it. Its the same method I've used in the past with success.

The remaining bottles are in my cellar next to my furnace. The thermometer I have laying on top of them reads 72 degrees. Usually in this environment I can get nice carbonation in 2 weeks

I went to the low end of the scale on the Beer Recipator. At 68 degrees I used 33 grams for 1.5 volumes of carbonation. I'll give them another week and see.

Thanks again.

 

[Revvy]

Your beer always appears more carbed if you opened it room temp. But it's not until it's fully absorbed in the cold that it truly sets in. More than likely you beer was just on the verge of carbed when you opened one warm,but not fully carbed yet. So when it was absorbed in the cold it was proven that it's not ready yet. More time.