the freezer and carbonation

[mr jones]

i had my first home brew about a week ago and the carbonation was a little weak but it still had some head on it, and it was a week old in the bottle. I figured the carbonation hadn't dissolved all the way yet so a week after i put another bottle in the fridge for about 4 days. then i put it in the freezer for about 30 mins to get it teeth cracking cold. and when i went to pour it, there was absolutely no head whatsoever. some bubbles rising from the bottom though. I used 1/2 cup of DME for a 2 gal batch to carbonate. do you think it was a fluke or could the freezer have stopped the carbonation? thanx

-nick

 

[Bobby_M]

You chilled it after only being in the bottle for a week? Of course you have no carbonation. You need to keep them at room temp for at least 3 weeks and sometimes a little more for DME.

 

[Dave the Brewer]

Yep, I believe Bobby is speaking the truth. I always use sugar and wait at least two weeks maybe three.

 

[Funkenjaeger]

It's not a matter of "carbonation dissolving" in bottles, it's a matter of the yeast actually producing the CO2. They won't do that when it's cold, and they need a couple weeks to do so even when it's warm.

Taking a beer that is not fully carbonated and chilling it is not going to improve things at all, since the amount of CO2 in the bottle isn't going to change as a result. If anything, the colder you get it, the more easily the CO2 will stay in solution, so the less head you would get, which seems to match your experience...

 

[Got Trub?]

At least 3 weeks in the bottle and as Funkenjaeger said an ice cold beer will appear much less carbonated then a warmer one as CO2 is much more soluble in cold beer then warm.

GT

 

[malkore]

also, real beer should not be served 'ice cold'. otherwise you're screwing yourself out of half the flavor and most of the aroma.

BMC is fine ice cold...because it has no flavor or aroma to start with, so there's nothing to lose.