Flat beer
- Thread starter Shielo
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How much priming sugar did you use?
How long did you allow for carbonation before putting in a cold place to condition?
What temperature did you carbonate your beer at?
Is it in a (leaky) PB?
I've had some beers with not much head before - I've currently got a beer fermenting so want make sure I get the carbonation and conditioning processes right. 2 weeks for each step? What are the ideal temperatures please?
The answers to my own questions above (!) are normally, as far as I am concerned
- prime in accordance with the calculator here http://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/ or a rule of thumb is one half tsp table sugar per 500ml bottle or if you have a standard PB 90g table sugar for 23 litres
- use warm place or about 18-20*C for carbonating your beer; under 'normal' conditions it will be finished in one to two weeks
- if you find you have flat beer after priming a PB chances are it will be leaking from the cap somewhere
It's best to give your beer at least two weeks in a cold place to condition. Some beers can be drunk early after this but most can't, especially darker higher gravity beer, and in extreme may take months to peak
Hope this helps.
So let's say I've racked and filtered my beer and added priming sugar then put it BACK in the FV, put on the airlock again and sunk it 10 metres underwater in an air pocket and left it for a couple weeks. Given that 10m ~= 1 atmosphere/15psi all I'd have to do would be go down there and cap it to have naturally carbonated beer yes? I was reading about deep sea exploration and how when they had a coke it was flat because of the pressure. New bottling technique? I wonder how the cost of 15 metres of rope, a mask and fins, 20 metres of garden hose, and someone to work the bellows compares to a counter pressure bottler? I know it's not practical but it'd be a nifty stunt to do once. Now, where's the nearest aquarium?
I noticed that when I open the tap at the bottom of the keg, that the lid made a hissing sound. It's a plastic pressurized keg with a lid with a co2 injection system...thing. I'm guessing that it's something to do with the air/pressure escaping through the lid? I added more than enough priming sugar...maybe too much!
Graz
Landlord.
It shouldn't do that, the hissing is more likely to be air being drawn in through the lid due to the beer being drawn off creating a vacuum at the top. Check the seal on the lid and also the little rubber sleeve that goes over the valve to let CO2 in but not out (i.e. a one way valve). Once you've found the source of the leak you can always re-prime to build the pressure again.
beerhunter
Well-Known Member
and do it sooner rather than later, if air is being sucked into your barrel (oooer!)
wfr42
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I have started injecting a co2 bulb when I prime the barrel to check I have the lid tight enough - it hisses if not.
Any excess co2 should be vented by the one way valve.
If your barrel is totally flat you could try a co2 bulb to check the seals.
I had to bring my barrel inside from the shed as the freezing temperatures had made the co2 more soluble and led to beer with no head. You could try that if you beer is "outside" at the moment.
Any excess co2 should be vented by the one way valve.
If your barrel is totally flat you could try a co2 bulb to check the seals.
I had to bring my barrel inside from the shed as the freezing temperatures had made the co2 more soluble and led to beer with no head. You could try that if you beer is "outside" at the moment.
Thanks for all your advice folks- seems to be sorted!! Took the cap off and there was a wee rubber seal that seemed to have moved from over a hole... I moved it back, added more sugar and the beer already has more fizz!!
JapanBrew
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Are you using those pressure barrels? Can't give you much advice since I've never used one, let alone seen one in person.
Look for clogged spout. How to unclog without loosing beer is going to be a challenge. Personally, I'd just stick to bottling.
Look for clogged spout. How to unclog without loosing beer is going to be a challenge. Personally, I'd just stick to bottling.
Braufather
Landlord.
I have this issue also. I am new and only done three ag brews. First one I used a carb drops in bottles and carbonation is disappointing. Put it down to only using one.
Second I put most in a barrel and rest in 10 bottles. The barrel completely flat after three weeks. It did leak a bit so I had to remove and refit tap. So put it down to that. Bottles were fine ( used tia Maria as primer, worked a treat)
Third went into bottles 4 weeks ago. Completely flat, I have no idea why? Used 100 g of brewing sugar in water as is best practise, and mixed direct into fv and racked direct from there.
All Kept at room temperature the whole time, same temps as the ten bottles that primed well
So two questions
What are likely causes?
And
Can current batches be saved, i.e. Re carbed?
I have two more brews ready for racking now and am scared to bottle them until I sort this problem out!
Cheers for any advice
Second I put most in a barrel and rest in 10 bottles. The barrel completely flat after three weeks. It did leak a bit so I had to remove and refit tap. So put it down to that. Bottles were fine ( used tia Maria as primer, worked a treat)
Third went into bottles 4 weeks ago. Completely flat, I have no idea why? Used 100 g of brewing sugar in water as is best practise, and mixed direct into fv and racked direct from there.
All Kept at room temperature the whole time, same temps as the ten bottles that primed well
So two questions
What are likely causes?
And
Can current batches be saved, i.e. Re carbed?
I have two more brews ready for racking now and am scared to bottle them until I sort this problem out!
Cheers for any advice
It's not necessarily 'best practice' to batch prime. Its just another method of priming your beer. Some do it, some don't.
So why not try adding your priming sugar direct to your bottles, rather than doing it in bulk? At least that way you know that sugar has actually got into each bottle. :thumb:
Braufather
Landlord.
its the grolsh bottles types, i thought they were recommended?
Braufather
Landlord.
Might give it a go. The only good carbonation I've had is when I put coffee liqueur direct into bottles to carbonate the stout.
Ummm.
I don't think I'd be putting coffee liqueur into my beer, on the basis that you don't know what's got in it. You have to rely on the alcohol killing any wild yeast or similar that may have contaminated it. I would have at least boiled it.
Anyway if it all turned out well that's good.
I only use table sugar or dextrose to prime my beer. Cheap and predictable.
