Help! Coppers Aussie lager. Can I rescue this?

[Jimcee]

Hi all.

First post here.

So I have brewed coppers Aussie lager in FV (sg and time as instructions), then moved to pressure barrel and primed with 80g of sugar then immediately transferred to sterile bottles using the little bottler.

I have read this way saves you having to prime individual bottles and less spillage with bottler.

Whilst this is true, after 2 weeks of the bottles in secondary fermentation at 18'c, I opened one last night and there is no fizz, and very little head.

Have I added too little sugar?

Can I reopen the bottles and add more sugar to prime again?

Look forward to your replies. As I do not want this batch to go to waste!

Thanks?', Jim

 

[fbsf]

Hi there, and welcome!

Did you make sure the sugar was well mixed into the beer? The only thing I can think of is that there was a layer of undissolved sugar at the bottom of the barrel.

You can open and re-prime, just make sure every bit of equipment you use is sanitised, and that you try to disturb the beer as little as possible.

 

[Jimcee]

thanks for the reply.

Yes I dissolved the sugar in hot water first, then added as a solution to the pressure barrel before bottling with little bottler..

I will reopen bottles in another week if not fizzy and reprime with a tea spoon of sugar..

 

[calumscott]

Did you add the syrup before or after the beer?

 

[Jimcee]

it was after but i mixed well making sure it was homogenius befor bottling..

 

[calumscott]

In that case you just don't have enough sugar in there for a lager - for a 23l brew for me 80g is traditional bitters and milds, 120g for pales, 160g for lagers.

Imagine the fizz you do have in a bitter... About right would you say?

 

[Jimcee]

No there is very little fizz at all, in fact less than bitter / real ale..

should i reopen the bottles, add a teaspoon of sugar and keep at 20'c for another 2 weeks?

I really dont want to write off this batch!

 

[fbsf]

I would maybe try it with a couple and leave them a couple of weeks first.

Leaving the others as they are for that two weeks won't make a difference to them, but if you do them all and it doesn't work, you'll end up with flat sweet beer rather than flat normal beer.

 

[Jimcee]

very good advice! many thanks!!

 

[calumscott]

I would maybe try it with a couple and leave them a couple of weeks first.

:thumb:

Thing is, your beer, although not to your taste at the moment is safe in it's bottles - nothing will go wrong with it and the yeast will still be viable for many many months (years even) to come.

So do a couple see what they turn out like and make your decision from there.

 

[LeedsBrewer]

I had this problem with my last batch. I turned the bottles upside down and then back again (Slowly) 3 or 4 times. I then monitored the room temp for the next 2 weeks and made sure it was 20C, then 2 weeks in cold and they have finally carbonated properly. I'm guessing the causes of my problems were undisolved sugar in bottom of bottles and cold temps to start with which knocked the yeast out.

 

[Jimcee]

ok thanks

 

[Jimcee]

thanks to calumscott for the tips.

I have added half a teaspoon sugar to 2 test bottles - and I am pleased to report - carbonation is now satisfactory for lager.

I will do this to the remaining batch, and keep at 18'c for a week, I think inverting the bottles during this time wont hurt either?

cheers