Is there anyway to rescue a flat brew?

[austin.byrne]

Hi,

I am a rookie homebrewier and hence think I have made a rookie mistake with my first brew. I made a larger using the young's brewing kit. The initially brewing stages went well fermentation etc. But when I bottled the brew I put it outside to mature (think this was a mistake). Its been in the bottles for 10 days and I opened one this evening to see how it is going and it is FLAT, there was a hiss when the bottle opened but that was it. I used glass bottles and bought a capper. I am pretty sure it was to cold of outside that has prevented the carbonation. As per the instructions I put just under .5 a tsp of sugar in the bottle before capping it. Any help is appreciated to try and rescue the brew.

Cheers.

 

[31bb3]

can you see yeast in the bottom of the bottle bring them inside give them a shake and leave them somewhere warm for around 10 days then move into a cool place sounds like the secondary fermentation hasnt happened

 

[Eric_S]

Bring them inside for a week or so - that'll raise the temps and get the yeast working again. Typically for conditioning you'd keep the bottles inside after bottling before lobbing into storage.

Until now I've been bunging my beer in the garage after bottling, but with the dropping temps I've also noticed really poor carbonisation so have brought them back in to get properly fizzy before storing.

 

[austin.byrne]

Thanks for the help, I will give it a go.

Have you ever used a Corny Keg before? Tempted to buy one.

 

[31bb3]

oh yes their a cracking bit of equipment much better than plastic kegs if you decide to buy one email normannumpta in the links section he will put you right with everything you need

 

[graysalchemy]

As the above posters have said you need to leave it for a week or so at fermentation temp and somewhere cool for at least a few weeks. It is said that beer will take 1 week for every 10 points of gravity, so a beer of 1040 will take 4 weeks to carbonate. Also leaving it in the bottle will improve the taste tremendously.

I am sure it will turn out fine in a few weeks.

 

[shearclass]

It is said that beer will take 1 week for every 10 points of gravity, so a beer of 1040 will take 4 weeks to carbonate. Also leaving it in the bottle will improve the taste tremendously.

Surely you mean 4 weeks to condition, rather than 4 weeks to carbonate? Carbonation will still happen in a week (give or take), surely? :wha:

 

[graysalchemy]

typo sorry

 

[shearclass]

Just checking! I'm still a newbie, was just checking I wasn't doing somethnig wrong.

 

[austin.byrne]

Hey, Back again. Just checked a bottle of beer and it is abit fizzier, I checked the gravity of the beer and it was 1.010. It tastes quit sweet at the minute, I am hoping the longer I leave it the less sweet and fizzier it will get. Thanks, Austin.

 

[philip5660]

After bottling my beer spends a week or thereabouts in the hot press - then it's off to the garage.

 

[gredawarha]

For what it is worth I agree with the comments above, I store at room temperature for 2 weeks then put in shed.

I think on my second or third brew I did a coopers canadian. I put it in the shed after bottling and it was very flat. I thought at the time that I had done something else like not put enough sugar but I brought it back inside and over time it got fizzier. In hindsight putting it outside so soon after bottling was the problem.

 

[austin.byrne]

Hey,

Back again.

Beer was still flat after leaving at room temperature for a few weeks.

I checked the SG of the larger and it is 1.009, is there any point in adding more sugar or yeast to try and get some fizz?

Thanks,
Austin.

 

[philip5660]

is this the same batch from last year? maybe time to move on!