Lack of carbonation

[kentmark]

So tested a couple of bottles of my new brew, a Geordie Bitter. Not too bad, seems to go down very easily!

Only problem is that it doesn't seem to have carbonated very well. I wasn't expecting huge frothy heads but a little fiz would be nice. I added a 1/3 of a teaspoon of white sugar to each bottle, filled the bottles (swirling the brew round as I did it) then bottled. In the kitchen for 4 days (as per kit instructions) then out in the garage for 10 days (again as per instructions). I did a similar process for my first kit (a youngs lager) but used slightly less sugar and got better carbonation than I have this time around.

First, any thoughts on why this has happened? Second, any way to improve the situation?

Thanks!

 

[Baz Chaz]

Bring 'em back into the warm for a few days, still early days yet @ 2 weeks.

Once bottled I leave mine in a nice warm spot for a week before putting 'em out in storage

 

[Dieseljockey]

+1 on that....I've been known to put half a tea spoon in a 500ml bottle. Then in the kitchen up the corner out the way for as long as couple of weeks, this helps the last bit of yeast to gas your brew, think of it like a mini FV. Then outside in the fridge for another week or so.

 

[kentmark]

Cheers! Bit more info, I opened one of my 2 litre PET bottles tonight, the bottle wasn't pressured at all, so pretty obvious that it hadn't carbonated at all.

Looks like another example of the kit instructions being a little economical with the truth. Instructions say 1 week in the FV, reality was 3 weeks!

Will try bringing them back in for a bit!

Cheers guys :

 

[Cu Cullainn]

Personally I would stay well away from sugar and use either corn sugar which is dextrose which you can buy anywhere or malt extract. Better head superior tasting beer.