Lack of Fizzzzz........ Help Please

[Chris The Masher]

Hi all, another question from me I'm afraid.

This hobbie can be so dissapointing at times ! I've just returned today from my holidays and I was very much looking forward to trying one of my latest brews.

I bottled 12 bottles of an A.G and barrelled the rest a good four weeks ago. I've just opened one of the bottles and it's almost completely flat ! There was a small hiss, but that's about it, tried it, the taste is good, but dead flat !

To prime, I added halve a teaspoon of sugar per 500 ml bottle. Stood in the warm for around a week and moved to the outdoors afterwards.

I'm not sure if the lack of fizz is due to the extreme cold or should I of put more sugar in. My question is now, what can I do apart from tip it down the drain. I'm thinking to open the bottles up (easy cos they are 'grolsch' type sealed bottles) and putting in a bit more sugar. But afraid I will get contamoonation of air in.

Any advice gladly appreciated.

P.s - Has the extreme cold caused this problem do you think ?

Thanks......

 

[robsan77]

maybe they need new rubber seals? I also add a level full teaspoon for a good fizz. Also if you served them at outside temps then co2 doesnt escape as well as if the beer was warmer.

 

[Chris The Masher]

Thanks for the quick reply, I should of mentioned, these bottles are brand new and I did randomly pressure test them before use.

Maybe, I will bring one in tonight and try opening tomorrow and see if that helps (once the bottle has warmed up a little).

 

[the shadow]

if the beer has frozen that will push the gas out of the beer hope this helps

 

[NegFerret]

Robsan: ORLY? I had wondered about that as I pulled a pint of my Wherry last night, and although it tasted great and I could tell in my mouth it was well carbonated it had no head at all - I had assumed it might be because of the ultra low temp...but I wasn't sure.

Chris: I am also having carbonation problems in bottles, I'm leaving them in the house for a good while longer as I don't want to ruin the whole batch I've been really looking forward to my first part extract brew.

 

[Chris The Masher]

I don't think the bottles froze - but whi know's what happened over the past week in the extreme conditions when I was not around to monitor them for a week.

I'm gonna bring the bottles in and hope for the best. If this does not work, as a last chance I will try adding some more sugar, but not sure if this will do damage to the beer (air contamiination etc).

NegFerret:
Do you know, the more I think about outting bottles into the extreme cold the more I get concerned of the potential problems it can cause. If I am to be honest, this is not the first time I have had this problem by putting beer out in the extreme cold. Another problem I encountered was the beer went from crystal clear see through bottles prior to going to outside to a now not so crstal clear see through. I am getting concerned that the extreme cold does not do the beer any favours.
I am bottling another batch this coming weekend and think I may just transfer to the cold porch rather than the extreme cold and hope I can eliminate some of these problems !

Thingers crossed... :thumb:

 

[robsan77]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_H5ZIoZSBo

instant frozen beer!

 

[abeyptfc]

if the beer tastes fine then you can always have it in a shandy, no point in throwing it all out! that way it will last longer and you will drink less!
shimples

 

[Growler]

I have never had a good result using Grolsch bottles infact I have just binned 16 brown bottles as yet again I ended up with flat ale

 

[Stone Cold]

i have just started using swing top bottles and im finding the same result, im happy with it though its just like a cask beer, i crowned 6 bottles as-well but havnt opened one yet, I will report back later if they are any better carbonated. if you get a hiss then their must be pressure inside the bottle so should still keep. shouldn't it? and if it tastes ok then surly no need to poor down the drain is there?

EDIT. crown top bottles are the same just a hiss. its the cold has to be that there isnt enough lively yeast to carbonate, worrying i have a frozen brew in the fermenter that im not so confident with anymore