Primeing problems,

[NickCarroll]

Hi guys, I'm having a real problem getting carbonation after bottling, I'm on my 3rd brew now and none have carbonated at all, (well maybe the odd bottle) I used castor sugar for my 1st brew ( a pilsner) then coopers carbon drops for a coopers ceveza but no good at all, today is my 13th day after priming an Oktoberfest beer and used glucose to prime as recommended by by local brew shop, I impatiently cracked a bottle today and it was as flat as a pancake. What could I be doing wrong? I thought it was the capping but this time I know they're sealed completely, thanks for any help guys, BTW I'm getting plenty of sedimentation

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

Hi guys, I'm having a real problem getting carbonation after bottling, I'm on my 3rd brew now and none have carbonated at all, (well maybe the odd bottle) I used castor sugar for my 1st brew ( a pilsner) then coopers carbon drops for a coopers ceveza but no good at all, today is my 13th day after priming an Oktoberfest beer and used glucose to prime as recommended by by local brew shop, I impatiently cracked a bottle today and it was as flat as a pancake. What could I be doing wrong? I thought it was the capping but this time I know they're sealed completely, thanks for any help guys, BTW I'm getting plenty of sedimentation

What temperature are your priming bottles at?

 

[Clint]

What he said...plus are you priming each bottle or batch priming?
Do they taste sweeter than they should?

 

[BrewMeHappy]

Temperature is the likely one, as the guys above have said.

You haven't just had a load of sugar at the bottom of the bottles have you? I always give mine a bit of a gentle couple of shakes when after the caps go on to dissolve most of the sugar.

 

[NPi]

How long are you letting the bottles prime for? It will take time for the remaining yeast to consume the sugar and create co2, that then needs to dissolve into solution. A good minumum rule of thumb is 2 weeks at fermentation temps.

 

[NickCarroll]

I've Been priming at room temp for 4 days then in porch in the garden for 10 days. Is that too cold?I prime each bottle individually then add the brew to the bottles, I do give each bottle a good shake after capping, would it affect priming if the bottles aren't rinsed out properly after sterilising? I'm not sure about sweetness as I've not got it right yet but I guess it's a bit sweet yeh

 

[Clint]

You need to keep them at "fermentation temp" for around a fortnight for them the carb up.

 

[NickCarroll]

You need to keep them at "fermentation temp" for around a fortnight for them the carb up.

So back in the house for another week or 2, whats the cold snap I hear about then? Is that after the 2 weeks?

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

So back in the house for another week or 2, whats the cold snap I hear about then? Is that after the 2 weeks?

Yes - cold crash needs to be after 2nd fermentation has finished - as Clint says after two weeks

The cold crash will help clear the beer of any murky bits

 

[NickCarroll]

Yes - cold crash needs to be after 2nd fermentation has finished - as Clint says after two weeks

The cold crash will help clear the beer of any murky bits

And how long do I do that for, Roughly,

BTW I've got to say what an Ace group this is, everyone is so helpful, I hope I gain the knowledge and can be as helpful one-day too

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

Well, I am a bit of an old fuddy duddy with regard to conditioning

Placing your beer back in the porch at 10C some people would say isn't cold enough for a real cold crash

Why cold crash? - because it helps those murky bits (i.e. dead yeast cells, protein blobs and hop particles - collectively known as trub) to fall out to the bottom making a bright, clear beer

Alcohol will not freeze unless well below freezing (the exact temp depends on ABV)

So having woffled for a while

I think 10c is a good conditioning temperature, my view on how long to condition

For every 10 points above 1000 your OG was leave it a week i.e. OG 1050 = 5 weeks

Now that might be just too much to ask - so leave it as long as you can

The real answer is to get serious about brewing and brew enough so that your stock can be left long enough to condition properly

So come on - pull your socks up and get brewing more!

Best Wishes

OB

 

[SmallSpacesBrewing]

Like all have said here. After filling bottles, just leave them at room temp for ca 2 weeks. Should be plenty. Also how much sugar do you use to prime. I used to batch prime before kegging. 6g/liter suger is more than enough for most styles.

 

[NPi]

If you want to have accurate results that reflect the beer style and can be adjusted to your preference, I'd suggest using a priming calculator.

https://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/
You should also decide whether you want to batch prime, or bottle priming. Batch priming is easier, but for me, was inconsistent.

I bottle prime, with my sugar (or other fermentable) dissolved into a premeasured solution. You can then microwave the sugar solution, to sterilise it and dissolve the sugar completely (so no shaking bottles, leading to oxidation of your beer).

 

[Ale House Rock]

If you use PET bottles, you can gently squeeze most of the excess air out of the bottle before capping tightly. This reduces the risk of oxidation during storage and you will be able to observe your bottles 're-inflate' over the next day or two as your yeast gets back to work but like others, I'd leave at room temp for 2 weeks before placing somewhere cool for at least another 2 or 3 weeks to condition and clear.

 

[Hop_it]

Hi guys, I'm having a real problem getting carbonation after bottling, I'm on my 3rd brew now and none have carbonated at all, (well maybe the odd bottle) I used castor sugar for my 1st brew ( a pilsner) then coopers carbon drops for a coopers ceveza but no good at all, today is my 13th day after priming an Oktoberfest beer and used glucose to prime as recommended by by local brew shop, I impatiently cracked a bottle today and it was as flat as a pancake. What could I be doing wrong? I thought it was the capping but this time I know they're sealed completely, thanks for any help guys, BTW I'm getting plenty of sedimentation

You've had plenty of good advice so far, so I won't waste your time with repetition. I have used just about every combination already mentioned, and have never had a problem with carbonation. However, for simplicity I now tend towards batch priming. I normally use just plain old white sugar, but occasionally DME or demerara sugar in a dark beer. The amount will depend on the degree of carbonation you require, but a reasonable guide quantity for a 20l batch is ~120g dissolved in ~1/2l of boiling water (direct from the kettle is OK). Once its cooled a bit I put it into a clean, sterilised barrel, and then siphon the new beer into the barrel. This ensures a good mix because I am adding the beer to the priming solution rather than adding the priming solution to the new beer. I then attach my bottling wand to the tap on the barrel and start the tedious job of filling bottles. Once done you've then got to be patient . . . . as already mentioned by others temperature and time are critical.

 

[bobukbrewer]

I condition bottles at 20 deg C then move them to 15-16 deg C - my beers are really bright and sediment stays on bottom as I pour a bottle ( the last egg cup full goes in a separate glass and cloudy or not I drink it - waste not want not).

 

[Cwrw666]

Bear in mind that `room temperature' might be too low for carbonation at this time of year, there's always a temperature gradient in any room and I don't suppose you condition your beer in the middle of the room raised up above floor level. You need to find somewhere warm!
Personally I do it in the airing cupboard, which at the moment, even with the tank full of hot water from our woodburner, barely gets to 20c.

 

[Derek Smalls]

A couple of months back I had my first ever flat batch. I always put measured sugar into each bottle but this time I hadn’t slooshed the sugar into the beer while bottling in a misguided effort to cut down on oxidation.

I googled a solution to that problem which was: Turn each bottle upside down for 3 days, then back on their bums for another 2 weeks’ carbonation (at 20 deg C, of course). It worked!

The next batch I bottled, I put the sugar in each bottle, then added half a tablespoon of just-boiled water. Sploosh, then put the beer into that. Yes, the sugar plus water is a bit of a faff, but a small funnel makes it a lot easier.

 

[NickCarroll]

Thanks for all the tips guys, much appreciated

 

[NickCarroll]

Little update:

I put the bottles in a much warmer place last week and cracked one last night after chilling of course, it was delightfully gassy but had a little after taste, so I think all the faffing has ruined it slightly or maybe caused by air bubbles during syfening, what taste is the Oxygenization?