Under carbonation

[Darren Jeory]

Hi all

I have a beer thats in plastic PET bottles that is in serious danger of being under carbed.

I'm thinking of opening each bottle and putting in 1 or maybe half a carb drop in. Does anyone see an issue with this before I do something irreversible?

Thanks

 

[Dazzelknight]

Can’t see there being a problem adding a drop then squeezing bottles to rid them of the oxygen. I reprimed my PB having found a leak to no ill effect but be mindful of over priming. I had a sneaky taste of a brew after 2 weeks of conditioning and it was flat as a fart. 3 later weeks of been stored in the cold shed it had become well lively . Maybe give it some more time if it’s a relatively new brew.

 

[Darren Jeory]

It's had about 8 days

 

[Darren Jeory]

I would usually expect it to be pretty much done at that point but it's approx 50%

 

[Darren Jeory]

Just wondering if I've miscalculated my priming sugar

 

[Covrich]

How warm have you left them? it could be more yeast dropped out during fermentation which is fine but it does mean carbing may be slower.. all these factors to consider and after a week it can be early.

 

[MarkT.]

You should have put 1 and half drops per 500ml bottle.

 

[Darren Jeory]

You should have put 1 and half drops per 500ml bottle.

I used a sugar water solution...I used a calculator but...

 

[Darren Jeory]

How warm have you left them? it could be more yeast dropped out during fermentation which is fine but it does mean carbing may be slower.. all these factors to consider and after a week it can be early.

I did have a slow ferment to be fair...its kolsch and its been dragging its feet

 

[Darren Jeory]

I deliberately put one in a clear glass swing top so I can see what's going on and there is still a little bit of activity

 

[Dazzelknight]

It's had about 8 days

Definitely leave it 2 or 3 weeks mate, give it time, the brew gods will work they’re magic. I’m sure it will get there, also better to have under carbonated beer than a box full of foam.

 

[MarkT.]

Your choice but as you bottled then why not simply put brewing sugar through a funnel. It does tend to simplify things.
I bottled a Geordie lager last week with liquid malt and honey added, then primed with half a teaspoon brewing sugar. Tried one bottle at day six and got a nice pop from grolsch bottle and was fizzy, but obviosly not enough as needs another 2 weeks to condition properly. Very encouraging for me after early taster.

 

[Darren Jeory]

Yeah...mine tasted pretty good and it needs cold conditioning for a month yet so I'm hopeful if it carbonates ok

 

[Andy44]

Sorry to hijack this post, I have had simular with a cider kit, I added 1 teaspoon per litre in pet bottles and as suggested by another member I squeezed the bottle then put the cap on, the bottles have reshaped and are firm but I opened one last night and it had a little fizz it's been conditioning for about 2 weeks and is very clear.

Is 1 teaspoon per litre enough?

 

[Begbie]

Sorry to hijack this post, I have had simular with a cider kit, I added 1 teaspoon per litre in pet bottles and as suggested by another member I squeezed the bottle then put the cap on, the bottles have reshaped and are firm but I opened one last night and it had a little fizz it's been conditioning for about 2 weeks and is very clear.

Is 1 teaspoon per litre enough?

1 teaspoon is about 4 to 6 grams. If you're on the heavier side of that, you would be OK, but sounds like you're on the lighter side. For a litre of cider, I'd be adding 6 to 8 grams of sugar.

 

[Andy44]

1 teaspoon is about 4 to 6 grams. If you're on the heavier side of that, you would be OK, but sounds like you're on the lighter side. For a litre of cider, I'd be adding 6 to 8 grams of sugar.

Hi Scott, thanks for your reply I will add a bit more next time, its all learning and this forum is great for helping out. Cheers

 

[TonyT]

Sorry to hijack this post, I have had simular with a cider kit, I added 1 teaspoon per litre in pet bottles and as suggested by another member I squeezed the bottle then put the cap on, the bottles have reshaped and are firm but I opened one last night and it had a little fizz it's been conditioning for about 2 weeks and is very clear.

Is 1 teaspoon per litre enough?

Last year I made some elderflower champagne (non alcoholic, refreshing soft drink on a hot summer’s day) which I primed with a teaspoon of sugar into 500ml pet bottles. It was too much, although they didn’t burst, they did bulge out of shape and I wouldn’t risk using them again. Makes opening them a bit of a performance too without the contents pi$$ing out all over the place because they’re under too much pressure.

 

[moto748]

There's been a few threads on this topic lately, and I have suffered from this myself. But, taking into account the experiences of other posters, probably mire knowledgeable than myself, and also what I've found, I'd say this: I think it's always waiting another 2 or 3 weeks before decided that bottles are under-carbed. More often than not, it all comes good in time. In general terms, I think a teaspoonful per litre should be regarded as an upper bound for most beers.