# Beer flat at bottling



## trustyrusty (9/6/15)

HI there, Beer seems flatter than normal, FG 1012....as I am bottling...
Am I wasting my time or do you think this will improve
? - or is that what is supposed to be like...
Normally there seems more bubbles - the drops cause a bit of fizz...? Not this time....
I have got half way through and thought I might be wasting my time?

thanks


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## warra48 (9/6/15)

Prime your bottles *before* filling them. Priming afterwards will generally cause them to fizz up.

Keep going. What you are experiencing is completely normal, and is what happens with every brew I bottle.

Just give them sufficient time to carbonate after bottling, and you'll be fine.

If you want more assurance, tell us your recipe, yeast used, and your starting gravity, and we'll have a rethink.


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## Vini2ton (9/6/15)

Pet bottles? Maybe your seals are screwed. New lids. Carbing bottles a cold shed will take longer.


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## trustyrusty (9/6/15)

Thanks

Maybe I am bottling when too much fizz then, 

Coopers Larger (Standard Can)
Mangrove Jacks MO7 Craft Series Yeast - English Ale (first time)
Coopers BE2
Glass Bottles.
SG 1045
FG 1012

Thanks


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## killspice (9/6/15)

As mentioned, you should generally put the priming sugar (or drops from the sounds of it) in the bottles first, then filling them - this will reduce the chance of fizzing, splashing, and oxidation.

Temperature has a big bearing on the amount of CO2 stored in the beer during the fermentation, and depending on the difference between the ambient temperature and the beer temperature will dictate whether it is likely bubbles will form during bottling. As beer warms up any CO2 in the liquid will escape as bubbles, but if the temperature doesn't change (or cools down) then the CO2 will stay in the liquid.


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## panzerd18 (9/6/15)

Rusty I'm not sure if I understand correctly or not.

When the beer has finished fermenting, it is meant to be flat. Its only when you put priming sugar in the bottle and bottle the beer does it carbonate. The yeast eats the priming sugar and releases CO2. 

I only say this because you said the beer seems flat when you are bottling the beer.


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## trustyrusty (9/6/15)

Yes only when I am bottling, normally when I bottle there is some sort of fizz or bubbles (not a lot, a few bubbles as though it is not dead), like a flat lemonade, but this time seems a lot flatter - like totally flat... maybe that is the way it should be..? thanks


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## panzerd18 (9/6/15)

Yes, it should be flat/near flat when you bottle. It can be a bit gassy during fermentation because the yeast is pumping out so much CO2. Maybe this is what you have seen.


Not anything to worry about at all.


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## trustyrusty (9/6/15)

thanks


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## spog (9/6/15)

Beer coming out of the fermentor is Not carbonised = flat.
The " bubbles " in the beer during bottling are caused by...bottling/movement of the beer being transferred to the bottle.
Don't worry about it,prime the bottles ,fill em,cap them then wait....ohh the wait.


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## trustyrusty (10/6/15)

Thanks guys, sorry meant to say I dont expect beer to be carbonated, what I meant is that the wort has a few bubbles, seems to more lively - , not like water. It seems this one was a bit like water - just seemed lifeless compared to other batches. Maybe that is what it is supposed to be like?


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## Yob (10/6/15)

beer should be_ almost_ flat at bottling, are you leaving it for any length of time after reaching terminal gravity?


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## trustyrusty (10/6/15)

probably a day or so (How long do you recommend).... so this is must be right then? Maybe I have not been leaving long enough.. BTW this has been the brew from hell... broke my hydrometer, had to get a new one,,...tube came of during bottling, drop caps, split the sugar etc...probably turn out to the best. Also I have used a new yeast so probably is a little different this time. cheers


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## trustyrusty (3/7/15)

Ok Guys you can worrying now 

I think this beer is going to be good... I tried one and the head is really good... so I think yeast can effect that as well

cheers


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## panzerd18 (3/7/15)

Good to know!


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## donmateo (3/7/15)

Meybe it's also got something to do with the surface tension of the beer ....I've also noticed while bottling beers that some seem quite frothy and others not...this sometimes seems to carry through to the beer when you open it to drink....I wish I knew why....but there certainly seems something very sad about pouring a beer with a head that then fizzles away to then no froth.....like a cider. And there doesn't seem to necesarily be a link between carbonation levels and nice frothing.


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## trustyrusty (4/7/15)

Hey Guys

Recipe was Coopers Original Series Lager, nothing fancy
BE2
+ Craft Series Mangrove Jacks British Ale Yeast MO7 (I wanted to experiment with yeasts)

+ I added the can yeast 3 days after as I thought the yeast was dead.

+ Carbonation drops

This has turned out to be the best head I have made so far....it lasted the whole schooner right down to the last sip...

I have made this before with standard yeast...

So I can say that the yeast MO7 has helped to make a great head...

cheers


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## panzerd18 (4/7/15)

Trustyrusty, the Coopers kits are great.

To get the best possible out of a kit, instead of using Brew Enhancer I just use light dry malt extract.

I normally sub out the kit yeast for some other premium yeast that I like.

I also normally dry hop the wort, and add a hop tea to the fermenter towards the end of fermentation. 

All of these things really add up to make a big difference. Adding additional hops and using all malt instead of dextrose/sugar, seems to freshen the beer up a lot.


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## PurpleHaze (13/7/15)

I've just made a Nelson Sauvin Summer Ale. Final OG 1.010 Starting 1.036.
Used priming sugar and was very particular boiling this one. 
It's been nearly 3 weeks, in the bottle. I found that after 2 weeks it was a it flat..

It has been cold and hard to control the bottling temp but it's been about 15-19 degrees the past two weeks.

I've noticed there yeast seems to be sitting at the bottom of the bottle.

Will more time in the bottle fix this? Or do I need to shake them up abit?


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## Rocker1986 (13/7/15)

If it's only 15-19 during the day it must be dropping pretty low overnight? The bottles may be dropping too low overnight and not warming up again. I had this issue with a couple of batches of ale a few years ago and decided not to bother with them over the colder months again, for that reason.

If that's what has been happening you could gently invert the bottles a few times to stir up the yeast sediment and try to warm them up to 18C+ somehow.

To carbonate in bottles, you need four things:


Adequate amount of yeast (shouldn't be too hard straight after primary fermentation)
Warm enough temp for yeast to work
Adequate priming sugar
Airtight seal on the bottles

If you're missing one or more of these, the beer won't carbonate.


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## PurpleHaze (13/7/15)

Rocker1986 said:


> If it's only 15-19 during the day it must be dropping pretty low overnight? The bottles may be dropping too low overnight and not warming up again. I had this issue with a couple of batches of ale a few years ago and decided not to bother with them over the colder months again, for that reason.
> 
> If that's what has been happening you could gently invert the bottles a few times to stir up the yeast sediment and try to warm them up to 18C+ somehow.
> 
> ...


Well I think it must be the temperature thats killing me..

Because I used Priming sugar measured out properly and then bottled and capped them with a (bottle capper.. I don't know what its actually called but it cost me 50 bux.. so not with a hammer)

Hopefully time and some sort of temp improvement can save them from being too flat.. I was thinking of trying to insulate a large plastic container.. with foam and maybe some sort of heat wrap?

I'll definitely invert them as well! I noticed the difference after shaking a few to get the yeast/priming sugar fermenting..

Hence I think I'll follow your lead and leave the ales for summer and get started on making a Kronenberg Lager!! Right now!


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## PurpleHaze (20/7/15)

About a week into fermenting my Kronenberg Lager.. and after a few teething problems early with the cook not being mixed enough and the starting OG being 1.075 (it's now 1.021) after 7 days..

Is this normal for a Lager?
Temp has been between 7-11c.


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## jumbo72 (20/7/15)

PurpleHaze said:


> Well I think it must be the temperature thats killing me..
> 
> Because I used Priming sugar measured out properly and then bottled and capped them with a (bottle capper.. I don't know what its actually called but it cost me 50 bux.. so not with a hammer)
> 
> ...


I've got the same problem with temperatures. So I have got a 50ltr container that fits 28 out of my 30 PET 750ml bottles, filled it with water and a bit of sanitiser then put in a 55 watt fish tank heater set at ~22c. Don't know how this will work. 

Any thoughts?


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