Beginner Help

[Apparition]

Hello everyone
first post for me
i'm very new to home brew aand would appreciate some help please.
Got fermeter went to LHBS discussed what types of beer i thought would be a good start for me.
decided on Coopers international Euro larger. OG started 1.036(mid strenght) 22L and batch stayed at constant 16deg and was bubbling away nice. 2 weeks in fermenter then bottled.
All sanitising went well i thought when i bottled and left for 2 weeks in bottle before i tried first drop.
Well the taste was not that bad BUT it lacked bubbles(gas) even tried 2 just to make sure it was not just one bottle.
I know it ended lite in ALC, but i did not think it would be half flat.
Any ideas of what went wrong please help. do i need to leave longer in bottle or was it the sanitising?
it looks like i am going to have to drink half flat lite beer

 

[wambesi]

Hello everyone
first post for me
i'm very new to home brew aand would appreciate some help please.
Got fermeter went to LHBS discussed what types of beer i thought would be a good start for me.
decided on Coopers international Euro larger. OG started 1.036(mid strenght) 22L and batch stayed at constant 16deg and was bubbling away nice. 2 weeks in fermenter then bottled.
All sanitising went well i thought when i bottled and left for 2 weeks in bottle before i tried first drop.
Well the taste was not that bad BUT it lacked bubbles(gas) even tried 2 just to make sure it was not just one bottle.
I know it ended lite in ALC, but i did not think it would be half flat.
Any ideas of what went wrong please help. do i need to leave longer in bottle or was it the sanitising?
it looks like i am going to have to drink half flat lite beer

Need some more info mate.
What temp have the bottles been at for the last two weeks? How did you prime? Sugar? Sugar Drops? Bulk prime? and how much for each bottle?

In the colder temps it can take a few weeks to carb up properly, some of mine have taken a month or more when it is colder, try moving the bottles somewhere warmer and taste again in a week or two.

End of the day at this point, relax and have a homebr....wait a minute this is your first, relax and have a beer!
Post a little more info and we'll see if there is anything else it may be.

 

[Apparition]

Need some more info mate.
What temp have the bottles been at for the last two weeks? How did you prime? Sugar? Sugar Drops? Bulk prime? and how much for each bottle?

In the colder temps it can take a few weeks to carb up properly, some of mine have taken a month or more when it is colder, try moving the bottles somewhere warmer and taste again in a week or two.

End of the day at this point, relax and have a homebr....wait a minute this is your first, relax and have a beer!
Post a little more info and we'll see if there is anything else it may be.

I used 2 sugar drops in each long neck, and they stayed about the same temp 16deg for first week then about 14deg in the last week(cold snap in sydney)

 

[Barley Belly]

Didn't read the post above

Not sure what it could be :huh:

Hope someone can shed light on the situation

Maybe poor sealing bottles??

 

[wyatt_girth]

In my experience (limited) a couple of weeks at ferment temp, around 18 deg, is ideal to get good carb action. Your 14 deg may have been a bit cool esp. if it's an ale yeast -not sure what comes with this kit. If it's a lager yeast you might need a while longer to get the carbonation where you want it. Someone else here can correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Apparition]

In my experience (limited) a couple of weeks at ferment temp, around 18 deg, is ideal to get good carb action. Your 14 deg may have been a bit cool esp. if it's an ale yeast -not sure what comes with this kit. If it's a lager yeast you might need a while longer to get the carbonation where you want it. Someone else here can correct me if I'm wrong.

same yeast that comes with Kit which is larger yeast. brewing under house and it is always same temp about 14/15/16 deg. bloke at LHBS said that larger yeast is better in cooler temp?

 

[Apparition]

Didn't read the post above

Not sure what it could be :huh:

Hope someone can shed light on the situation

Maybe poor sealing bottles??

Bottles sealed well. seemed to get deafent sheeeeezz (still learning) when i cracked first bottle.

 

[wambesi]

same yeast that comes with Kit which is larger yeast. brewing under house and it is always same temp about 14/15/16 deg. bloke at LHBS said that larger yeast is better in cooler temp?

Yeah lager (not larger ) yeasts do work better in colder temps, however for the carbonation phase I don't think the warmer temps will affect the taste much if at all.
My advice would be to bring them inside into somewhere warmer to let them carbonate up (what I have done still with my lagers), alternatively you can keep them at the cooler temp, but it will always take longer to carbonate at lower temps (just like fermentation does) as the yeasts are slower at cooler temps.

Cheers

 

[sumo]

I did a K&K lager a while ago, 4 weeks after bottling I got the sheezz on opening but no bubbles... guttered.

Left the brew in the corner of the garage and at the 3 month mark decided to open another bottle. I just about got a volcano of carbonation!!! And it tastes every so good.

Don't give up, just leave it a little longer.

 

[bradsbrew]

If your getting a little bit of phsit after 2 weeks dont woory it will be ok. The cold will make it take longer but it will be lagering(aging) which is good for a lager. It will be all the better for the cold condition of sorts. Another 4weeks and then :chug: :beer:

 

[Apparition]

i'm starting to think all is ok, just i'm not patient enough with cool temp. looks like i'll wait 4 more weeks thats ok if you think it will be better

 

[wambesi]

i'm starting to think all is ok, just i'm not patient enough with cool temp. looks like i'll wait 4 more weeks thats ok if you think it will be better

Exactly right mate, sit back and let the yeasties do their thing, I usually start "tasting" a bottle at 2 weeks to "test" carb levels as well, my latest ale took about 3.5 weeks to carb properly with the cold weather here.

 

[Apparition]

Exactly right mate, sit back and let the yeasties do their thing, I usually start "tasting" a bottle at 2 weeks to "test" carb levels as well, my latest ale took about 3.5 weeks to carb properly with the cold weather here.

Thanks for all your help, for a first time user i'm stoked with all the help you have all given me. makes it all worth while and i am sure i will be back for more. and let you know how it turns out in 4 weeks.
cheers

 

[wambesi]

Thanks for all your help, for a first time user i'm stoked with all the help you have all given me. makes it all worth while and i am sure i will be back for more. and let you know how it turns out in 4 weeks.
cheers

Too easy mate, all to quickly it'll turn into an obsession. Both brewing and AHB
I've learn't so much on here it's not funny, hence my move to AG and also shortly to yeast farming. Spent the last two days pouring over threads on here about how to do it...there is always people ready to help out!

Keep it up, let us know how it goes and get another brew or two on!

 

[pablo_h]

Relax, Perth has been cold recently, most of my bottles are 16-14*C and haven't carbed up after 2-3 weeks. It's normal for that ambient, all the brews I did when the ambient was 20*c carbed up fine in two weeks, but these colder ones will need at least four weeks unless you warm them up.

 

[Bribie G]

Here in S.E.Q. my brew room has been at 18-22 and down to 16-18 during the recent cold snap and it's taken two weeks for recent brews to carb up to any noticeable degree. I expect it will even take at least a month in the bottle to reach full carb. It's sometimes a fine balance. Often the huge frothing and coarse 'bead' in some HBs is one of the things that gives home brewing a 'bad' image. Back in the bad old days of cheap kits full of corn syrup and slapdash priming the 'volcano' brew used to be common with K&K brewers. We're a bit more sophisticated nowadays.

 

[dicko]

Thanks for all your help, for a first time user i'm stoked with all the help you have all given me. makes it all worth while and i am sure i will be back for more. and let you know how it turns out in 4 weeks.
cheers

Hi,

I think it says on the instructions to bottle and put away for TWELVE weeks.
I would move it to a warmer place for a week or so and then put it away for a couple of months.

Cheers

 

[Apparition]

Hi,

I think it says on the instructions to bottle and put away for TWELVE weeks.
I would move it to a warmer place for a week or so and then put it away for a couple of months.

Cheers

WOW 12 weeks a man is not a camel. patience is better quality right so i will wait.
Next brew in fermenter is a Heritage lager with 1kg malt extract with about 15g of cascade hops dropped into fermenter. sitting about 14deg and very close to being bottled. This being a different kit but still a lager i assume will take the same amount of time?

 

[rimrunner]

yeah waiting is terrible when your thirsty. i suggest getting another fermenter and building up a stock so when you finally can drink your beer you don't run out and need another 4 weeks to wait for your next lot.


as for your question all lagers take a lot longer to ferment both in bottle and out. note that only lagers that use lager yeast have this problem. lagers that use ale yeast can brew up pretty quick but they aren't really lagers so i don't know why the kits say they are. :lol:

 

[Apparition]

yeah waiting is terrible when your thirsty. i suggest getting another fermenter and building up a stock so when you finally can drink your beer you don't run out and need another 4 weeks to wait for your next lot.


as for your question all lagers take a lot longer to ferment both in bottle and out. note that only lagers that use lager yeast have this problem. lagers that use ale yeast can brew up pretty quick but they aren't really lagers so i don't know why the kits say they are. :lol: