Carbonation disappointment - I need some advice

[unyeasted]

Hi all,

So I’ve just started out, real green beginner here. Bought myself a coopers brew kit, brewed the lager it comes with, and have since enjoyed a well carbonated, head-retaining beer. I used brew enhancer 1, that’s it, no extras. Followed the coopers DYI oversimplistic instructions, except I opened my first after one week of bottling (had spent 1 week in fermentation vessel prior), and it was already healthily carbonated then. A week later it fizzed and had the mouthfeel of a really good beer. I was stoked with that element.

Now I’m probably being impatient, but my second brew, a coopers real ale kit, with added Fuggle hops, has now been bottled for 9 days and just about flat. I used no3 enhancer, and just like the first batch, 2 carb drops per 760 ml bottle.

The beer tastes delicious in my opinion, but I’m worried it won’t carbonate much more, as my first lot was just about top notch by now.

So finally my question(s): what would cause such variance in carbonation (same priming quantities used), and ami just too impatient?

Thank you for reading through my simple conundrum. Please be gentle, I’m clearly wet behind the ears.

 

[Schikitar]

What temp are you storing your bottles in?

 

[unyeasted]

What temp are you storing your bottles in?

Hey mate, cheers for replying. I don’t know 100%. Im gonna say 20 degrees give or take a couple. I might keep a trusty thermometer in the cupboard to find out though. It’s in the shed, so I think there’s a bit of fluctuation.

 

[ABG]

Two tightly related key things can give you a variance here: yeast health and temperature.

If your yeast isn't healthy during your ferment, there's likely going to be less left to bottle condition post fermentation. If you're storing your beer somewhere cold while bottle conditioning, the yeast will be too dormant to produce the CO2 you're looking for.

I can highly recommend a book by Chris White and Jamil Zainasheff called Yeast. I learnt so much from it and the quality of my beer went from drinkable to pretty bloody good using K&K. I've since gone to AG brewing and got even better results, but the biggest improvements I got was from following the advice in Yeast.

 

[unyeasted]

Thank you so much. Sounds like you've put me onto a winner

 

[Schikitar]

Im gonna say 20 degrees give or take a couple. I might keep a trusty thermometer in the cupboard to find out though. It’s in the shed, so I think there’s a bit of fluctuation.

Yeah okay, given that those 1-2 weeks of carbonating is effectively a second ferment then you really need to tightly control the temperature just like you would with primary. You could take say three bottles, raz up one of them to get yeast back into suspension, the other two perhaps crack the lids and drop one carb drop in one and two carb drops in the other and reseal the bottles. Keep them at around 18-20 degrees and check them in a week to see what has/hasn't worked, then apply the fix to the others..

Also, you didn't mention how the original fermentation went - did you take hydrometer readings, was it a healthy ferment?

When I used to bottle I would put all my beers in cartons and stack them in my temp controlled fridge until they were done, controlling the temperature and the health of your yeast are both very important to quality of your beer.

 

[Nick667]

Hi all,

So I’ve just started out, real green beginner here. Bought myself a coopers brew kit, brewed the lager it comes with, and have since enjoyed a well carbonated, head-retaining beer. I used brew enhancer 1, that’s it, no extras. Followed the coopers DYI oversimplistic instructions, except I opened my first after one week of bottling (had spent 1 week in fermentation vessel prior), and it was already healthily carbonated then. A week later it fizzed and had the mouthfeel of a really good beer. I was stoked with that element.

Now I’m probably being impatient, but my second brew, a coopers real ale kit, with added Fuggle hops, has now been bottled for 9 days and just about flat. I used no3 enhancer, and just like the first batch, 2 carb drops per 760 ml bottle.

The beer tastes delicious in my opinion, but I’m worried it won’t carbonate much more, as my first lot was just about top notch by now.

So finally my question(s): what would cause such variance in carbonation (same priming quantities used), and ami just too impatient?

Thank you for reading through my simple conundrum. Please be gentle, I’m clearly wet behind the ears.

Hi there, have you checked the use by date on the can and did you use the yeast supplied with the kit?

 

[unyeasted]

Two tightly related key things can give you a variance here: yeast health and temperature.

If your yeast isn't healthy during your ferment, there's likely going to be less left to bottle condition post fermentation. If you're storing your beer somewhere cold while bottle conditioning, the yeast will be too dormant to produce the CO2 you're looking for.

I can highly recommend a book by Chris White and Jamil Zainasheff called Yeast. I learnt so much from it and the quality of my beer went from drinkable to pretty bloody good using K&K. I've since gone to AG brewing and got even better results, but the biggest improvements I got was from following the advice in Yeast.

Wicked. Will check that book out. Looks like they do a book on each main beer ingredient. Cheers!

 

[unyeasted]

Hi there, have you checked the use by date on the can and did you use the yeast supplied with the kit?

Hi, yes and yes. Both times. I’ve used a different yeast for my third kit which is still primary fermenting.

 

[unyeasted]

Yeah okay, given that those 1-2 weeks of carbonating is effectively a second ferment then you really need to tightly control the temperature just like you would with primary. You could take say three bottles, raz up one of them to get yeast back into suspension, the other two perhaps crack the lids and drop one carb drop in one and two carb drops in the other and reseal the bottles. Keep them at around 18-20 degrees and check them in a week to see what has/hasn't worked, then apply the fix to the others..

Also, you didn't mention how the original fermentation went - did you take hydrometer readings, was it a healthy ferment?

When I used to bottle I would put all my beers in cartons and stack them in my temp controlled fridge until they were done, controlling the temperature and the health of your yeast are both very important to quality of your beer.

Thank you for the tips. Sounds like I need to pay more attention to secondary fermentation in general.

Side note - about half the bottles appear appropriately carbonated now. Seems the process is a bit longer with this one. Now I’m beginning to grasp exactly the plethora of variables at play. Cheers!