Help with first time brewing, not carbonated.

[skibopbapbadapbop]

This is my first time brewing, I made Morgan's Ginger Beer and followed the non-alcoholic recipe. This involved adding the mix, sugar, yeast, nutrient and stirring and waiting. I then bottled it and the recipe said specifically said not to add sugar to the bottles, which I assumed meant the carbonation drops. I thought this was so it didn't explode or become more than 0.5% alcohol. So it has been sitting in the bottles for 2 weeks, and they have been producing carbon dioxide because they resist more when you squeeze the bottle gently and when I opened one a little puff of gas came out. BUT THERE ARE NO BUBBLES!? The recipe said wait 2-3 weeks and it has been 2. Should I wait? Add sugar? What should I do?

 

[Hangover68]

Its probably too late to add sugar now, i'm surprised it says not to add any at bottling as to my understanding that is the only way it will naturally carbonate.
Was sort of temp did you store it at post bottling ? if it was too cool this can affect the carbonation process.

 

[skibopbapbadapbop]

Its probably too late to add sugar now, i'm surprised it says not to add any at bottling as to my understanding that is the only way it will naturally carbonate.
Was sort of temp did you store it at post bottling ? if it was too cool this can affect the carbonation process.

its not at a specific temp since i lost the thermometer but its about 25C most of the time. there was sugar added to the keg where i let it sit for a while but it said not to add sugar to the bottles or they will explode, so i assumed the necessary sugar was added when i added sugar to the keg as well as in the ginger beer mix thing

 

[skibopbapbadapbop]

the instrucions said to add 1kg of dextrose to keg for alcoholic or like 250g of regular sugar (so i used the carbonation drops since they are just sugar) for non alcoholic, so i added that

 

[skibopbapbadapbop]

i should also note that i am fine with waiting longer

 

[Hangover68]

2 weeks is generally enough, i when i do hard lemonade or cider i check a couple at 2 weeks to gauge how they are doing.

 

[Hyper.Intelligent.Fish]

Just looking for clarification.

For an alcoholic brew you add sugar during fermentation, then a small amount of sugar during bottling for carbonation.

For a non alcoholic brew you don't add any sugar during the mix, only the priming sugar when bottling.

I note you've written:

adding the mix, sugar, yeast, nutrient and stirring and waiting. I then bottled it and the recipe said specifically said not to add sugar to the bottles, which I assumed meant the carbonation drops.

It is possible to prime the entire batch then bottle immediately rather than prime each bottle, but you didn't specify how long you'd waited between mixing and bottling? Since you mentioned using carbonation drops I'm even more confused.

If you've added the mix, sugar, yeast and nutrient at the initial stage, then waited, then bottled it without priming sugar I'm assuming that the CO2 bubbles have escaped from the fermenter before bottling. If you bottled immediately it's possible that the carbonation drops didn't dissolve property in the batch before bottling.

It's also possible I'm misunderstanding what you've written.

 

[Coalminer]

How to Brew?

Shake can thoroughly before opening.

Non-alcoholic Ginger Beer:

1. Add 2 litres of hot water (not boiling) to a clean and sanitised container with a capacity of greater than 20 litres. Pour in the contents of this can and 115g of normal household sugar and stir to fully dissolve. Warning - add only the correct amount of sugar otherwise overgassed bottles could explode.


2. Add cold water to make up to 20 litres, stir while filling. Stir in yeast and nutrient thoroughly then cover vessel and allow to stand for half and hour. Stir occasionally during this period.

3. Assemble sufficient clean and sanitised bottles. Do not add any sugar to bottles. Stir brew again then fill bottles to the normal level and seal. Store bottles above 20 deg C for 2-3 weeks before opening. Use only as directed.

https://artisansbottega.com.au/morgans-ginger-beer-1-kg.html