Learning

[Pist n broke]

howdy... Trying to learn how to make better beer... I have 3 attempts and all of them have failed... The carbonation is what is failing...

 

[Hermies]

Not enough carbonation ? Too much ? need a bit more info .

 

[Pist n broke]

Not enough..lol taste is "ok" but it almost goes flat after about 1 minute...

 

[manticle]

Kegged? Bottled? How? Recipe? Carbonation method?

There’s loads here who will help but give us more than ‘why is my piece of string so long’?

 

[Hermies]

When I started brewing and packaging in bottles I used one teaspoon of sugar in each 500 ml bottle . When I bulk primed I use dextrose and weigh it . Carbonation depends on the style of beer and what you like eg high carbonation or lower carbonation like Manticle does . I like to use around 130 - 140 gms of dextrose for my pales ( bulk priming : tip in your priming sugar into some water and boil lt cool a lttle tip it into a sanitised fermenter and gently pour the beer into the sanitised fermnter and package from there) .

 

[Pist n broke]

I bought mangrove jack tins and followed the instructions and after a week and ft was about 990 i bottles it in 750 ml glass bottles with flip latch lock lids (recommended by brew shop) and dropped 3 carb tablets in.... Waited for 2 weeks then in the fridge for few days and four. Thr beer to be clear and taste was not bad but carbonation was terrible.., tasted flat after about 1 minute.

 

[Garagebrew]

Does it pour foamy? Might need a lower temp in the fridge.
I also generally leave any bottled beer I brew for at least a month before drinking which may or may not make a difference to carbonation.
Make sure your beer is protected from light and high/low temps as well.

 

[YAPN]

. Waited for 2 weeks

Were you able to keep a stable temperature after bottling, any sudden drop?
Also the new bottles may have still had some factory gunk that required a really good clean. But I'm guessing you did that.
A lot of people here recommend aerating the wort or at least giving it a vigorous stir before pitching the yeast for a healthy fermentation.

 

[manticle]

I bought mangrove jack tins and followed the instructions and after a week and ft was about 990 i bottles it in 750 ml glass bottles with flip latch lock lids (recommended by brew shop) and dropped 3 carb tablets in.... Waited for 2 weeks then in the fridge for few days and four. Thr beer to be clear and taste was not bad but carbonation was terrible.., tasted flat after about 1 minute.

Check that lids have sealed properly.
How warm during those 2 weeks before the fridge?

Take a couple out, put somewhere warm (room temp) for another week or so.

3 drops is a lot. Are your positive fermentation was well and truly complete?

 

[manticle]

Does it pour foamy? Might need a lower temp in the fridge.
I also generally leave any bottled beer I brew for at least a month before drinking which may or may not make a difference to carbonation.
Make sure your beer is protected from light and high/low temps as well.

Protect from low temps? In what sense?

 

[Garagebrew]

Sorry mate I wrote that after a 14 hr shift haha, I meant low temps during conditioning so the yeast is able to consume the priming sugar for carbonation.
Admittedly at this time of year low temps probably aren't the problem.

 

[Grott]

As manticle mention, 3 carb tablets is a lot when 2 is recommended for 750ml bottles. Did you get a loud pop when you opened a bottle? If not then my first check would be the seals however for everyone to be faulty would be strange.

 

[manticle]

Sorry mate I wrote that after a 14 hr shift haha, I meant low temps during conditioning so the yeast is able to consume the priming sugar for carbonation.
Admittedly at this time of year low temps probably aren't the problem.

Gotcha

 

[mtb]

I bought mangrove jack tins and followed the instructions and after a week and ft was about 990 i bottles it in 750 ml glass bottles

Are you saying 990 was the hydrometer reading?

 

[wereprawn]

As mentioned, with 3 carb drops, it's almost certainly over carbed. Sounds strange that over carbing can result in flat beer but if you're getting a lot of foam (head) in the glass it will often result in flatter beer. A bit like shaking the **** out of a stubbie, opening it immediately, watching it foam up and drinking it.

 

[[email protected]]

Yes, overcarbed will always result in flat beer as the CO2 rushes out and gives more head than beer. The ideal sound when cracking a fresh bottle should be just a small fshhh sound with no frothing in the bottle. I use Gyle to carbonate my bottled beer, Beer Smith has a link to a useful self populating spreadsheet that will give correct volumes of beer to CO2 volumes to volume of gyle required.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

BULK PRIME.

Problem solved