Sweet taste - low carbonation

[BobbyBoucher]

Made a extract brew following a recipe and kit from AHB. It's a red ale so something a little different to what I've brewed previously.

It's been bottle conditioning for about 3 weeks now and I've started having a few (I know they would probably benefit from longer conditioning). The carbonation is a lot lower than I have had using same sugar measurements in previous brews and I'm getting a much sweeter taste than I thought I would.

My question/theory is it possible that there wasn't enough remaining yeast in the brew bottle condition? That is why I'm getting a sweeter taste as there is still sugar in the bottles and therefore not as much carbonation?

I may have pitched the yeast at a slightly higher temp than normal on this brew as it was taking ages to cool down and I was getting impatient.

Just been trying to work out ideas as to what I could do differently.

 

[mongey]

Recipe ?
Yeast?
Og? Fg ?
How much priming sugar ?

 

[BobbyBoucher]

Can't find the recipe, only recently moved house and have misplaced a few things recently. I wrote the OG/SG on the recipe so that is obviously gone too.

For priming sugar I used a pretty level teaspoon. Bottling in 750ml bottles.

 

[Garagebrew]

Any chance that your bottles got too cold early in conditioning and put the yeast to sleep?
If so then a bit more time at a stable temp and maybe a bit of a swirl to help agitate the yeast might help, any agitation might mean that you have to wait for the yeast to re settle but it’s worth the wait for a better beer.
Also have a look into bulk priming to speed up your bottling. I know this is unrelated to your issue but it’ll save you some time and effort on the next batch.
Cheers, James.

 

[Danscraftbeer]

What yeast? In the past when I bottled this used to happen with S-04 yeast. That's a yeast that seems to need a bit more help like higher, healthier pitch rate. Or it conks out sometimes not finishing the ferment and failing in the bottle ferment as well.

 

[BobbyBoucher]

Any chance that your bottles got too cold early in conditioning and put the yeast to sleep?
If so then a bit more time at a stable temp and maybe a bit of a swirl to help agitate the yeast might help, any agitation might mean that you have to wait for the yeast to re settle but it’s worth the wait for a better beer.
Also have a look into bulk priming to speed up your bottling. I know this is unrelated to your issue but it’ll save you some time and effort on the next batch.
Cheers, James.

Bottles have been at a pretty stable temp for a while now. I gave each bottle a full turn to mix things up a bit and waited another week. Certainly more carbonation, a lot more bubbles in the glass and a lot longer lasting head. Slightly sweet taste was still there so I think I'll wait another few weeks and see how I go.

 

[Hangover68]

A teaspoon is a bit light on for a 750ml bottle, its about right for a stubbie.

 

[Coalminer]

https://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/

 

[Eddy Monsoon]

Slightly off topic, but I've got a Ginger beer brewing that's too dry.

Anyway of sweetening it either before or when I bottle that won't overprime and make it explode ?

 

[Hangover68]

Slightly off topic, but I've got a Ginger beer brewing that's too dry.

Anyway of sweetening it either before or when I bottle that won't overprime and make it explode ?

You could try lactose, i use it in hard lemonade.

 

[Eddy Monsoon]

You could try lactose, i use it in hard lemonade.

Thank you , I will

Any tips on adding it ?

If mixing in the barrel I'll have to let it settle a while , but at least I can taste it before bottling ?

If straight to the bottle, is the powder a froth issue ?