Brewing Master

Question:

As for my questions (and I apologize if this has already been dealt with extensively), I bottled my second batch last week.  To prime it, I boiled 1 and 1/4 cups of malt extract in a pint of water, cooled it a bit, then poured it into the bottom of my bottling bucket.  I siphoned the flat beer into it, stirred it a little, though I’ll admit not much since I figured the siphoning alone would mix it. It’s been at least one week and the bottles are clear.  I opened one this evening to check the flavor and noticed that while it’s not entirely flat it doesn’t seem to be as carbonated as it should be. There’s no head to speak of.  I opened two more just to make sure and they all seem to have the same problem.

I haven’t primed using malt yet since everything I’ve read states that malt priming takes much longer to carbonate your beer than dextrose does. Carbonating with the recommended 3/4 c. dextrose per 5 gal. takes my beer a couple of weeks to carbonate well. You probably should wait a month post bottling before being concerned with under carbonation. Don Young

Response:

: Is there a FAQ available for this group? Yes. The FAQ is posted about once a month. You can get it at: http://www.dna.lth.se/EHP/rcb.faq or: http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/brewing-faq/faq.html You will also find a lot of related FAQs and other documents on the Brewery web server: http://alpha.rollanet.org/ Cheers! —Mark

Response:

It’s been at least one week and the bottles are clear.  I opened one this evening to check the flavor and noticed that while it’s not entirely flat it doesn’t seem to be as carbonated as it should be. There’s no head to speak of.  I opened two more just to make sure and they all seem to have the same problem. What could have caused this?  My SG ended up being 1.014.  And is there *anything* I might do to fix this?

Markl gave you all the FAQ info. Your carbonation problem is just a matter of time. To paraphrase the mighty Charlie, Relax, wait a couple of weeks and have a homebrew. DME is slow at carbonating compared to dextrose and I give my ales at least 2 weeks using corn sugar. Your procedures sound fine, it should be good given a tad of time. Val Lipscomb-brewing in sunny San Antonio

Response:

I bottled my second batch last week.  To prime it, I boiled 1 and 1/4 cups of malt extract in a pint of water, cooled it a bit, then poured it into the bottom of my bottling bucket.  I siphoned the flat beer into it, stirred it a little, though I’ll admit not much since I figured the siphoning alone would mix it.

The siphoning alone does it for me (when I bottle. Kegs are much easier, but that’s a whole ‘nother thread.) It’s been at least one week and the bottles are clear.  I opened one this evening to check the flavor and noticed that while it’s not entirely flat it doesn’t seem to be as carbonated as it should be.

Well, it’s only been a week. If you’re used to priming with dextrose (corn sugar), malt extract usually takes a little longer. There’s no head to speak of.  I opened two more just to make sure and they all seem to have the same problem.

Yes, I agree that extensive research does tend to help with relaxation. It’s a good thing that all bottles have about the same carbonation; this points to sufficient mixing and consistant results. What could have caused this?  My SG ended up being 1.014.  And is there *anything* I might do to fix this?  I was very careful about rinsing the bottles thoroughly with very hot water after I washed them, and I made sure to rinse them out carefully after sanitizing.  I don’t have anything other than sugar that I could possibly use to prime it a bit more, though I don’t think that’s a good idea.

I think you just need to wait a little longer. Oh, just in case you need the info, I brewed this using a 1.6kg can of India Pale Ale syrup (BrewMaker) and 3 lbs of plain light dry malt.  I also used an ounce of Fuggles pellets for finishing.  The guy at the brewstore where I bought the stuff gave me another yeast package because he said the one that comes with the can is often old.  I rehydrated the yeast according to the instructions on the outside of the packet (put it into 40 to 46 degree C sterilized water, let it sit for 15 minutes, then mix well) before pitching.

Sounds good to me. Very wise choice, to use extract as opposed to dextrose, to make up the bulk on the recipe. Or should I just let them sit longer and see what happens?  The temperature in my apartment is usually between 68 and 73 degrees F.

I’d just go ahead and wait. You should have no problems at all. Worst case is, this batch, the beer’s a touch flat. Oh, well, at least it’s not gushers. Also, as this is the first post I’ve seen from you, welcome. Jo3sh

Response:

Is there a FAQ available for this group? As for my questions (and I apologize if this has already been dealt with extensively), I bottled my second batch last week.  To prime it, I boiled 1 and 1/4 cups of malt extract in a pint of water, cooled it a bit, then poured it into the bottom of my bottling bucket.  I siphoned the flat beer into it, stirred it a little, though I’ll admit not much since I figured the siphoning alone would mix it. It’s been at least one week and the bottles are clear.  I opened one this evening to check the flavor and noticed that while it’s not entirely flat it doesn’t seem to be as carbonated as it should be. There’s no head to speak of.  I opened two more just to make sure and they all seem to have the same problem. What could have caused this?  My SG ended up being 1.014.  And is there *anything* I might do to fix this?  I was very careful about rinsing the bottles thoroughly with very hot water after I washed them, and I made sure to rinse them out carefully after sanitizing.  I don’t have anything other than sugar that I could possibly use to prime it a bit more, though I don’t think that’s a good idea. Oh, just in case you need the info, I brewed this using a 1.6kg can of India Pale Ale syrup (BrewMaker) and 3 lbs of plain light dry malt.  I also used an ounce of Fuggles pellets for finishing.  The guy at the brewstore where I bought the stuff gave me another yeast package because he said the one that comes with the can is often old.  I rehydrated the yeast according to the instructions on the outside of the packet (put it into 40 to 46 degree C sterilized water, let it sit for 15 minutes, then mix well) before pitching. Or should I just let them sit longer and see what happens?  The temperature in my apartment is usually between 68 and 73 degrees F. Thanks in advance,

Response: