I have been drinking several batches of a Czech pilsner recipe I made. I used Bru'n Water to adjust my RO water using their Pilsen water profile. I have always used 5 oz of priming sugar when I bottle. The last batch was over carbonated and I think the previous batches were well carbonated. I now have several batches in the pipeline of an American lager. I used Bru'n Water to adjust my RO water using their American Lager water profile. With this water profile I use significantly more water additions, about 3x more. The current batch is rather flat and I sampled some of the newer batches and think they are going to be flat as well. I didn't do anything different between the Czech pilsner and the American lager other than the malts and hops and the water additions. Each batch spent about a week conditioning at around 70F before going into my garage where it's about 50F to 60F for at least 3 weeks. Does anyone know what the problem could be? Thanks.
Carbonation Problem
- Thread starter d40dave
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You should leave the at ~70°F for three weeks. Cooling before then will slow down the carbonation. Also, make sure you chill the bottles to serving temp for at least 24 hrs prior to opening.
The overcarb case could be due to not letting the beer completely finish fermentation prior to bottling. The residual sugar from an unfinished fermentation plus the priming sugar will make more than the expected amount of CO2. You should always insure fermentation is complete by getting the same FG reading two or more days apart. If the FG isn't stable, fermentation isn't done.
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The overcarb case could be due to not letting the beer completely finish fermentation prior to bottling. The residual sugar from an unfinished fermentation plus the priming sugar will make more than the expected amount of CO2. You should always insure fermentation is complete by getting the same FG reading two or more days apart. If the FG isn't stable, fermentation isn't done.
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So the water chemistry and the malts shouldn't have anything to do with it? I will put all my batches back in my 70F utility room. Thanks.
Actually my utility room has it's own thermostat. In order to speed up the process what temperature do you think would be best considering I don't have much time before consuming? To put it another way, is there a maximum recommended temperature to bottle condition.
Actually my utility room has it's own thermostat. In order to speed up the process what temperature do you think would be best considering I don't have much time before consuming? To put it another way, is there a maximum recommended temperature to bottle condition.
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75°F should do fine to speed up carbonation.
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Did you end up with the same number of bottles in every batch? 5oz is at the high end of carbonation for 5 gallons so a difference in liquid volume is going to be magnified.
I allways end up with 49 to 52 bottles, normally 50 bottles. If I have less than a bottle after bottling I save it and that night I will gradually mix it it with the beer I currently drinking. After all, it's a sin to waste beer.
I would not expect water profile to affect carbonation. I have had some really high gravity viscous stouts that seemed to defy force carbing though....
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