Flat/Inconsistently Carbonated Beer

[Enoch52]

I just cracked my second test bottle of a Bavarian hefeweizen I bottled on 5/11. Fermentation was started pretty quick and dropped off quickly as well, but my FG readings were down around 1.002, so I'm confident it actually fermented.

This was an extract recipe. I boiled 5oz of corn sugar, cooled it, and added it to the bottom of the bottling bucket. I racked the beer on top of it, then bottled.

Problem is, the carbonation is very, very light. A slight hiss when I cracked the cap, a small head that dissipated quickly despite a vigorous pour. I've only tested two, and it's possible that others are better carbonated. In fact, I had two bottle bombs.

The interesting thing is that the batch before this was the same way--it was really 5 1gal batches, and some of them were actually well-carbonated. I'm wondering if these will prove to be the same, and what the cause is.

In my mind, the most likely culprit is that the corn sugar didn't get mixed well with the beer. This is only my 5th beer (assuming you count all the 1gal batches as a single batch), and I used pretty much the same process for my first three, that carbonated fine.

Any ideas?

 

[brewkinger]

Wiser voices will chime in I am sure, but here is my .02c.

If you are racking the beer ON TOP of your priming sugar then it is getting mixed adequately.

The culprit could be in the capping process. I always test every bottle by trying to rotate the cap. If it spins at all, most likely will leak CO2.

Other than that, if you are not conditioning for the RIGHT time (3 wks seems to be the general HBT opinion) at the RIGHT temp (70 degree minimum HBT opinion) then you will get inconsistent results (ask me how I know this?)

Hope ya figure it out though, it was frustrating for me when it was happening to me.

 

[Enoch52]

Thanks--capping suddenly occurred to me last night as well. I'm not sure it's conditioning or temp, because it's inconsistent between bottles. But with most of them being flat, it could certainly point to capping as the culprit. Especially since I used my dad's capper for my first brew, and it carbonated fine. My capper is a Red Baron capper, and it feels like the arms flex every time I cap. It crimps OK, but I panicked at first because it doesn't leave a dimple the way my dad's does.

 

[RoadKing]

I haven't bottled anything in 18 or so years but, I think you may have to stir it (gently) to disperse the sugar evenly.

 

[Enoch52]

That was my original thought before I considered capping--but I'm pretty sure my bottling process has been consistent since my first brews, and originally my carbonation was fine. It's still possible, but I'm starting to lean toward the capper (or my use of it, maybe) being the problem.

 

[kombat]

my FG readings were down around 1.002

[...]

This was an extract recipe.

You got an extract batch to ferment down to 1.002?? Impressive! Are you sure you don't mean 1.020?

 

[Enoch52]

Nope, I mean 1.002. It's possible my hydrometer is miscalibrated, but it fermented pretty hard and fast. Do the sugars in extract generally not attenuate as well as those from mashed grains?

 

[Enoch52]

Well, the bottle caps seem tight. They're not turning at all. An infection couldn't cause something like this, could it?

I suppose as an experiment, I could borrow my dad's capper next time I bottle and cap every other one with his capper and see if that helps (this would eliminate the possibility of one set carbonating better than another because it was at the top/bottom of the bottling bucket).

 

[RM-MN]

I've had problems with uneven carbonation on some batches from pouring the priming solution into the bucket and racking the beer on top. Sometimes it mixes well, sometimes not. Lately I've started the siphon first and got a bit of beer in the bucket before adding in the priming sugar solution and then slowly stirring it with the sanitized spoon.

The Red Baron capper works very well. I've had 3 uncarbonated bottles in well over 1000 with mine. The bell that forms the crimp screws on. Make sure yours is screwed on tight or it could cause problems.

 

[Setesh]

Are you using standard bottles or screw top bottles? Screw top bottles are extremely finicky and can definitely cause this problem.

 

[Enoch52]

I'm using all recycled standard bottles. Right now my plan is to check my capper to make sure it's screwed tight, stir the beer gently once I've racked it, and alternate cappers. That should give me a pretty good idea where the problem is (if the tightening and stirring doesn't fix it altogether).

 

[DocScott]

Well, the bottle caps seem tight. They're not turning at all. An infection couldn't cause something like this, could it?

Infection would lead to over carbonation. The unwanted bugs would chew through the sugars that the yeast can't and create co2 trapped in the bottle

The fact that you had 2 bottle bombs and 2 under carbed bottles sure sounds like you had unequal distribution of your priming sugar. I've had a couple batches like that and can't figure out why. Try adding half the priming solution, the rack ontop and half way through the rack, add remainder of priming solution. You can also try swirling the bottling bucket (but risk oxidation). For whatever reason, it happens sometimes

 

[shutupjojo]

If your hydrometer is correct, 1.002 sounds too low. Could be infected. Did you add lots of sugar in your recipe?

 

[ncbrewer]

The inconsistent carbonation, including two bottle bombs, makes me lean toward poor mixing of the priming solution.

FG of 1.002 doesn't seem right, but I don't know how that would affect your situation. If a bacterial infection caused bottle bombs, then why aren't they all over-carbed?

 

[Enoch52]

The FG may not be right. I suspect my hydrometer may need calibration.

I had the same thought about infection--it should have affected them all and led to overcarbing rather than undercarbing, but I thought I'd ask wiser minds.

 

[Setesh]

If you didn't clean a bottle or two well enough it is certainly possible to have an infection in just those bottles.