Flat Beer

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Fuzzybloke

Flat Beer

Post by Fuzzybloke » Sat Oct 14, 2017 12:58 pm

Good afternoon, my first posting on this forum.

I’m new to homebrew and I’ve brewed a Wilco own brand amber ale, which was dispensed in to bottle. All instructions were followed along with recommendations, such as substituting beer kit enhancer and brewing sugar to prime the bottles I also used finings to help clear the beer.

My problem is that the beer is flat, it does produce a head but this quickly disappears. Any ideas on where I went wrong. I’m going to start a second batch soon and I would like to get it right this time.


Thank you for reading this post.

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IPA
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Re: Flat Beer

Post by IPA » Sat Oct 14, 2017 2:58 pm

Anne Boleyn had a head retention problem as did other wives of Henry V111
But to be serious is the beer lacking in. CO2 or is it a problem of no head.
I think you need to provide a bit more info. What was the final gravity before bottling, how much priming did you add and how long and at what temperature did you leave it to condition are a couple of questions.
"You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on." Dean Martin

1. Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming... "f*ck, what a trip

It's better to lose time with friends than to lose friends with time (Portuguese proverb)

Alone we travel faster
Together we travel further
( In an admonishing email from our golf club)

chefgage
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Re: Flat Beer

Post by chefgage » Sat Oct 14, 2017 4:16 pm

How long have you left the beer to carbonate? Depending on the temperature so time can vary by quite a bit. So also what is the temperature where the beer is stored?

Fuzzybloke

Re: Flat Beer

Post by Fuzzybloke » Sat Oct 14, 2017 5:37 pm

Thank you for your replies. I've no idea what the final gravity was. I've thrown the instructions away now but I did accurately measure the correct amount of priming sugar. After bottling it left it for two weeks, as the instructions. I was advised to leave it a further two weeks which I have. Last night opened another bottle and it’s the same. The beer was brewed at room temp (approx 19-22) as I don't have any other place to brew, apart from the kitchen.

richard080561
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Re: Flat Beer

Post by richard080561 » Sat Oct 14, 2017 6:35 pm

Is there any release of CO2 when you open a bottle?
Head retention is not the sane as carbonation. I've brewed many beers that are sufficiently carbonated but don't retain their head.
Richard M
Cardiff

Fuzzybloke

Re: Flat Beer

Post by Fuzzybloke » Sat Oct 14, 2017 7:06 pm

When the cap is removed there is no noticeable sound or frothing. The beer tastes OK, just no head.

Any suggestions on my next kit, I do like the light amber ales?

richard080561
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Re: Flat Beer

Post by richard080561 » Sat Oct 14, 2017 7:36 pm

Well,if you followed the instructions it is difficult to guess what went wrong. Bottle tops not tight? Bottles not rinsed properly, some washing up liquid residue? Did you prime by add sugar o eah bottle or making a syrup and adding a bottling bucket?
Richard M
Cardiff

WalesAles
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Re: Flat Beer

Post by WalesAles » Sat Oct 14, 2017 8:33 pm

Fuzzy,
What size Brew, how much priming sugar?
Was the Beer Glass rinsed 3 times (at least)?
Buy a 20ml syringe, suck up 2ml of beer from the glass, hold syringe 10mm above beer,
forcefully empty the syringe into beer. If head not big enough, repeat. :D

WA

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Re: Flat Beer

Post by IPA » Sun Oct 15, 2017 7:49 am

I've no idea what the final gravity was
If you are serious about brewing you really should invest in a hydrometer otherwise next time you are likely to have over carbonated beer. Kit makers, in order to sell more, over simplify the process. A good thing to remember is that Airlock is not pronounced Hydrometer.
"You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on." Dean Martin

1. Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming... "f*ck, what a trip

It's better to lose time with friends than to lose friends with time (Portuguese proverb)

Alone we travel faster
Together we travel further
( In an admonishing email from our golf club)

rootsbrew

Re: Flat Beer

Post by rootsbrew » Sun Oct 15, 2017 1:01 pm

What a bummer! If the beer tastes ok, you're on the right track.

In very brief terms, fizz requires sugar, yeast and a closed container, while head (retention) requires unfermentable sugars.

Normally, fizz fails because either there's not enough sugar, not enough yeast, the yeast dies or the bottles weren't capped properly. Head fails normally because of residual oils, typically from hasty washing/rinsing.

For bottling, using a hyrometer allows you to know how much sugar has been used up, so how much to add to achieve desired pressure*. The worry is that by not measuring the gravity, you don't know to refresh the yeast or if the process of bottling will stir up latent yeast and start to metabolise both the unfinished wort and the priming sugar ... boom in a bottle! On the other hand, if the gravity goes much below 1.010, there might be an infection.

For a quick fix, take 2 bottles and swap about 10ml beer with 10ml yeast-sugar solution. Firmly reclose the bottles with New caps. Leave the bottles somewhere warm for 4-5 days then a day in the fridge. If they're fizzy, the most likely causes were not enough living yeast or not tight enough cap. If you want them all fizzy, extend this trial to the whole batch.

Next time, try doing a final rinse with boiled/bottled water because both chlorine and sulphur inhibit yeast. In the brew itself, try using two cans or 1 can + 500g <colour>DME + 500g Wheat DME; the wheat will add texture/body and massively improve head retention.

I see that you fined the beer - this might have brought the amount of dissolved yeast below a viable amount to prime in the typical 2 weeks. If still no fizz 8 weeks after bottling, it was something.

Good luck on the next brew.

* desired priming sugar & other useful calculators at Brewer's Friend.

Fuzzybloke

Re: Flat Beer

Post by Fuzzybloke » Sun Oct 15, 2017 4:32 pm

Thank you for all of your replies. I going to order another kit and have another go.

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