Bottle carbonation...

[Ska_J]

This is my second go (the stout in my signature) and it's been in bottles for a week now. I've opened one to check how it was getting along and carbonation is looking pretty poor. I expected to get a reasonable head at this stage, but I barely had anything. It'd be nice to think that another week or so will sort it out, but I suspect that's not the case. It's been in a shed, so I guess the temperature has been in the range of 19 C, which I believe is about right.

Is there any hope of it getting much more carbonation over time? Is it worth giving the bottles some agitation in the hope of waking the yeast up a bit? As a last resort I suppose I could try and get some more yeast in there, nothing to stop me opening each bottle and sprinkling a bit of dried stuff is there? I added 80g of sugar for the bottling so it should have enough to work with.

Any thoughts?

Cheers,

J.

[ashbyp]

If there wasn't much yeast left in there at bottling time then in my experience a week is not long enough.

I'd leave it another week and try another bottle, but in general you are always better off waiting a month or more...

[maxashton]

Try bringing a few bottles into the house for a few days, see how they get on in the warm.

[Ska_J]

Thanks folks,

I had planned to leave them longer before I began counting it as drinking them, rather than 'checking them'. I'll see if I can make it a full month, and perhaps give them a bit of that time somewhere warmer. Certainly easier than the uncapping and recapping plan.

I've already nearly got through the first lot though (and thats even despite the fact I didn't do a very good job of it), so I don't fancy those tasty looking beverages chances if they show any sign of fizzin up! Mmm, and it was tasty, even through the flatness...

J

[ashbyp]

just keep brewing until ever spare nook and cranny in your house is full of bottles. makes it easier to wait until things are really ready

[BlackBag]

ashbyp you want to try explaining that to my other half. She actually came out with the most ridiculous question I've heard last night . . .
"And what are you going to do with all this booze you're making?!?"

[Ska_J]

Haha, we're not brewing them to power the car, thats for sure. Nooks and crannies are not my limiting factor at the moment. Thats bottles. I'm either going to have to up my intake or find somwhere to dish out a few of their old ones to me.

I wonder which holds more bottles, a cranny or a nook..?