How long should I leave the bottles alone to carb?
  • After three weeks and 24 hours in the fridge my latest batch is still fizzy but undercarbed. How is that? Do I need to wait longer or what?
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 121,633

    After three weeks and 24 hours in the fridge my latest batch is still fizzy but undercarbed. How is that? Do I need to wait longer or what?



    how certain are you of the carb sugar amount? usually after 3-4 weeks the yeast have done their thing.
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • JayrizzleJayrizzle
    Posts: 90,066
    yeast move a lot faster at warmer temps. If I read that right, and they were in the fridge that whole time.... If so take them out and gently turn them upside down and back a few times a day to get the yeast off the bottom. They should fully carb in a week or less.
    "I don't have TP, but I do have ammo."
    -Some guy in Ohio
  • jlwjlw
    Posts: 16,454

    yeast move a lot faster at warmer temps. If I read that right, and they were in the fridge that whole time.... If so take them out and gently turn them upside down and back a few times a day to get the yeast off the bottom. They should fully carb in a week or less.



    Agree with DrJ.
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828
    Yeah.... don't put em in the fridge til they carb up .... 3 weeks is good for most beers .... but bigger ones can sometimes take a couple months ....
    You should be OK if you follow drj's advice
    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
  • Lakewood said:

    After three weeks and 24 hours in the fridge my latest batch is still fizzy but undercarbed. How is that? Do I need to wait longer or what?



    how certain are you of the carb sugar amount? usually after 3-4 weeks the yeast have done their thing.

    I used the little packet I got from the brew shop. I think it was 5oz? in just over 5 gallons of American Cream Ale.
  • yeast move a lot faster at warmer temps. If I read that right, and they were in the fridge that whole time.... If so take them out and gently turn them upside down and back a few times a day to get the yeast off the bottom. They should fully carb in a week or less.


    Oh yeah sorry. No I had the whole batch in the back bedroom at around 62* after I bottled. I took one out of that box at three weeks and shoved it in the fridge for 24 hours before opening it. It was fizzy, but after that settled it seemed flat. Not completely flat, just not as carbed as I would like it.
  • C_BC_B
    Posts: 88,477

    Lakewood said:

    After three weeks and 24 hours in the fridge my latest batch is still fizzy but undercarbed. How is that? Do I need to wait longer or what?



    how certain are you of the carb sugar amount? usually after 3-4 weeks the yeast have done their thing.

    I used the little packet I got from the brew shop. I think it was 5oz? in just over 5 gallons of American Cream Ale.

    That should he about right. Certainly not too low.

    yeast move a lot faster at warmer temps. If I read that right, and they were in the fridge that whole time.... If so take them out and gently turn them upside down and back a few times a day to get the yeast off the bottom. They should fully carb in a week or less.


    Oh yeah sorry. No I had the whole batch in the back bedroom at around 62* after I bottled. I took one out of that box at three weeks and shoved it in the fridge for 24 hours before opening it. It was fizzy, but after that settled it seemed flat. Not completely flat, just not as carbed as I would like it.

    62 is probably a bit chilly for that amount of time. I've always heard 3 weeks at 70. That's not to say it won't carb at 62, just that it will take longer.
    As far as fizzy goes.... I've noticed with mine, not the higher carbed beers I have to leave them in the fridge for a couple days at least before opening or else they'll do exactly what you described. That's a month after I bottled though usually. And the longer they sit conditioning the less I have this problem.
    "On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,657
    C_dubbs said:

    Lakewood said:

    After three weeks and 24 hours in the fridge my latest batch is still fizzy but undercarbed. How is that? Do I need to wait longer or what?



    how certain are you of the carb sugar amount? usually after 3-4 weeks the yeast have done their thing.

    I used the little packet I got from the brew shop. I think it was 5oz? in just over 5 gallons of American Cream Ale.

    That should he about right. Certainly not too low.

    yeast move a lot faster at warmer temps. If I read that right, and they were in the fridge that whole time.... If so take them out and gently turn them upside down and back a few times a day to get the yeast off the bottom. They should fully carb in a week or less.


    Oh yeah sorry. No I had the whole batch in the back bedroom at around 62* after I bottled. I took one out of that box at three weeks and shoved it in the fridge for 24 hours before opening it. It was fizzy, but after that settled it seemed flat. Not completely flat, just not as carbed as I would like it.

    62 is probably a bit chilly for that amount of time. I've always heard 3 weeks at 70. That's not to say it won't carb at 62, just that it will take longer.
    As far as fizzy goes.... I've noticed with mine, not the higher carbed beers I have to leave them in the fridge for a couple days at least before opening or else they'll do exactly what you described. That's a month after I bottled though usually. And the longer they sit conditioning the less I have this problem.


    you'll also get different amounts of co2 production at different temperatures. the warmer they are, the more co2 that the yeast will kick out.

    that's why i always refer to a priming calculator when i'm bottling and naturally carbonating, like this one:

    http://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • BenvarineBenvarine
    Posts: 1,606
    I force carb in the keg, but back when I bottled, I usually stored warmer, at or above 70 when carbing. Worth a shot.
  • jlwjlw
    Posts: 16,454
    I have had the problem that th OP originally stated. I have done what dr. J recommended and it worked great. Warm them up and give a gentle shake. One other thing you can do is turn the bottles upside down after the shake and store like that for a week.
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 121,633
    What does storing the bottle upside down do?
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828
    Lakewood said:

    What does storing the bottle upside down do?



    The yeast gets frisky when you make them stand on their heads .....
    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
  • jlwjlw
    Posts: 16,454
    Lakewood said:

    What does storing the bottle upside down do?



    I think it helps keep them from settling to the bottom. But I also admit it may do nothing.
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 121,633
    jlw said:

    Lakewood said:

    What does storing the bottle upside down do?



    I think it helps keep them from settling to the bottom. But I also admit it may do nothing.


    Wouldn't they just settle to the "top"?
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • jlwjlw
    Posts: 16,454
    Lakewood said:

    jlw said:

    Lakewood said:

    What does storing the bottle upside down do?



    I think it helps keep them from settling to the bottom. But I also admit it may do nothing.


    Wouldn't they just settle to the "top"?


    NO! The caps have a magical property that push the yeast in the oposite direction. Duh.
  • C_BC_B
    Posts: 88,477
    Lakewood said:

    jlw said:

    Lakewood said:

    What does storing the bottle upside down do?



    I think it helps keep them from settling to the bottom. But I also admit it may do nothing.


    Wouldn't they just settle to the "top"?


    Sure. But then a week later you flip it over and hang back in suspension.
    "On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 121,633
    jlw said:

    Lakewood said:

    jlw said:

    Lakewood said:

    What does storing the bottle upside down do?



    I think it helps keep them from settling to the bottom. But I also admit it may do nothing.


    Wouldn't they just settle to the "top"?


    NO! The caps have a magical property that push the yeast in the oposite direction. Duh.


    Makes sense.
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • jlwjlw
    Posts: 16,454
    C_dubbs said:

    Lakewood said:

    jlw said:

    Lakewood said:

    What does storing the bottle upside down do?



    I think it helps keep them from settling to the bottom. But I also admit it may do nothing.


    Wouldn't they just settle to the "top"?


    Sure. But then a week later you flip it over and hang back in suspension.


    Yeah. This. Probably flip every couple of days.