Have I tried it to early?

[Chrisnewton]

Hi all

I bottled a lager kit just over a week ago and tonight I thought I'd give one a try. Thing is when I opened the bottle there was very little fizz noise and when I poured it out there was no head at all.

As I'm sat looking at it in the glass it's got plenty of bubbles rising from the bottom and it tastes OK but no head and not how I remember home brew lager from before.

Is it possible that I have tried one to early or is it a case of if it's not got a head on it now... it never will?

 

[ManseMasher]

A good rule of thumb, after two weeks in the fv, let it condition for four. It will improve!

 

[Chrisnewton]

Thanks so I may get a little head on it?

 

[ManseMasher]

You should - what did you prime it with, and what temperature is it at?

 

[Chrisnewton]

I put 2 carbonation drops in each bottle it's been in house for a week and just put in in shed now

 

[ManseMasher]

Leave it two more weeks. (Ok try one next Friday!). You'll be pleasantly surprised, and make sure you let us know!

 

[Chrisnewton]

Thanks a lot matey

 

[GlentoranMark]

No matter what I'll guarantee your best pint will be your last one of your batch.

Patience is a virtue, if you don't have any then get another kit on as soon as you bottle your last. That way you'll soon build up a decent supply. It also makes brew, bottling and cleaning days so much easier.

 

[Chrisnewton]

Thanks, one thing I cleaned my bottles in a dishwasher, but I guess that would not make a difference with the fizz when you open the bottle?

 

[ManseMasher]

There is a big difference between cleaning and sterilising/sanitising. I won't go in to it here, but if your beer is fizzing when you open it everything is fine. Leave it that couple of weeks, the remaining yeast eats your priming agent, giving off co2 in the process. Hey ho, fizzy beer. Not wanting to put you off, but that fizziness is actually yeast fart.....

 

[Chrisnewton]

Thanks but all I'm really asking Is will washing my bottles in dishwasher damage chances of a good head?

I appreciate your help, I'm clueless to all this

 

[Chrisnewton]

It's fizzing but barely

 

[baggybill]

Patience, mate, patience... go buy some shop beer and forget about it for a while (easier said than done!) :drink:

Edit: dishwasher not a problem, washing your drinking glass in soapy water (head killer) might be if you do that.

 

[Chrisnewton]

Lol your right... I thought a week was too soon

 

[Jymdastard]

Ok, so, I'm new here and I'm
Probably posting in the wrong place but, here goes.

I've done a coopers stout, just the standard one with beer enhancer 2. Brewed to 21ltr at 20c. 1 week into fermentation, tested with hydrometer and tasted good. 10 days in and it tasted like apples but gravity still dropping. 2 weeks in an apple toast/smell is mostly gone and fermentation had stopped. Kegged with 90 grams of brewing sugar, left in same temp for 2.5 weeks to carb up. Tasted just before I put it in the garage and the apple taste is back! It's in a king keg which was properly washed and sanitised with starsan so, I don't know if I am doing something wrong or is it too green? It's did shake it about a bit when I carried it so, not sure if that would be it? I'm annoyed because when I tested it out of the fermenter it was really good. It does t have infected smell or taste, just apples.
Is it just green or am I being impatient and trying it when it is too green?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[MyQul]

Apple flavour is acetaldehyde a pre cursor to alcohol. It means your beer is still green so leave it to condition some more

 

[Jymdastard]

Thanks!

Will the apple flavour still disappear if conditioning at lower temps in the garage?

 

[Slid]

No matter what I'll guarantee your best pint will be your last one of your batch.

Patience is a virtue, if you don't have any then get another kit on as soon as you bottle your last. That way you'll soon build up a decent supply. It also makes brew, bottling and cleaning days so much easier.

Absolutely the truth about any first homebrew.

Mine (this time around) was a Coopers Original Lager done late September 2013 and the last bottle was "great on New Year's Eve".

Building up a supply of beer is the way to go. One out - one in.

 

[MyQul]

Thanks!

Will the apple flavour still disappear if conditioning at lower temps in the garage?

Should do but slower. Basically the yeast will clean up/reabsorb the apple flavour that it initially created but because there at a lower temp they'll work more slowly

 

[rodabod]

Keep them somewhere warm too, in case the yeast are feeling tired.