Low Carbonation - Can it be fixed?

[Benfleet Brewery]

I’ve just tried a bottle of a lager I made on 13th November. It was packaged on 2nd December (one keg and 4 bottles) but I’ve obviously under done it with the sugar in the bottled ones as the carbonation is really low . Apart from that, it seems very nice. This is really frustrating as I was hoping to enter these into the Lager than life competition. Question is now, do I attempt to get something else ready in time or could I fix the current ones? I’m considering opening the remaining three up, adding another half a teaspoon of sugar and putting new caps on. Would be grateful for any suggestions please.

 

[MrJay83]

Get them warm for a few days. Hot press?

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

Get them warm for a few days. Hot press?

Hmm, they have been in the house since 2 December. one was taken out and put in the fridge at 12.00pm today for me to try this evening. My house isn’t cold, although the mrs might say otherwise

 

[Agentgonzo]

If it's been kept warmish for 4 weeks, it'll have finished carbonating so won't benefit from warming up. If it's been cold, then warming it for a couple of weeks might help

If not, your only option is to force carbonate (unlikely) or add more sugar. I've done the latter. A half teaspoon is a lot (that's what I prime with normally) so I would go with a quarter teaspoon as a top up. Do it over a sink and be ready to put a cap on _really_ quickly as it will foam up very very quickly. I've done it with pop tops and it was manageable. Caps are hard to get on quickly

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

If it's been kept warmish for 4 weeks, it'll have finished carbonating so won't benefit from warming up. If it's been cold, then warming it for a couple of weeks might help

If not, your only option is to force carbonate (unlikely) or add more sugar. I've done the latter. A half teaspoon is a lot (that's what I prime with normally) so I would go with a quarter teaspoon as a top up. Do it over a sink and be ready to put a cap on _really_ quickly as it will foam up very very quickly. I've done it with pop tops and it was manageable. Caps are hard to get on quickly

Yeah, I’m sure it’s finished. I used half a teaspoon on these which is the norm for me but it really needs quite a bit more this time. I’ve not had a second go at it before. You have me worried a bit with the talk of having to be quick

 

[Agentgonzo]

Yeah, I’m sure it’s finished. I used half a teaspoon on these which is the norm for me but it really needs quite a bit more this time. I’ve not had a second go at it before. You have me worried a bit with the talk of having to be quick

You've seen what happens when you put sugar in a bottle of fizzy drink right? It's no way near as bad at that, but even "flattish beer" will start to froth up if you chuck sugar in it.

If you want to be safe, make a sugar solution and put that into the bottle - no nucleation sites to make it fizz

 

[Agentgonzo]

You could always see how good/bad one is as a test to see how worried you need to be about the rest of the batch, or whether putting sugar in will actually be ok.

Just do the test one in a sink... And send a video!

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

Just do the test one in a sink... And send a video!

Ah, so you can all have a laugh at me making a mess of the kitchen eh?,

 

[YeastFace]

Benfleet later today