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Bottled Extract Carbonation

Billericay Brewer

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Hi all,
Bottled my first extract ale 2 weeks ago following Beersmith 2 carbonation guide. Diluted the sugar and added to a bottling bucket and bottled from there using grolsch bottles. The last bottle was only 3/4 full so I opened that after a week and it went off like a champagne bottle, thick creamy head right to the end. Now a week later every bottle I've tried is quite flat - still tastes great but I can't understand what has happened to the carbonation. Has anyone got any ideas? 
 
My guess is that you didn't mix the sugar in well enough into your bottle bucket, and it settled to the bottom. Then when you bottled, the last one got too much and the rest didn't get enough.
 
Thanks for the quick reply, that's what I thought must have happened. I did pour my sugar mixture in first then syphoned the beer into the bucket which was swirling but I was trying not to get too much air in it. Perhaps next time I'll put the sugar mixture in last then give it a gentle stir.
 
I was trying not to get too much air in it

If you aren't splashing it around you don't have to worry about getting air into it.

then give it a gentle stir

Sugar is heavy. Think about what happens when you put chocolate syrup into milk or powdered drink mix into water.
It settles down to the bottom. Is a gentle stir going to mix together your chocolate milk or Hawaiian Punch? I don't think so.

Give it a vigorous stir with something long enough to reach the bottom (if you don't have such an implement, spend five bucks on one) being careful not to splash, and you'll be fine. 
 
Bottled my second batch and opened a couple after a week ( just for testing of course ) and they seem a lot more even. Thanks for the advice about stirring it harder, does seem to have made a difference.
 
Bottled my Extract and Partial grain Octoberfest on 3/19/12.  It has been bottle conditioning since.  Today I popped open a 12 oz bottle and it was very fizzy with plenty of head.  It smelled and tasted somewhat cidery or perhaps citrus like, with a slight yeast overture.  Ironically as it sat, and as I poured the second half of the bottle, it seemed to mellow out and taste much better.  Has anyone experienced this before or is this just me adjusting to the beer?  I was hopeful of entering this in the San Diego Beer fest Homebrew competition July 1, but would not unless they would use the second half and let it sit for 15", which is obviously unlikely or impracticable.  Guess the positive might be I can get an unbiased opinion, but doubt that you see your results unless you are a winner.  Fortunately I have several other brews to submit for my first contest.
 
If that is a regular homebrew comp, then you should get score sheets from the judges on each entry. 
 
So just a quick question about flat beer; is there anything that can be done with a batch that didn't carbonate?
 
So just a quick question about flat beer; is there anything that can be done with a batch that didn't carbonate?

Pour some into a large glass. Pour some fully carbonated brew on top. Enjoy some semi-carbonated beer.
 
Gave it a shot, worked nicely. Unfortunately they are all in 22 oz bottles, that was a lot of beer.
 
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