Can my beer be saved?

StupidLikeAFox

Hey guys,

I made my second batch of beer recently, it was a Coopers Wheat beer. It was all going well in the first fermentation. However when it came to bottling I realised I didnt have any carbonation drops so had to make do with normal sugar.

I have left my bottles for ~5 weeks but they are kind of flat - theres not much fizz - and also there isn't much of a white residue on the bottom of the bottles (which was present in my first batch)

Now when I was filling it I was conscious of the fact that too much sugar can produce bottle bombs so I fear that I edged a little on the side of caution and put in too little sugar. I put about half a teaspoon in each bottle (330ml). Does this sound like it could be the case that theres too little sugar or could it be something else?

Also, Im guessing that the only way to save it is to open up each bottle, add more sugar and cap them again?

Any tips or previous experience in a similar situation would be much appreciated!

mayto

Half a tsp per 330ml should be plenty for carbonation. Were the beers carbonating at about 18C of higher, if too much colder they might not fizz up and just need a warmer place for a few weeks. There shoud be plenty of yeast left for bottle conditioning, even if left cool for a few weeks in the fermenters. The caps might leak c02 but doubtful about that unless beer comes out when you invert bottles :P

StupidLikeAFox

Thanks Mayto,

I have tried to research this and came across a forum that says my yeast could be dead, could this be the case? The temperature wasn't that low, it was probably between 16 and 18 degrees, which is on the low end but not freezing?

Bigcheeze

StupidLikeAFox wrote: »

Thanks Mayto,

I have tried to research this and came across a forum that says my yeast could be dead, could this be the case? The temperature wasn't that low, it was probably between 16 and 18 degrees, which is on the low end but not freezing?

Your yeast aren't dead, just dormant. The sugar will get them going again. There is not much yeast residue in the bottles because the addition of the sugar creates more yeast.

StupidLikeAFox

Ok, so I have moved them to the parents house as the mother always has the heating on and their thermostat is set at 26 degrees or so. I'm gonna leave it there for a week or so and see how it gets on,

Watch this space!

Khannie

StupidLikeAFox wrote: »

their thermostat is set at 26 degrees

:eek: