Cloudy Flat Beer - Can anyone help?

Miles PA

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I have just sampled my most recent beer after two weeks in the BV (pressure barrel) and its distinctly flat with zero head. I have added a shot of C02 but hasn't made it much better. I added priming sugar when transferred it from the FV to the BV but doent have seemed to have done much. Can anyone shed any light on the reason behind this and if there anything I can do to improve it or better to chuck batch and start again?
 

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Miles
I'm a bit different but I keg at 40psi for 36hrs. Reduce to serving pressure and Viola. Ready to drink.

I guess I would add CO2 but maybe you can't add CO2 in such a vessel

Is this a new process or have you been doing it this way for several batches?

Cabin
 
Semper asked some great questions. I assume you are using the "BV" as a keg? If co2 is escaping then it will have a hard time carbonating. Assuming that you taste little to no sweetness from the sugar you added two weeks ago then this is the most likely situation. Maybe do some traditional bottling or Keg it?
 
I don't use the same equipment. I always bottle. My first few brews weren't great for head retention. Make sure your grain bill has got some wheat or oats in for this. There are other grains that probably do it too (e.g Carafoam...pretty sure I didn't just make that up!).
Bottles are always crimped shut so nothing escapes, so this could be reason as mentioned above. Why not bottle some of the batch next time and see how you get on? Keep at it. You'll get there.
 
I would guess it may be the BV may have too much head room to build up enough pressure to carbonate properly using priming sugar. I have no idea how much CO2 pressure that vessel can take so I can't comment much on carbing with CO2.

FWIW: I would not dump a beer because it did not carbonate. I have found that my beer buds don't care a whole lot about carbonation if it still tastes good. They know I am still learning and just appreciate the share.
 
I don't use the same equipment. I always bottle. My first few brews weren't great for head retention. Make sure your grain bill has got some wheat or oats in for this. There are other grains that probably do it too (e.g Carafoam...pretty sure I didn't just make that up!).
Bottles are always crimped shut so nothing escapes, so this could be reason as mentioned above. Why not bottle some of the batch next time and see how you get on? Keep at it. You'll get there.

Interesting. I completely agree as far as wheat goes, but I have never found oats (flaked or malted) to aid in head retention. Mouth-feel and body...absolutely, but not foam. I am curious if others have also found oats to be a foam positive adjunct and if so, are you handling the oats in any special way or just mashing as usual?

I have also found Rye to be great for head retention.
 
Never got good head retention before using oats and seem to have had much better results since. I just mash 'em. Put them in first though. I have heard about soaking them but only did this once. With everything going just can't be bothered with another thing to do/ forget:D
 

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