Flat Ginger Beer

[lynchman]

Hello all.

After 3 weeks in the PET bottle, my 5th ginger beer is flat. All previous versions were super bubbly, some a bit too bubbly. The only change to this last version was 250g of lactose in an attempt to sweeten. 

Does anyone have any ideas about what could have happened? can I throw another carb drop in this late or just mix it up with softdrink to add bubbles? recipe below. 

Many thanks 

Ingredients:
1 kit ginger beer (Morgan’s)
750ml Bickfords ginger beer cordial
1kg Raw sugar 
1kg of dextrose 
500g of light dried malt.
250g lactose
750g fresh minced ginger 
36g powdered ginger
250g Beechworth outback honey  
3 birds eye chili's sliced, seeds and all. 
8 whole cloves 
2 tsp nutmeg 
2 cinnamon sticks
250g. chopped crystallized ginger
US-05 YEAST 
yeast nutrient 

Method:

Bring 3 litres of water to boil in a big soup pot. Turn down to med heat… 
Add honey, minced ginger, and  crystallized ginger close the lid and boil @ 20 mins. 
Add chilli, and powdered ginger, kaffir, boil @ 10 mins. 
Add the sugars, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and boil @ 5 mins. 
Turn the heat off, but keep the lid on the whole time. Tip in GB extract. let steep for 30min.
stir  well.
Then using a very large metal sterile sieve strain the liquid from your soup pot into the fermenter and chuck the solids left behind out. 
Top up to 23L with cordial and cold water, pitch preferred yeast at 18c with nutrient  
ferment for 2 weeks at 18C, bottle with 2 carb drops. gets better with more time… 

7% ABV

[Pickles Jones]

1 hour ago, lynchman said:

Hello all.

After 3 weeks in the PET bottle, my 5th ginger beer is flat. All previous versions were super bubbly, some a bit too bubbly. The only change to this last version was 250g of lactose in an attempt to sweeten. 

Does anyone have any ideas about what could have happened? can I throw another carb drop in this late or just mix it up with softdrink to add bubbles? recipe below. 

Many thanks 

Ingredients:
1 kit ginger beer (Morgan’s)
750ml Bickfords ginger beer cordial
1kg Raw sugar 
1kg of dextrose 
500g of light dried malt.
250g lactose
750g fresh minced ginger 
36g powdered ginger
250g Beechworth outback honey  
3 birds eye chili's sliced, seeds and all. 
8 whole cloves 
2 tsp nutmeg 
2 cinnamon sticks
250g. chopped crystallized ginger
US-05 YEAST 
yeast nutrient 

Method:

Bring 3 litres of water to boil in a big soup pot. Turn down to med heat… 
Add honey, minced ginger, and  crystallized ginger close the lid and boil @ 20 mins. 
Add chilli, and powdered ginger, kaffir, boil @ 10 mins. 
Add the sugars, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and boil @ 5 mins. 
Turn the heat off, but keep the lid on the whole time. Tip in GB extract. let steep for 30min.
stir  well.
Then using a very large metal sterile sieve strain the liquid from your soup pot into the fermenter and chuck the solids left behind out. 
Top up to 23L with cordial and cold water, pitch preferred yeast at 18c with nutrient  
ferment for 2 weeks at 18C, bottle with 2 carb drops. gets better with more time… 

7% ABV

That looks like a good recipe, I might try it myself.

If the recipe has not changed, not with standing the Lactose, I would suggest it is the PET Bottles.

You could change out all the tops for new ones and reprime with two carb drops.

If this doesn't work you could the decant the ginger beer into new PET's and caps, if you have them, and reprime.

I would go for new bottles and caps and reprime with two carb drops.

it would be a pity to tip it out.

I no longer use PET bottles because of the number of flats I was experiencing and moved to glass.

I'm sure others will advise if there a problem with including the Lactose and have other suggestions.

 

[lynchman]

Thanks Pickles. I appreciate that. It is a cracking drink but needs the bubbles. I'm going to try to reprime with new caps.