# no head - homebrewer's any advice? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 20, 2005, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-head-homebrewers-any-advice/295414 "2005-03-20T12:03:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-head-homebrewers-any-advice/295414/1 "2005-03-20T12:03:42Z")
Bottled a week ago and there is no carbonation. I don’t see the yeast sedimate ring either. I disinfected the bottles with a mild dettol solution, and let them dry (I did not rinse the solution, but left the bottles upside down for a couple of hours). The beer had been in the fermenter for about 4 months as I didn’t have time to bottle. I primed the 5 gallons with 3/4 cup corn sugar. Weather has been pretty mild and probably ranging 40-60 degrees. Should I uncap, drop in additional fermentables and recap the bottles? Any other ways to fix this? Also, I’m running low on corn sugar. Anyone have a good rule of thumb for how to prime with either malt or honey? I don’t have a hydrometer to measure the specific gravity. thanks ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-head-homebrewers-any-advice/295414/2 "2005-03-20T12:34:19Z")
Have you tried buying her flowers? ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-head-homebrewers-any-advice/295414/3 "2005-03-20T15:25:58Z")
We just had this problem-- beer had sat too long and the yeast had gone dormant or something. It was recommended (guys at the homebrew store) to add a bit more yeast and shake them up a bit and try again. This did not work. We accepted it and have been drinking good, but flat, beer. Maybe it might work for you, though? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-head-homebrewers-any-advice/295414/4 "2005-03-20T15:26:26Z")
Let it wait a week or so more. The problem is most likely dead yeast, not fermentables. Uncap, drop in a pinch of fresh yeast, and recap. Briefly agitate the bottle and then let set for another few weeks. Or you could just do another batch of the same beer, prime it, and pour one flat bottle with one carbonated bottle into a pitcher. You have to drink twice as much, but we all have our problems! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-head-homebrewers-any-advice/295414/5 "2005-03-20T15:54:50Z")
Priming: For bottles, Papazian recommends 1 1/4 cups (300ml) dried malt extract, or 1 cup (240ml) honey per 5 gallons. I’ve done both with good results. Put me in the dormant yeast camp though. If I were going to add more yeast to each bottle I might try a different strain (like one with a higher alcohol tolerance maybe). ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2005, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-head-homebrewers-any-advice/295414/6 "2005-03-21T11:58:34Z")
Cool. Thanks. Ya, you’re right, it’s probably dormant yeast. I drank a bottle of flat beer yesterday and it did seem slightly sweet. I’ve got another batch going, so I’ll probably use the slurry, get the yeast foaming, pour a bit into each bottle, and then re-cap in 2 weekends. That’ll teach me not to get too busy and leave the beer for months in the fermenter. The flat beer was mighty tasty. I used Coopers Stout as a base, along with some honey, extra hops, dextrine, etc and it is mighty good if flat. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2005, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-head-homebrewers-any-advice/295414/7 "2005-03-21T15:07:40Z")
I have had this happen and adding yeast did fix it, but it is a bit of a PITA to open all and reseal. I have had success using a heating pad to heat up the brew for a day or two, and it seemed to reactivate the yeast. If it doesn’t work you can always revert to opening each one, but it coulldn’t hurt to give it a try 1st. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2005, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-head-homebrewers-any-advice/295414/8 "2005-03-21T21:55:44Z")
I agree with letting them warm up for a while first. You said 40-60 degrees. (I’m assuming Fahrenheit?) 40 might’ve put the yeast to sleep. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2005, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-head-homebrewers-any-advice/295414/9 "2005-03-23T01:31:58Z")
good idea on the heating . years ago i had a similar problem and added extra priming sugar - it was a real challenge to add the suger and recap before it foamed out of the bottle. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-head-homebrewers-any-advice/295414/10 "2005-04-02T06:56:37Z")
It worked. Thanks Weather’s gotten a little warmer. Last weekend I put all the bottles into a warm water bath for 4-5 hours, and shook them up for good luck. Need to bottle condition a bit longer, but I got good head 2 minutes ago and it’s a pretty tasty stout. [Another plug for the Cooper’s beer kits. For an easy yet tasty brew, use a kit as a base, add 2-3 pounds honey and boil up some extra hops. It’s good beer and low cost/low effort.] ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-head-homebrewers-any-advice/295414/11 "2005-04-02T11:03:02Z")
> [@belladonna](#): > > Have you tried buying her flowers? That was the exact first thing I thought of when I read the thread title. Damn you for beating me to it. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-head-homebrewers-any-advice/295414/12 "2005-04-02T12:22:43Z")
> [@belladonna](#): > > Have you tried buying her flowers? And maybe a dinner out without the kids. Get her drunk. That always helps! ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-head-homebrewers-any-advice/295414/13 "2005-04-02T12:24:06Z")
> [@](#): > > but I got good head 2 minutes ago Wow. Quick recovery time. ::::::::snicker:::::::::::::::