How long to bottle carbonate?

[BYOHB]

I bottle condition and seem to have low carbonation in most beers. Except my Hop bombs! I use 500ml PET bottles and just feel them for pressure as a test.

How long do you all leave bottles at cellar temps to properly carbonate?

Most get hard in 7-10 days. But when opened, they are often weak, pouring with 1/2 inch of foam, or less, which dissapears quickly.

Retention is another issue, tied to other things, like aplha acids, protein, clean class, etc...

[Dubba_Brew]

I have let beer go as long as 3 weeks before I check it and some as short as 1 week. The question is how much sugar you're using for a 5 gallon batch compared to how much carbonation that you want. Also, the temp that you're storing them at makes a big difference as well.

Others can chime in on this as well, but I'll use 1/2 pound of flaked wheat (or wheat malt) if I'm worried about some head retention. I'm not sure of the science behind it, but I know it tends to work out pretty well.

[gbob]

Hmmm.

Well, I normally give it about 10-15 days to carbonate. If this is happening on a regular basis, regardless of style, then there may be something else in your process that is missing.

How much priming sugar are you using when you bottle? Do you prime the batch or individual bottles?

[BYOHB]

I have done both methods. Usually 2.4 - 2.5 vol as calc'd. 1 tsp corn sugar in each 500ml bottle, and also full charge in a bottling bucket. Usually dissolved with hot water, mixed with wort, then bottled.

A recent Lil Opal clone with a lot of wheat was almost flat! I think I did bottling bucket on that one.

My hoppy Ales and IPA's have been great, and my Bo Pils was beautiful! Oatmeal stout was pretty flat...

Next, maybe I'll try flaked barley??