Need help concerning bottling...

[ChuckMac2005]

Hey guys,
so this is what happened so far.
I did pretty much every single step along the way and we had slight problems. Some bottles are carbing and others are not. Not exactly sure why this is happening, because some consecutive bottles will go from perfect to flat.
Very odd.

To clarify a few things:
•We are using brand new bottles
•All are perfectly sanitized prior to bottling
•The hang time from bottling to capping is VERY minimal
•We are bottling after secondary fermentation

But one thing I'm doing that is worrying me and could be the 100% cause of my problem is after secondary fermentation, we strain the beer into another clean container filled with priming solution. We fill in a way to where the beer will naturally stir the solution as its being filled. From their, the bottles are filled and we conditioned them for one week and today makes the second week of conditioning. When i get home from University today, I'm going to pop one or two open to check for carbonation, but if it fails we are just going to empty all into an airtight container and prime with fresh yeast and do a "secondary" in the bottle.

[Ozbrewer]

my first thought is that the caps are not on correctly, what type of capper are you using?

[Buttwidget]

I'm a little late to the party here, but let me try to give some advice. 3 words: Blichmann Beer Gun.

If you are filtering your beer, you have some expectations around clarity, and adding sugar (read: sediment) to your bottled beer isn't going to make you happy. Either are the obvious carbonation issues.

Filter, keg, carbonate and bottle with the beer gun. Much easier, and much better end result.

~widget

[Ozbrewer]

I'm a little late to the party here, but let me try to give some advice. 3 words: Blichmann Beer Gun.

If you are filtering your beer, you have some expectations around clarity, and adding sugar (read: sediment) to your bottled beer isn't going to make you happy. Either are the obvious carbonation issues.

Filter, keg, carbonate and bottle with the beer gun. Much easier, and much better end result.

~widget

I cant disagree at all with this method, but I think most people that are bottling dont have the option for kegging, however if this is not the case, I have used these and they are brilliant, only thing i would say is over carbonate a little, and make sure everything is icy cold, even the bottles,

[ChuckMac2005]

Right now, the beer gun is in the works of being ordered and as far as capping, I'm using the typical red swinging "Emily" capper that pretty much everyone else I know uses.

Haven't got to check whether or not the beers at home carb'ed correctly yet.
But if the beer is not bubbling before it goes into the bottle, am I doing something wrong?
Should I just go with my idea of secondary fermentation in the bottle?

[Ozbrewer]

Right now, the beer gun is in the works of being ordered and as far as capping, I'm using the typical red swinging "Emily" capper that pretty much everyone else I know uses.

Haven't got to check whether or not the beers at home carb'ed correctly yet.
But if the beer is not bubbling before it goes into the bottle, am I doing something wrong?
Should I just go with my idea of secondary fermentation in the bottle?

TBH illd go back to the basics, you can leave the beer in the fermenter for a few weeks after its stopped bubbling and you will still get secondy fermentation in the bottle if you add the priming sugar, I have had a lot of disappointments with the swing arm cappers, i would suggest a press type like http://www.amazon.co.uk/Home-Brew-Counter-Bottle-Capper/dp/B001V28KRG/ref=sr_1_4?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1314226992&sr=1-4

Ive had beer sitting in fermenters for many weeks after its stopped bubbling, and primed the same way as you have mentioned with out any problems, my bet is the caps were not sealed well enough

[Ozbrewer]

try dropping a bit of sugar in the bottles and re seal, may work out ok?

[snowcapt]

another thing to do is: cap the bottle, turn it 90 and crimp it again and then turn it again and crimp. If I bottle, I usually crimp it 3-4 times, just to be sure.
Good luck!