I have a decent about 8 kits from Midwest and MoreBeer. Most don't seem to have a good head, even when pouring straight into a glass. I have a hand held capper, could it not be sealing the cap well enough? If so and suggestions on what to use.
How big was you most recent batch, how many bottles? How much sugar did you use to prime with? I have a normal "hand capper" and it seals fine.
I use the standard hand capper and never had any issues. How are you carbing the beer? How long and what temp do you store the beer before opening? Does the beer have carbonation but no head or is the beer flat?
I would like to stick out the word ´most´ that you have stated above. If you find some bottles well carbed and some not it is very likely you didn´t stir well the priming sugar before bottling, thus some have enough gas and some not.You must stir very gentle to avoid adding too much oxygen to the beer.
I use a hand held capper with no problems. I have only brewed Midwest kits and have not had this issue. I just follow the instructions and stir lightly like Tebuken said.
I use the 4 ounces of corn sugar provided in the kits. They have some fizz, not flat, but not much of a head. The best batch has been the Oatmeal Stout. That had a nice head. They are store at room temp after bottling.
If you think the capping process is at fault, check the bell housing where you place the cap on the magnet on your capper and see if it is loose. Screw it in tightly if it's loose. I think the likely suspect is that the sugar is not properly mixed so that you may have some bottles that are okay, but some are low carbed. That is a common issue caused by not mixing the sugar during the bottling process. It's also possible that your yeast are tired from fermenting a high ABV beer and have crapped out. Have these beers been in that category?
Most are 1.05 to 1.06 OG. The Oatmeal Stout was around 1.07 and it was fine. I will check the bell on the capper.
4 oz of corn sugar should give you decent carbonation. You can dial in the amount of carbonation with one of the online priming calculators, such as this one from NB. As others have stated it is important to make sure the priming sugar solution is well mixed with the beer. Cheers!
final gravity is really the most important number when figuring out your priming schedule. 12-15 days 70F is ample for 16 ounce capped bottles. if the beer hasn't fully fermented out (1.010 and below) sometimes the yeast will ferment the priming sugars and you will be left with little to carb. had this happen on a pliny clone once that I underpitched and finished at 1.020. as was mentioned before, use the priming calculator every time you bottle, and make sure your priming solution is thoroughly blended with your finished beer in the bottling bucket, by gently stirring it without oxidizing it. you also need to take into consideration headspace and your bottling procedure. i would also avoid pouring a boiling priming solution into the bottling bucket. i usually put the priming solution in the freezer for 10-15 minutes after the boil to get the temp down under 100F.
