scottmd06

Recipes 

I brewed a Cooper's Wheat kit back in June and racked the beer onto fresh pureed cherries, but I unfortunately didn't get around to bottling it until September =/ So the brew sat in secondary for roughly four months before it was bottled. For some reason the carbonation is almost non-existent in these beers and I'm wondering if it has to do with my yeast maybe dieing off during that long time in secondary? I followed my typical priming procedure when I bottled so I'm not sure what may have happened. The only other change I can think of that may have affected the carbonation is that I used a different brand of caps, but I haven't had any leaky bottles so I'm still at a loss..

Anyone have any ideas?

jeepinjeepin

Recipes 

That's almost definitely due to the yeast flocculating out almost completely. I heard someone recommend once to uncap and add a very small amount of dry yeast like us-05 to each bottle. It may have been an amount as small as a few grains.

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bottlebomber

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It will carbonate. Before you do what jeepin said, try this: just take a few bottles, and shake the crap out of them. A couple days later shake them again, and then give them a week. Chill one, and I almost guarantee you will have the beginnings of a carbonated beer, and it will continue to carbonate. I had a beer do nothing for 3 months, I did this, and it was carbed 3 weeks later. If it absolutely won't carb, then your only option is to open up the bottles and re-yeast.

scottmd06

Recipes 

I will try the shaking idea for now. The bottles have been conditioning since September at room temperature so I would think any live yeast still in there should have found all the priming sugars and carbonated the bottles. The beer tastes great so its a shame if it never carbonates but I wont waste any more time on this brew if the shaking fails; I'll live with the lack of bubbles.

bottlebomber

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Check back and let us know if it worked

scottmd06

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Will do. I have about 40 something bottles to go shake up.

Revvy

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How long has it been in the bottles? Even after 4 months it is doubtful enough yeast was flocculated out to not carbonate your beer, there's still plenty of yeast left to do the job.

It's a wheat beer, so there;s going to be a ton of low floculating yeast in there.

So let's skip that and get some basics out of the way...how long has it been in the bottle? What temp is it at?

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scottmd06

Recipes 

It has been bottled since September and it was in my pantry at about 75 degrees. I let it condition a couple weeks before refrigerating a few for about a week to try (they had barely any bubbles). I usually have good carbonation in my brews in that amount of time.

I haven't opened one since late October. Should I chill a couple and for how long?

There's definitely sediment in the bottle, usually indicating that carbonation took place in my bottles, but there's also some cherry particles with it from the beer itself.

bottlebomber

Recipes 

So wait, you tried it when it had been bottled only a few weeks, but now its been a month since you've even opened one? Why not open one before starting the "my beer won't carb" thread? Wheats usually carb really well, since the yeast is such low flocculation.

jeepinjeepin

Recipes 

I recant my earlier post and ask that you chill one and try it.

__________________
Consider thy liver. It is evil. It is proper that all evil things be punished.