my "****in Heavy Ale" - carbonation question

BADS197 · 12-29-2008, 11:15 PM

I finished and bottled my version of the wee heavy ale and it comes in at just over 10% alcohol content. It's been bottled for almost a month now and there is a little pssh when you open the bottle but there is no carbonation.

I used 3/4 cup of priming sugar at bottleing.

Is there something I did wrong?

It tastes great but I'm a fizzy beer drinker and like some carbonation to my brews. It's currently flat and sweet, with no fizz.

Is something this high in alcohol content going to ever carbonate or is this going to take a lot longer than the rough month since it's been bottled.? Should I have used more priming sugar? Drug the siphon tube through the yeast cake to get a few yeasties stirred up for bottleing?

I didn't keg any of it so I can't force carb it, although I wish I had a spare keg at the time.

ideas?

Dark_Ale · 12-29-2008, 11:22 PM

A couple of things come to mind. What temp have your bottles been? If below 70 raise the temp a bit somehow for a few weeks. Also thats a pretty strong beer, those yeast are probably burned out, next time you might add a little more yeast at bottling time. It may just need more time.......

**rod** · 12-29-2008, 11:27 PM

the first time i did a wee heavy it never did carb up properly.
the next time i hydrated 1/2 pack of lavlin ec-1118 wine yeast and that batch carbed up great.
i was worried about bottle bombs in case the wine yeast was too agressive but they were all fine.
i have added some lavlin to all my bottled beers since and never had a bomb.
(had some overcarbed though so be careful)

BADS197 · 12-29-2008, 11:32 PM

bottles were at 70 for a few days and then it got cold outside.

Perhaps I should move them to my upstairs bedroom and drop a heated blanket on them for a coupel days on low and see what happens.

vespa2t · 12-30-2008, 01:28 PM

I think its going to take more than a couple days. I have had heavies take 3 months to carb up. My most recent one I pitched in some champagne yeast right before bottling and it carbed up in a month nicely.

**cuinrearview** · 12-30-2008, 02:06 PM

Yah, move those babies to a warmer climate. You may want to roll each bottle on the table too to re-rouse the yeast.

BADS197 · 12-30-2008, 06:06 PM

I'll roll them tonight and move them upstairs. I got lazy last night and didn't move anything.

jay672 · 12-30-2008, 06:22 PM

Id give them quite a while , the more alcohol he more time you need. I bet your fine let them sit bre something else and in a few months ill bet they will be tasty