Did I mess up my bottle carbonation?

Greetings,

First brew was an IPA kit from Morebeer. Bottled it just over 2 weeks ago. Used the recommended 4oz of priming sugar (a bit more than BeerAlchemy recommended), which was mixed into the bottling bucket when I transferred the beer. I know I'm supposed to wait 3 weeks at room temp to allow good carbonation... but I cracked a bottle tonight (just couldn't wait!). There was slight puff when cap was removed, but beer was essentially flat. GREAT flavor.. just no carbonation.

I think I might have messed up by putting my secondary fermenter into the fridge overnight before bottling. I had read about "cold crashing" to help clarify the beer... but I think I ended up getting too much yeast out of the beer so it isn't carbonating. I'm going to just let it sit at room temp in the bottles for few more weeks and keep my fingers crossed...

So... did chilling the beer before bottling mess up my carbonation?
If it doesn't carbonate after a couple more weeks, any hope with further aging?
If it doesn't carbonate, is it possible to gently pour all the bottles into a keg and force carbonate?

Thanks!

Im still a noob here but I believe that chillin your secondary probably took a lot of yeast out of suspension causing your brew to be a flat. 4 ounces of priming sugar sounds pretty low. I usually use 3/4 to a cup to prime a 5 gallon batch. Force carbonating might be too late, but that might be your only solution if there is any. Dont mean to be a downer, but maybe more experience brewers can chime in with more solutions.

NO. There is always yeast in suspension unless you filter your beer (for force carbed kegging).

Give it another week. Also what temp are your bottles stored at?

They should be at the same temp as your fermenter. In other words room temp if it is not to cold.

4 oz by weight is fine for 5 gallons. I think slomo is thinking 4 oz by volume.

Download beersmith. Try out the demo. It also has a carbonation tool.

And RDWHAHB.

Generally speaking the 3 weeks at 70 degrees that we recommend is only a guideline, a minimum...the higher the grav, the longer it takes to carb and condition. Don't forget, just because a beer is fizzy doesn't mean it is still not green, and tastes like a$$...

I've had stouts and porters take 4-6 weeks to carb...I have a 1.090 Belgian Strong Dark Ale that is 2.5 months in the bottle and it is barely beginning to carb up, I don't think it will even begin to stop tasting green and like rocket fuel for about another 2-3 months....

Hell during the winter I am lucky if I get ANY BEER to carb up inn 8 weeks, since my loft stays in the low 60 all winter...I wrap them in sleeping bags and other things to keep them warm.


Read this, and Relax.

Revvy's Blog; Of Patience and Bottle Conditioning.

If you added sugar to your beer at bottling time, the only failure you are having, is patience, NOT carbonation.....

Lay each bottle on a table, and rock it back and forth once to re-suspend the yeasts and put them back in your 70 degree + closet, and check on them in 2 more weeks....

Gee Revvy, about time you put in for the mid week late shift.

So sleepy......

I think a lot of problems come with the term "Room Temperature" .

"Room Temperature" for me is about 65 which is too cold for carbonating. As revvy says 70 degrees is the key.

If you go to

Columbus WI Weather

way near the bottom is the temp in my carbonation room (bathroom in the basement) and I get fully carbed in about a week (leave it there 3 weeks though).

Also 4 oz is a good amount for Corn Sugar. It all depends on the style.

Revvy said:

Generally speaking the 3 weeks at 70 degrees

I have a 1.090 Belgian Strong Dark Ale that is 2.5 months in the bottle and it is barely beginning to carb up, I don't think it will even begin to stop tasting green and like rocket fuel for about another 2-3 months....

Click to expand...

Yikes...

I've got a 1.088 Trippel sitting for 2 weeks at 70+ and was hoping to get it out of my warming room (bathtub) in another week or so.. I guess I was wrong.. I guess the cases will just stack higher and higher...

Grinder12000 said:

I think a lot of problems come with the term "Room Temperature" .

"Room Temperature" for me is about 65 which is too cold for carbonating. As revvy says 70 degrees is the key.

If you go to

Columbus WI Weather

way near the bottom is the temp in my carbonation room (bathroom in the basement) and I get fully carbed in about a week (leave it there 3 weeks though).

Also 4 oz is a good amount for Corn Sugar. It all depends on the style.

Click to expand...

+1 one to this, I'm just now coming into "ambient temp carbonation season in Revvy's Apartment."

It's been a long cold and very slow carbing season.....I cannot wait.

BubbaK said:

Yikes...

I've got a 1.088 Trippel sitting for 2 weeks at 70+ and was hoping to get it out of my warming room (bathtub) in another week or so.. I guess I was wrong.. I guess the cases will just stack higher and higher...

Click to expand...

Sorry to burst your bubble, as Llama so aptly explains.

And besides.....my early tastes of MY belgian have confirmed that even if it were carbed right not...it tastes like pure unadulturated rocket fuel.

It has to be the roughest and rawest tasting beer I have ever made or tasted....

Methinks Gene Simmons could use it in his mouth falmethrower for their next concert.

Revvy said:

Generally speaking the 3 weeks at 70 degrees that we recommend is only a guideline, a minimum...

Hell during the winter I am lucky if I get ANY BEER to carb up inn 8 weeks, since my loft stays in the low 60 all winter...

Click to expand...

Thanks Revvy and everyone else for your tips and support. I live at a high-altitude/cold climate (it is snowing outside as I type this), and don't really have any place in my house that is 70 degrees during the spring. I've got my beer carbonating in a warm closet but that still only gets me up to about 66 degrees or so. Even in summer here, although it might hit 80's during the day, it is usually in the 50's at night. I'll just sit back and wait... I did cave and buy a kegging system so I don't have to wait so long

So since temperature has come up... let me ask a related question about fermentation temps. My fermentation temps have been consistently in the 62-64 degree range, and hence my times have been longer than most of the recipes call for. I'm fine with longer times... from what I've read, longer/colder fermentations (as long as not too cold) often result in better beer. But how long is reasonable for fermentation at those temps? It is taking about 7-10 days for my krausen to fall, and about 3-4 weeks to hit a steady final gravity. I don't mind the wait at all.. just wondering if I should turn the heat up a bit or just let it ride and buy another fermenter or two so I can keep the pipeline going

Cheers!
Jim

Just a newbie myself, but your temps and fermentation times sound right in line. I wouldn't change a thing.

I think fermentation temperature and length matters way more than people admit. Staying on the low side of 60s and going a month should be great for your beer.

Buy another fermenter, I have 9.

You really don't want too high a temp during the initial stages of fermentation, the lower 60's the better...

I'm sure you've seen the almost daily discussion about long primaries vs a secondary...but since you are using your hydrometer you seem to be doing a long primary....

Your beers probably nice and clear and clean tasting....

paradoc said:

So since temperature has come up... let me ask a related question about fermentation temps. My fermentation temps have been consistently in the 62-64 degree range, and hence my times have been longer than most of the recipes call for.

Click to expand...

I think you should be glad you can keep your beer happy without going through extraordinary measures.

Revvy said:

Your beers probably nice and clear and clean tasting....

Click to expand...

...or WILL have nice clean tasting beers... my first brew is still carbing but tasted great even flat Hooking up the kegerator and brewing my 4th batch this weekend!

Revvy said:

Generally speaking the 3 weeks at 70 degrees that we recommend is only a guideline, a minimum...the higher the grav, the longer it takes to carb and condition.

Click to expand...

Update: After 4 weeks, cracked another one last night... and carbonation! Still a bit under carbed for an IPA.. more like a nitro or cask conditioned, which is fine. But glad I took Revvy's advice and happy to see bubbles. The hops character has mellowed quite a bit. I'm going to leave it another several weeks (now that I have a kegging system and a pipeline going... I can be more patient )