First non-carb'd beer?

homebrewflyfish · 06-02-2009, 01:52 AM

I've done about 7 5-gal batched now and all have worked out with awesome results.

But over two weeks ago I bottled my IIPA. It went from 1.082 to 1.016. At just over a week I racked to secondary. At about 2.5 weeks, I bottled. I did the same thing I always do when I bottled...3/4 cup corn sugar to 2 cups H20.

Problem is that one week after bottling there was 0 carb. 2 weeks after bottling there was 0 carb. It's been sitting at about 75 degrees, which is too hot for my liking but it got hot out and I don't have a better system.

I'm starting to get worried I messed up somehow. Maybe it's too alcoholic for the yeast to function? I know I added the sugar...

I guess I'll just wait another week and see what happens. But, what do you do if it never carbs? Pour it out? Serve to friends as "cask ale" ;-)? Pour in my bro's corny keg and put it on gas?

Yeast was Cali 001 that'd been sitting in the fridge for a few months but starter woke it up and it worked like a champ. But not anymore it seems. I mean like no bubbles (altho today's made a mild pffft when opened).

Totally sucks because it tastes awesome....sorachi, simcoe, and glacier hops...it's tasty but no bubbles!

TechyDork · 06-02-2009, 02:35 AM

I could be wrong but that is a fairly big beer, maybe it just needs some more time to properly carb. 2 weeks is a little short for carb, i say give it a couple more weeks and then see how it is.

RDWHAHB

**slomo** · 06-02-2009, 04:50 AM

I would agree with SNB give it more time.

HOOTER · 06-02-2009, 04:56 AM

+1 for more time. It was only about a month before bottling so there's plenty of yeast in there, and 3/4 cup corn sugar should give you sufficient carbonation for a 5 gallon batch. Plus, it's plenty warm to carb. It's weird that it's still totally flat, but some take longer than others. Give it a couple more weeks and try another.

philhead1 · 06-02-2009, 11:33 AM

Yeah like they said give it somemore time, it's a pretty big beer you'll want to let it sit a while anyways. let it age a bit, if it pffft on your its just takening its sweet time.

beerkrump · 06-02-2009, 01:32 PM

Ah, the Catch-22 of the IIPA. A beer that is best when drank fresh, but takes forever to carbonate. It's in the bottle, just set them aside and forget about them until the Fourth of July. At almost 9%, after a couple pints, you won't need fireworks.

homebrewflyfish · 06-02-2009, 07:38 PM

That's what I thought as well. Just wait it out....

What made me nervous is that I previously made a fantastic 9.5% beer that was great and it carbed in less than 2 weeks. But then I used a Brit Ale yeast, and it was also the only ferm I've had that needed a blow off tube, which I installed only after it exploded of course. I guess the WL001 needs a bit more time in that drunk of an environment.

It really can't be that there's no yeast because I accidentally sucked up some sediment into the bottling bucket. Although it has cleared pretty well.

What about storing beer for a month in warmer temps though? How will sitting at 75 affect it? I live in a small manhattan apt, so I can't afford a refrigeration solution...

beerkrump · 06-02-2009, 07:46 PM

I don't see 75° being an issue for bottle conditioning.