Bigger beers and bottle carbination

Okay. I have a noob question about bottle carbination.

I recently made my second attempt at a Belgian Tripple Ale. The first one I made tasted really good, but it did not carb hardly at all. I want my second one to carb properly, so I want to know what I can do better this time.

The first one sat in secondary for about two months to condition before I bottled. Then on bottling day I made my priming solution (3/4 c in pint of H2O), cooled and added to bottling bucket. Then I carefully racked my Belgian on top of the priming solution. Filled and capped the bottles and then stored at room temp (68 - 72 F) for four weeks. Even by the last bottle I drank (probably a month later), there was little to no carbination.

So, long story short ... Was there something that I should have done differently? Should I have stirred up the yeast before racking to the bottling bucket? Should I have added new viable yeast to the bottling bucket or to each bottle?

Somtimes the yeast in bigger beers gives up by the time bottling rolls around. Try adding a little extra yeast at bottling time...doesn't really matter what kind, as it won't be adding much to the flavor profile. Dry yeast is easier and cheaper -- Nottingham or S-05.

If you are going to re-yeast, you are better off using some new viable yeast in the bucket. Your old yeast has been thru quite the party. And yes, gently stirring the yeast in solution would help.

Glibbidy said:

If you are going to re-yeast, you are better off using some new viable yeast in the bucket. Your old yeast has been thru quite the party. And yes, gently stirring the yeast in solution would help.

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Your first suggestion is good, but I wouldn't stir the yeast that's in the secondary. The point of the secondary is to clear the beer. Stirring it back up would defeat the purpose.

IowaStateFan said:

Your first suggestion is good, but I wouldn't stir the yeast that's in the secondary. The point of the secondary is to clear the beer. Stirring it back up would defeat the purpose.

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You are correct. One should never stir up the secondary fermentaiton, however I thought we were talking about adding new yeast into the bottling bucket and gently stirring the mix (in the bottling bucket) just prior to bottling.

Okay. So from the response so far, it seems like my best action will be to add some dry Nottingham to the bottle bucket when it is time.

Thanks for you help.