1 month and no carb, what's a guy to do?

I've brewed quite a bit and have yet to have this happen to me. I bottled my IPA a month ago and it has no yeast cake and absolutely no sign of carbonation. Not even the faintest "pfft" sound after popping the top. It has been sitting at 70F consistently and I even gently rolled the bottles to re-suspend the yeast every other day, even though there isn't any signs of yeast.

This sucks because I did everything I normally do. I even took a few swipes off the yeast cake at the bottom of the carboy with the siphon.

It's such a good brew I could choke 'em down flat. But would you pop the top and introduce more yeast? I've never done that before...

If the OG was not too "big" and the Fg was reasonable, I guess at this point I'd consider adding some yeast, as long as you know for sure that you added the priming sugar!

I'd open each bottle, and put the minimal amount of yeast in as you are able. I did this only once, and used like one grain of yeast in each bottle. It worked fine, and it carbed up.

I would say that if you are certain that your yeast just pooped out, and you know the attenuation of the yeast you used, and use a similar dry yeast, you should be fine.

YooperBrew said:

I did this only once, and used like one grain of yeast in each bottle. It worked fine, and it carbed up.

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Thanks, I'll get some Nottingham this weekend. So what was the reason you had to do this? I mean, you had to start doubting yourself that you put the priming sugar in, right?

I'm about 99% sure I put that sugar in.

jmo88 said:

Thanks, I'll get some Nottingham this weekend. So what was the reason you had to do this? I mean, you had to start doubting yourself that you put the priming sugar in, right?

I'm about 99% sure I put that sugar in.

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Yeah, I had 0 carbonation. No pffft, no sediment, no nothing. I rethought the whole bottling episode, and I KNEW (probably) that I added the priming sugar. So, since I used a yeast like nottingham, I re-added it. Seriously, just one visible grain is enough per bottle. You'll have 3/4 pack left- so consider making a batch of beer, or at least root beer.

The batch (which was an Irish red, if I remember correctly) did carb up just fine after that. I still don't know why it didn't carb up the first time- the OG and FG were within normal, and I bottled as I usually do. It was a couple of years ago, but it was the first and last time it happened.

Maybe the yeast is dead. Time to start kegging! Get your keg setup, dump all the bottles in a keg, and enjoy!

Yes well a keg needs a house, not an apt. Since I live in Seattle, I'd need about 500k+ for a rickety shack. I think I'll stay with the bottles and my apt for now.

Well, my yeast was in fact dead. My new yeast has been in bottles (rebottled) for about a week now and I popped one open just to check and sure enough: Head and carbonation. It is weird how that can happen on a middle-gravity beer that didn't sit after fermentation for very long. Sweet, I thought I was gonna have to choke down a couple cases of flat beer.

I've got a High-Octane Wheat that I'm about to do the same. 4-weeks in the bottles and flat. I do have a little yeast in the bottom, and have rolled the bottles quite often. Still nothing.

HOW (taken from the Midwest forum)
8 # Alexander's Wheat LME
4 oz caravienne
1 oz Cluster - 60 mins
1 oz Fuggle - 30 mins
1 oz Williamette - 5 mins
2# Clover Honey - 15 mins
Wyeast 1010 American Hefe yeast
OG-1.074
FG-1.018
2 weeks in Primary at 68

Tasted awesome going into the bottles.