Bottle conditioning using Prime Dose tablets

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Bottled an Imperial IP on 11/29/14. Ended up with an ABV of 9.1%. Tasted fantastic at bottling time (albeit flat and warm...to be expected). Been checking them intermittently for conditioning and as recently as last week still just barely carbonated. Zero to no head (even when poured aggressively into glass) and still quite flat. Thinking I have a problem here I opted to try the Prime Dose capsules to remedy my issue. In reading the issues folks had with the capsules not dissolving I decided to carefully separate the capsules and pour the contents into each bottle. My first bottle was a 16 oz grolsch style bottle. Added the contents of three capsules...no issues. Opened the next bottle (same style as first) and added the contents of one capsule...immediately the beer began to bubble and flow out of the bottle like a volcano. I immediately re-capped it before I lost any measurable amount of beer. I got similar results as this latter experience with a 22 oz bottle and a standard 12 oz bottle (both were standard capped bottles and added contents of only one capsule in each). Stopped at that point because seems to me the bottles may in fact be conditioned. Took one bottle out and placed it in fridge to check later and letting the rest sit for a couple weeks to check again. Any feedback?
 
Eric_The_Dead said:
Bottled an Imperial IP on 11/29/14. Ended up with an ABV of 9.1%.
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Sometimes bigger beers take a while to carbonate. I have a quad that took around 3-4 months to fully carbonate. The yeast are exhausted at the end of a big ferment, and the high alcohol doesn't make it any easier on them. If you're having gushers you may have overcarbed, or maybe your priming sugar wasn't evenly distributed. Did you stir it into your beer or dump it in at the end of racking?
 
Thanks for the feedback eulipion. I've brewed several big ABV beers including a quad which came out great (was about 12% ABV). The quad was carbed after three months of conditioning. Not sure what went wrong with the IIPA. Dumped the priming solution into the bottling bucket before siphoning beer and gently stirred the beer before bottling (at least I think I stirred...I always take Charlie Papazian's advice by relaxing, not worrying and having a homebrew or two!). Had thought my problem was because I stored the bottles in a corner of a room that did not get much heat (we had a brutally cold winter here in upstate NY). I moved them to a warmer area about three weeks ago. Chilled one last night as I mentioned in my first post and when I poured it, it was still flat as a pancake. I went ahead and plopped one capsule in the remaining 12 oz bottles (without separating as had been my method that caused the gushing experience noted in my first post). Checked this morning and had no exploders which was a fear I had and still have. Looks like the capsule is dissolving. I'll be sure to check back here and provide updates.
 
Eric_The_Dead said:
Bottled an Imperial IP on 11/29/14. Ended up with an ABV of 9.1%. Tasted fantastic at bottling time (albeit flat and warm...to be expected). Been checking them intermittently for conditioning and as recently as last week still just barely carbonated. Zero to no head (even when poured aggressively into glass) and still quite flat. Thinking I have a problem here I opted to try the Prime Dose capsules to remedy my issue. In reading the issues folks had with the capsules not dissolving I decided to carefully separate the capsules and pour the contents into each bottle. My first bottle was a 16 oz grolsch style bottle. Added the contents of three capsules...no issues. Opened the next bottle (same style as first) and added the contents of one capsule...immediately the beer began to bubble and flow out of the bottle like a volcano. I immediately re-capped it before I lost any measurable amount of beer. I got similar results as this latter experience with a 22 oz bottle and a standard 12 oz bottle (both were standard capped bottles and added contents of only one capsule in each). Stopped at that point because seems to me the bottles may in fact be conditioned. Took one bottle out and placed it in fridge to check later and letting the rest sit for a couple weeks to check again. Any feedback?
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If the beer is even lightly carbonated, pouring the contents of the capsule will cause it to gush because the sugar will act as a nucleation site for the CO2 in solution. Dropping an unopened capsule should be okay, but then you'll have undissolved vegetable capsules in your beer.
 
Yeah I don't think I'd get these again. I don't feel like they carb quite enough. They are easy to use but not quite sold on how they work. I'd use 3 in the bottle next time but don't want to risk exploding bottles.
 
Conejwsr said:
I have used the Prime Dose capsules. The first 2 or 3 times I used them, they worked just fine. Now the last 4 batches I have done the capsules didn't dissolve. The first two of the four batches were being stored in a friend's basement (65 f) so I didn't know that it had happened, so the second two batches I am keeping at home, conditioning at around 70-72 f. Lets hope the warmer temps will allow them to dissolve.
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I'm afraid to use them. I had good luck with them dissolving albeit my carb has been a little on low side, but seems like people have had issues with these especially as they get older. I hate to just pitch them as they are expensive but also hate to waste beer I made if I suddenly don't have luck with them.
 
I have to give credit to anyone who can take an ordinary commodity and parlay it into something that fetches $10 a bottle. Pure marketing genius.

I'll stick with bags of cheap sugar and a scale.
 
MaxStout said:
I have to give credit to anyone who can take an ordinary commodity and parlay it into something that fetches $10 a bottle. Pure marketing genius.

I'll stick with bags of cheap sugar and a scale.
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Right. They are convenient but I only bought as had a gift card. I did end up using these and we'll see what happens. The one bottle I looked at seemed like they dissovled. I'll post a result in a few weeks.
 
So all of mine actually carbonated pretty well and I did not have any issues with the capsule not dissolving. If I had one complaint I feel the trub that would normally stick pretty firm to the bottom of the bottle would be floating in my beer. It was more of an aesthetics thing , but was tentative to have others try with the thought they wouldn't like particles floating around.
 

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