beer aged 5 months, but no carb

I brewed several beers (Cheese's Vanilla Caramel Cream Ale, Fat Tire clone, and a stout) and left them in the primary for about 2 months, after which they were racked into clearing tanks for 3 more months. I have now bottled the beers and sampled them. Each of the three separate beer batches I brewed is low on carbonation. I added the correct amount of priming sugar and the beers taste as I expected them to taste, just a little flat and lacking a head. This is after carbonating at 1.5 weeks at room temperature and transfering to the refrigerator for at least another week.

Steps I've taken: let beers sit in room temp for a little. I have also placed a thermometer in my beer fridge to see what the temperature is. I originally thought it might have been too cold. I've never had any problems previously with these settings, however.

So let me know if you have any advice. I could really use it and don't want this 15 gallons of beer to be a huge disappointment. Thanks a lot.

Off the bat, I would say you did not let them sit at room (70F) temp long enough to carb. Put them all at room temp and agitate them once or twice a day for another week or two, then test one of each. If they still have not increased in carbonation at that point, you may need to drop in a few yeasties. I don't know if there are plenty of yeast left to carbonate your beer after 5 months in primary and secondary.

+1 on the room temp. I have a lager that spent 3 months total in primary/Rest/Clearing and Lagering. I pitched a small bit of yeast in dry the morning of bottling and it has taken 3 weeks to get near the carbing that I expected at room temp. I put 2 bottles in the fridge after 1 1/2 weeks and opened one tonight. Nowhere NEAR the carb of the room temp conditioned ones.

3 weeks @ 70 minimum...

The length of your aging has nothing to do with your carbing...it's the time in the bottle that matters, and your not leaving them long enough.

Read this...there's even a nifty video

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showpost.php?p=558191&postcount=101

Great guys. I've taken them all out and am waiting for a beer that's been at room temp (a little higher than 70 avg) for the last 3 weeks to chill. I used to be a guy by the book (well...more so than now), but have strayed off path out of anxiety for all my beer.

I'll let them get back to room temp and will post the results of the longer carbed beer. I worried it had been a yeast problem because the trub was so concentrated at the bottom before racking (it had been 2 months) and after 3 months in a secondary, there was hardly any in the bottles- the beer is very clear, clearer than I've had before. This makes sense. Guess I've just got to give the wee yeasties more time.

Thanks for the help. Great video too, Revvy. That really shows a lot.

You know Revvy after following your link, I realize that you are the HB Master...... I bow down.......I knew there was a reason that beer I bottled last night and through in the fridge this morning wasn't carbed.....AhhHAA..LOl.....Great read.........Thanks