Hot temps while bottle conditioning

With the sweltering heat I am concerned that my little yeasts aren't eating up the priming sugar...

I bottled a pale ale about a week and a half ago. It has been probably in the upper 80's/ low 90's in my apartment the past week. Tossed a bottle in the fridge and tested it today to see how it's going. Flat. Flat and sweet. Tasted more like priming sugar than pale ale.

Could the heat have cooked my yeast? Usually after a week and a half I have at least a little carbonation.

Is there anything to be done? I want to have this beer drinkable for a BBQ next weekend. Should I move it to the basement where its a little cooler?

What strain of yeast did you use to ferment the wort? How long did the beer remain in the primary fermenter? Did you rack from the primary into a bottling bucket (or similar), or did it spend time in secondary? I would automatically store all the beer in your basement, as it's a friendlier environment, and likely has a more stable temperature as well, with a smaller fluctuation.

Have you on opened just 1-bottle? Is there a chance that the cap wasn't seated properly? I'd agree that usually by 1.5-weeks, I at least have a little carbonation, albeit, not the ideal amount, with a little residual sweetness remaining from the priming sugar that has yet to ferment at that point in time.

I used Wyeast 1056. It was in the primary for about 16 days then the secondary for a week.
I opened a bottle about 3 days ago, and this second bottle is about the same carbonation, so I don't think its isolated.

You have it mixed up, in high temps the yeast are going CRAZY. That's why we talk about being above 70....


Walk away from your beers for AT LEAST another weeks. It's too soon to discern anything about your beer yet.

Remember, the 3 weeks at 70 degrees, that we recommend is the minimum time it takes for average gravity beers to carbonate and condition. Higher grav beers take longer.

Stouts and porters have taken me between 6 and 8 weeks to carb up..I have a 1.090 Belgian strong that took three months to carb up.

And just because a beer is carbed doesn't mean it still doesn't taste like a$$ and need more time for the off flavors to condition out.

Everything you need to know about carbing and conditioning, can be found here Of Patience and Bottle Conditioning. With emphasis on the word, "patience."

Watch Poindexter's video and you'll understand what's going on, and how the only thing wrong is that you think you're in charge of the process, and how long you think it should take....but you're not, the yeast are, and they take exactly as much time as THEY need to make your beer carbed.

Revvy said:

Remember, the 3 weeks at 70 degrees, that we recommend is the minimum time it takes for average gravity beers to carbonate and condition. Higher grav beers take longer.

And just because a beer is carbed doesn't mean it still doesn't taste like a$$ and need more time for the off flavors to condition out.

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I completely agree with you. I remember tasting my first batch not too long ago. I popped one at 1-week. A few bubbles, and tasted awful. 2-weeks popped another with a few more bubbles, but still didn't taste great. At 3-weeks, the carbonation was about done, but the beer wasn't conditioned yet. Around the 5-weeks after bottling, the beer finally lost it's green edge. That was an IPA with a SG of 1.052, using Nottingham yeast.