JJWP
Well-Known Member
Hey guys - need some help with a batch that just doesnt seem to want to carbonate.
I brewed a Russian Imperial Stout (or at least something vaguely similar?) in october. I primary fermented for about 14 days before racking to secondary. Secondary was about 30-40 days - I think I bottled the first week of december. So I'm close to 4 months in the bottle and still seeing no carbonation in the test bottles I've opened.
I've read several posts where people have opened bottles and dropped carb tabs in, then quickly recapped.
if its helpful, the grain portion of the recipe was:
2 lb Light DME
6 lb Pale 2 row
6 lb Maris Otter
1 lb Chocolate
.5 lb Crystal 60
.5 lb Honey Malt
1 lb Corn Sugar
single infusion mash at 150. 90 minute boil.
I pitched 3 smack packs of wyeast 1056 (no starter). added 3 tsp yeast nutrient to fermenter. fermented at 67 degrees. ~3.5 ounces corn sugar at bottling (packaged about 4.25-4.5 gallons).
OG: 1.090
FG: 1.017
I know that bigger beers can take longer to carbonate... but four months is pushing it right?
1. Is this safe for the beer? Risk of oxygenation? (of course I'll be as sanitary as I can, and i understand the contamination risks)
2. How many carb tabs to add? any way to calculate accurately?
3. Is my problem that I likely have no healthy yeast left? Should I skip the carb tabs and sprinkle some dry yeast into each bottle instead?
thanks
I brewed a Russian Imperial Stout (or at least something vaguely similar?) in october. I primary fermented for about 14 days before racking to secondary. Secondary was about 30-40 days - I think I bottled the first week of december. So I'm close to 4 months in the bottle and still seeing no carbonation in the test bottles I've opened.
I've read several posts where people have opened bottles and dropped carb tabs in, then quickly recapped.
if its helpful, the grain portion of the recipe was:
2 lb Light DME
6 lb Pale 2 row
6 lb Maris Otter
1 lb Chocolate
.5 lb Crystal 60
.5 lb Honey Malt
1 lb Corn Sugar
single infusion mash at 150. 90 minute boil.
I pitched 3 smack packs of wyeast 1056 (no starter). added 3 tsp yeast nutrient to fermenter. fermented at 67 degrees. ~3.5 ounces corn sugar at bottling (packaged about 4.25-4.5 gallons).
OG: 1.090
FG: 1.017
I know that bigger beers can take longer to carbonate... but four months is pushing it right?
1. Is this safe for the beer? Risk of oxygenation? (of course I'll be as sanitary as I can, and i understand the contamination risks)
2. How many carb tabs to add? any way to calculate accurately?
3. Is my problem that I likely have no healthy yeast left? Should I skip the carb tabs and sprinkle some dry yeast into each bottle instead?
thanks