13 hop QIPA (AKA Plinyfish Heady 120)

There was no carbonation after 6 weeks either. Don't think it's gonna happen, but I still have 4 bottles left so we'll see.

Could you pop the top on a couple and add a high gravity yeast to it?

It already used high gravity yeast, plus I pitched enough active champagne yeast (which is high gravity yeast as well) for 5 gallons into 8 bottles. If that isn't going to carbonate it nothing is.

The champagne yeast I don't think I'd as tough as the high gravity. I could be wrong. I was thinking it may benefit from some fresh yeast.

What's your estimated ABV? There is a theoretical limit to solubility of co2 in alcohol solutions that is around 20%. Have you thought about diluting a bottle and seeing if it will carb up that way?

1.150 OG/1.012 FG, ~21% based on the Alternate formula and ~18% based on the Standard formula. I only have 4 bottles left so I'm not going to mess with them. If I do a similar recipe again, I'll probably just keep the OG 10-20 points lower and repitch some active WLP099 at bottling instead to see if that does the trick.

Well, how does it taste?

It definitely tastes like an IPA, major fruity hop taste, but it has a syrupy sweet taste that I would say comes from all the attenuated sugar.

No method of force carbing?

At that ABV you won't get much in the way of carbonation even with force carbonation, think champagne light fizzy numerous bubbles that disappear, and champagne is only about 12-13% usually. Ever put any though to toning this one down to about 13-15%? then it would be carb-able and you could have more to enjoy. Would still take a lot of time to carb, which would dull the hops, but could be good and carbonated.

I did another QIPA at ~18% using the Tap-A-Draft system. I added bottling sugar to start, and my Tap-A-Draft bottle had no carbonation after a week so I hit it up with a CO2 cartridge and let it sit for another week. It now has great carbonation, but tasted a little sweet. Most of the sweet taste is from attenuated sugar, but it's possible some is from unattenuated bottling sugar. I also have 4 12-oz bottles conditioning. I'm going to give my bottles a few more weeks to see how they end up, but if they don't have good carbonation I will probably just stick to force carbonating for any 15+% ABV beers from now on. I would say the Tap-A-Draft system can get it done. Properly carbonated 18% ABV beer.