Adding yeast prior to bottling

[westwardclock]

Now I know this has been covered thousands of times over. Whether making ales or lagers(up to 2 months lagering) there is supposed to be plenty of yeast in suspension, therefore, additional yeast at bottling is not required. I have read it everywhere.

My first 2 were ales. I felt like I did everything by the book. I treated both the same. After approx 2 weeks in he primary and FG was correct they went to a secondary. I cold crashed them 40F for 14 days. Added biofine clear to both of the with 3 days left. Bottled them and a month later no carb. After that month I had to pop all the caps off and sprinkle yeast in each one and recap. They carbed up <1 week. What gives. I thought maybe it was the temperature of the wort when bottling. After cold crashing it went straight to bottling(bottled with wort at 40F). 2 batches later I tried it again this time I let the wort come to room temperature after cold crashing before bottling. I also didn't use biofine clear. Same result no carb. Uncap them all and sprinkle yeast again and recap. 3 times I've done this. I need help. I can't possibly think of what I am doing wrong. I am positive I added priming sure and the bottles were all at 70F while bottle carbonating otherwise I wouldn't have had success sprinkling yeast and recapping.

The Hefeweizen I made didn't require additional yeast because I never dropped the wort temperature <68F. My problem is related to temperature, just sure why most can cold crash or lager without needing to re-pitch yeast at bottling

Now I have 2 lagers. I still have a month to decide, but, I am scared to bottle without adding yeast again.

I understand its cheap insurance to add yeast before bottling, but more important to me is why it is happening. Everyone is positive that yeast will not be needed prior to bottling but I seem to fail.

Please any help is greatly appreciated. I don't want to add yeast prior to bottling if its not necessary.

 

[duboman]

How much priming sugar are you using? How are you priming? To what volume of CO2 are you priming? Are you calculating the volume desired at the correct beer temperature?

 

[westwardclock]

I do use a calculator. I'm using corn sugar and its a pale ale. I had approx 4.5 gallons of wort. So I went with 110 grams of corn sugar. I used 70f as temperature even though I bottled at 40f. Since my carb level was great after just adding some dry yeast in each bottle I thought eliminating priming sugar was logical.

 

[homebrewdad]

If it makes you feel better, add yeast... but it's not necessary. If you're trying to turn things around quickly, it can help, though.

Three weeks @ 70 degrees F is the baseline for most beers to carb. Higher gravities and cooler temps can make this take longer.

I've had a beer go ~4 weeks in primary, ~4 months in secondary, and carb up like a champ... no yeast needed. I've read tales of six, even eight months in a carboy carbing right up with no yeast.

You have PLENTY of yeast in your beer. Think about it - homebrewers regularly cultivate yeast from bottles and use that to ferment. It doesn't just magically go away.

 

[duboman]

I do use a calculator. I'm using corn sugar and its a pale ale. I had approx 4.5 gallons of wort. So I went with 110 grams of corn sugar. I used 70f as temperature even though I bottled at 40f. Since my carb level was great after just adding some dry yeast in each bottle I thought eliminating priming sugar was logical.

If you are bottling 40 degree beer then you need to take into account the amount of time the beer will take to get above 70 before calculating days to carb up as the yeast is sleeping at that temp.

As mentioned 70-75 for a minimum of 3 weeks is a general rule but at the starting cold temp it could take 5-6 weeks or more as the yeast need to wake up and go back to work

I agree that you just need to wait longer and again, there is no need to cold crash an ale for 2 weeks, a couple days is perfect.

Next batch, do everything the same but cut back the crash and get the bottles above 70 as quick as you can and it should help. I agree you have plenty of yeast. The reason you are seeing a quick turn around in adding fresh yeast is just that, it's fresh yeast and it hasn't been put to sleep