(Almost) no co2 after three weeks

[ph0ngwh0ng]

Hi!

I bottled a wit three weeks ago and primed with the appropriate amount of DME (thank you Beersmith!!). FG was hit right on. Problem is after three weeks, almost no CO2 has been produced. Should I put them in the fridge at the scheduled time anyway or just cut the yeast some slack and let them work until appropriate co2 level has been reached?

Thank you!

 

[eddie]

What temp have you been storing your bottles at?

 

[Revvy]

No you don't stick them in the fridge if they haven't reached carb level yet...that will cause the yeast to go dormant and leave you locked at that level.

Roll them back and forth on a table to re-rouse the yeast and stick them back in the closet for another couple of weeks or so.

they'll come up in there own time.

 

[ph0ngwh0ng]

I've been keeping them at 68F.

 

[Revvy]

I've been keeping them at 68F.

That's why then...even a few degrees under 70 will slow down the carb/conditioning process.....do what I suggested and they'll perk up with time.

 

[ph0ngwh0ng]

So, carbonation should take place at a higher temp then primary/secondary fermentation? What temp is best?

 

[eddie]

The recommendation is 3 weeks@70F. This might not seem like a very big difference from the 68F you had used but yeast are very fickle creatures. They will still do their job at 68F but will take their time. Also, remember that the cell count at bottling is a mere fraction of that at fermentation so there are fewer available to do the job. Do you see any sediment on the bottom of your bottles? If so, give the bottles a gentle swirl or a quick invert to get some of those yeast back into suspension and store them at 70F for another week and try another one at that time.

Also, beers carbonated with DME take longer to carbonate due to the lower fermentability of DME versus corn sugar or table sugar.

 

[olllllo]

Many commercial Belgian bottle conditioned beers are put in a warm room for carbonation. Warm rooms, according to Stan Hieronymous in Brew Like a Monk (BLAM) are around 80 F.

 

[Revvy]

OllllO and Eddie are right. After fermentation is complete, warm temps have no damaging effects on beer, so anything room temp is fine...@ 70 it usually takes three weeks to carb and condition..At 68 yours will carb up a tad slower.

After a few weeks the yeasties may be a little sluggish since they've acclimated to their environment, so agitate will get them back working...as will wrapping a blanket around the bottles to warm them up a few degrees.

 

[DrinksWellWithOthers]

I've primed with DME a couple times before and I noticed it took a little longer to carbonate than with corn sugar. I'm not sure if it had something to do with the DME or if it was a coincidence though.

 

[ph0ngwh0ng]

Ok thanks for the replies. Gave a swirl and turned the heat on. Does this also apply to lagers?

 

[Revvy]

Ok thanks for the replies. Gave a swirl and turned the heat on. Does this also apply to lagers?

Yep...carb n condition are the same really, regardless of style..though with lagers they may need a little less time...

 

[Dagatris]

Geez, just when I thought I had it figured out I see something that changes my thinking. I assumed that you bottled them and stored at the same temp you fermented with. I'll be making my first batch next week hopefully, so I still have time to learn.

Glad I came across this thread.

 

[cbg96]

A little followup as I have a similar thread/question going:

I move the beer somewhere warmer and give them a nice shake to rouse any sleeping yeasties, then let them sit for a bit longer (week or so). Assuming I crack one and the carbing is improved or right where it needs to be, can the beer then go back to where it was in a cooler place and/or be stuck in the fridge with no resulting reduction in the carb level?

I'm betting the answer is "yes" - once the carbing is right it's right and won't backslide, but just want to see if somebody (looking at you, Revvy) can confirm.