Beer is flat

[Alienist]

I’ve made several good extract batches since I started brewing again in 2015. However the last two batches I’ve made with my son have no carbonation even though we followed the instructions exactly with the right amount of bottling sugar. I’m thinking it may be that the temperature after we bottled it may be the culprit as we stored the bottles in his basement. By the way we made two batches in the spring and early summer and they turned out fine.
Two question:
Is there any way to rescue this batch?
How do we prevent this from happening again?
Many thanks for any insights you can give us.

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

Bring the bottles back to a warmer place and the yeast should get back to work carbing your beer.

 

[davidabcd]

Temperature.
Length of time in the bottle.
Style.
Capping.
I'd need more to go on.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

I’m thinking it may be that the temperature after we bottled it may be the culprit as we stored the bottles in his basement. By the way we made two batches in the spring and early summer and they turned out fine.

I also bottle condition in my basement. Over the last couple of winters, I have been putting the bottles in a cooler filled with 70F water for about a week. I generally adjust the water temperature twice a day. Previously, when the basement ambient temperature was around 60F, it would take longer (3 to 4 weeks, perhaps depending on yeast strain) for the beers to carbonate.

For a corrective action, @davidabcd is asking some good questions. With some additional information, a more precise corrective action may be possible.

 

[Alienist]

OK, I had to go over to my son's house to get this info.
Initial brew 12/5/21, Northern Brewer Brickwarmer Holiday Ale.
Initial sg 1.070
Racked 12/19 into a carboy, sg 1.021
Bottled 1/9/22 sg 1.020, mostly quart Corona bottles and some 22 oz and 12 oz bottles, crown caps.
Stored in basement, temperature probably in mid 60's F to 70.
Tried a bottle on Jan 29, flat. Moved entire batch upstairs where it is warmer, 70 to 75 degrees F.
Tried another bottle on Feb 11, still flat.
Let me know if you need more info.
Thanks

 

[Alienist]

Forgot bottling sugar.
Dissolved 2/3 cup of sucrose in 16 oz water. Added to bottling bucket before racking from carboy to bottling bucket

 

[davidabcd]

That kit states 1.062 OG so that's odd. The FG isn't listed that I noticed. The FG should have been a little lower than 1.020 for that amount of extract.
Was the priming solution mixed pretty well?
Are the bottles or capper the same or different than your successful batches?
There's still a matter of being patient as some beers take a lot longer to carbonate.
Also, since you've had success and now two in a row flat, I'd compare what you did then with what you did on the last two.
All in all, since you know what you're doing, I'd wait another month at the higher temp.

 

[balrog]

can you twist the caps by hand? that would point to loose caps allowing co2 to escape.
Is there sediment in the bottles? that would show if yeast at least tried to multiply and ferment bottling sugar then fall out.

 

[Beermeister32]

If you have some yeast slurry of the same type yeast as used, you can carefully uncap the beers and squirt a little shot into each bottle with an eye dropper and re-cap. Make sure to sanitize everything with a spray bottle of Star-San solution.

That was a pretty big beer, possibly the fermenting yeast were a bit tired, or your racking into the bucket was so efficient that there was little yeast available. Sometimes when bottling from a bucket, you can add a bit more yeast, like a quarter packet of US-05 to the bucket when adding the sugar. I prefer dextrose (corn sugar.)

 

[Alienist]

Thanks everyone for the advice. The capper and caps I used were the same as what was used in my successful batches. I don't have any yeast slurry from this batch.
I'm going to give it another three weeks at the higher temp and see what happens.
If that doesn't work would it make sense to try and recarbonate it in the brewing bucket? That is, empty the bottles into the bucket add a little yeast let it sit for a week or two and then re bottle with more bottling sugar?

 

[Beermeister32]

I think you would oxidize the entire batch if you did that. Not a good idea.

I’d dose each bottle like I mentioned above, I’ve done it a number of times and it works well, and there is low risk.

 

[Alienist]

OK, I've ordered some of the same yeast as I used to make this batch and am going to make a slurry to add to the bottles as you suggested. How much should I add?
Also, my son and I were trying to figure out what we had done differently with the last two batches. One thing we realized was that when we added the hops we put them into cheesecloth to reduce the amount of time it took us to clean up. Would that have affected the carbonation process?

 

[camonick]

One thing we realized was that when we added the hops we put them into cheesecloth to reduce the amount of time it took us to clean up. Would that have affected the carbonation process?

No.

 

[Beermeister32]

Small pint size mason jar, fill slurry about to this line. Eye dropper fill about to this amount. Use Star San Solution in spray bottle. Turn off ceiling fans or other sources or air movement. You will have beer!