Beer isn't carbonated - how to remedy?

[TheSchwill]

The latest batch was in the primary for about 3 weeks, skipped secondary and went straight to bottles. Corn sugar was used to carbonate the beer. It was refrigerated about four weeks after bottling. The first beer was opened last weekend and was totally flat, no carbonation at all. Another bottle that had not been refrigerated was opened yesterday and is also flat. Is there anything that can be done, now that the beer is in bottles, to carbonate it? Would it be worth re-racking and using a carb tab or more corn sugar, then re-bottling or would I risk oxygenating the beer? please help!

 

[talleymonster]

Did you put them straight into the fridge after bottling? They need to be at room temp for a few weeks to carbonate. Then you refrigerate them.

Guys, if he waits a little longer will they carb? It may just take longer now since the temps are colder.......think lager beer.

 

[Ooompa Loompa]

What temp did you have it sitting at during the 4 weeks prior to refrigerating?

 

[TheSchwill]

Did you put them straight into the fridge after bottling? They need to be at room temp for a few weeks to carbonate. Then you refrigerate them.

Guys, if he waits a little longer will they carb? It may just take longer now since the temps are colder.......think lager beer.

It was at room temperature for about 4 weeks before refrigerating. I probably should have mentioned that this was an ale, with Knottingham ale yeast, so we kept it at room temperature, between 70-72 degrees. The first two batches, this is the third we've done, were fine with the same yeast in the same temperature.

 

[Ooompa Loompa]

Very odd. It sounds like you did everything right. Sometimes carbing can be slow, but after 4 weeks it should have a small amount of carbonation at the least. It almost sounds like the yeast is dead, but that wouldn't make sense if it was only in primary for 3 weeks then straight to bottling. You could try some carb tabs, but if there is no active yeast those won't do anything.

What priming method did you use? Did you add sugar to each bottle, or mix it into the bottling bucket? How many beers did you open to check for carbonation? Also can you let one warm up to room temp again and open it and see if it has signs of carbonation at room temp?

 

[Sean]

I once had a problem with a bad capper. Are your bottles sealed well, can you turn the cap with your fingers, or even pop the top? Just a thought.

 

[TheSchwill]

The sugar was mixed in with the bottling bucket. Only 6 beers were put into the fridge. One that was not in the fridge, at all, was opened and flat.

Would it make sense to re-rack, pitch additional yeast, and prime again? Or, would re-racking oxygenate the beer and create a very unpleasant drinking experience? I guess it couldn't hurt to try.

 

[TheSchwill]

In response to the bottler, it is new and has only been used for two other batches for a total of about 150 bottles. The caps are tight.

 

[Kai]

I'd roll the bottles on their side a bit or something similar to agitate them a little and get the yeast back into suspension, then put them the warmest place available (~75&#730 for another week or two before trying anything drastic. It'll probably be fine - some beers just aren't in a hurry to carbonate.

 

[GeorgeH]

My last beer didn't carbonate after 3 weeks. I flipped the bottles upside down and the carbonation slowly started to appear over the next 3 weeks. Agitation and time should be your first fix.

If that doesn't work, you could always pour it back into a bottling bucket and add sugar or yeast depending on what your hydrometer tells you.

 

[zacster]

Is there yeast sediment on the bottom of the bottles? I'd say that since you don't have any good beer now that anything you do would be an improvement, so go and try any of the above suggestions. The worst that could happen is you end up with bad beer.

 

[Yooper]

I'd swirl the bottles to rouse the yeast and keep warm. If that doesn't help, I would open them all, and add like one little bit of yeast and a carb tab, and recap.

 

[AndrwHock]

A bit of agitation is probably the way to go. I'm sorry to hear about the disappointment so far though. Look at the bright side, you might get to brew another batch early.