Belgians take a long time to carbonate?

[Bradmont]

I bottled a batch about two months ago. I did most of it in 355ml bottles, but also filled 4 belgians, with proper belgian corks & wire cages. The regular bottles have been nicely carbed for over a month now, but I opened one of the belgians last night and it was barely carbed at all, so I poured it out . I'd opened another 3 weeks ago and it tasted green at the time. Is this just a symptom of bottling in bigger bottles, or is there something else going on here?

 

[Revvy]

Bit of everything. Bigger bottles do take longer than 12 ouncers. Also bigger beers take longer as well. Are you sure your corks are tight enough, and nothing is leaking out? I've never done cork, corks, but I did do plastic champagne corks on apfelwein, and found that I didn't have them tight enough. So check that.

 

[Bradmont]

It's not a big beer in the bottles, it's a 4.3% amber ale like in the smaller ones. I'm pretty sure the corks are tight enough, I bought the 25.5mm belgian corks, and they are a *pain* to pull out of the bottle... but it seems to me that two months should be enough time for them to carb, no? I guess I'll just save them for a few more months.

 

[Revvy]

It's not a big beer in the bottles, it's a 4.3% amber ale like in the smaller ones. I'm pretty sure the corks are tight enough, I bought the 25.5mm belgian corks, and they are a *pain* to pull out of the bottle... but it seems to me that two months should be enough time for them to carb, no? I guess I'll just save them for a few more months.

I had an og 1.090 belgian take like 3-4 months to carb up and another 6 to mellow out...So nothing surprises me these days. I don't worry. If I know I did everything right, then I just walk away and revisit it later.

 

[B-Dub]

If I know I did everything right, then I just walk away and revisit it later.

That is the truth brother!!

BW

 

[Pilgarlic]

I've got an 8.5% Dark Strong Belgian still not completely carbed after 5 months. I am surprised, thought, that a smaller beer hasn't carbed in sixty days.

 

[CheemsAF]

I've been brewing Belgians now for a couple of years and found out that on extremely heavy beers (e.g. 1.080 & higher), that a repitch of yeast is paramount in your bottling bucket (or however you do it). The first time I brewed a Belgian I cracked it open after 2-3 months in the bottle, and it was like sipping on a glass of flat, flavored sugar water.

So, when I think of Belgians, I think of yeast b/c there's a lot of yeast in'em. So, I either keep some of the yeast from the starter, reuse some from the primary trub, or go out and get more to reuse for the bottles.

I'm not sure if the lack of yeast is the issue or not. But it may be a culprit if you believe your corks are on tight enough. My Belgians usually carb within a month.

 

[Pilgarlic]

The Dark Strong I mentioned above that is uncarbed after months was reyeasted at bottling. It's still progressing, though, so I'm looking forward to it.

 

[CheemsAF]

Well time will tell. I do know one of my Belgians (11.7% abv) called for WLP099 (super high gravity yeast) at the repitch. I couldn't find it here in CO, so I used the LHBS' suggestion of champagne yeast, and that worked fine. Best of luck with it. Belgians are tasty.

 

[B-Dub]

I like to put all the bottles into my fermenting fridge, crank the temp up to 70 and condition them for 2 weeks before removing.

If after that time they are still low in carbonation I gently rouse the yeast and wait one more week. That seems to work every time.

BW