Can I re-carbonate?

[yeastluvr]

I made my first batch of cider "yes it was Mr. Beer" After ferment, I primed and bottled. Its been 4 weeks and all are flat. Its been a consistent 72 degrees and I've had other batches since, with different ingredients, carbonate just fine.

Can I open the bottles and try to add sugar again? Will this taint the cider "other than a little oxidation?" I'm willing to try anything as I want it carbonated, I just dont want to do something that is a no no.

 

[yeastluvr]

I should also say they have been in the fridge for 3-4 days now....I dont know if that in itself would kill the yeast or not?

 

[yeastluvr]

Well, I guess I'll answer my own question. I opened the flat bottles up and dosed each with a very small amount of yeast then added more sugar. After three days the bottles are feeling tight. I probably put to much priming sugar in. I'm putting the tighest in the fridge tonight to hopefully make the yeast go dormant. It did could up the cider, but I'm hoping with several weeks in the fridge they will clear out. Cant wait to crack the first one this weekend....hope to get a nice fizz!

 

[SeamusMac]

Hmmm that's kind of strange that they didn't carb after 4 weeks at 72*

I would have just have said f*ck it and drank them still, but if you're dead set on having them fizzy then I guess you've got nothing to loose. Is there a possibility that you killed your yeast with sanitizer sometime after fermentation was done? Perhaps during bottling?