Carbonation Issue

[hizzy19]

Hi. First time poster, long time lurker. I usually can find answers fairly easily on here by searching here. What a wealth of information!

So here is my problem... I brewed a maple ale. A big one. 9.6%ABV. I gave it 15 days in primary at 64-68 degrees F and then racked to secondary.Temps in my house were getting above 70 at this time so I stuck the carboy in the basement where the ambient was between 58 and 60F. I bottled after 22 days in secondary with 4.25oz of corn sugar. It has been 4 weeks since bottling(stored at 60F) and I only have a slight hiss when I open a bottle and basically no visible carbonation.

My thought is that the low secondary temps caused most of the yeast to settle out and I didn't have enough left in solution to consume the corn sugar. Thoughts? Solutions?

Thanks in advance!

 

[jethro55]

A couple of thoughts to offer... though I have never had a low/slow carbonation issue with any brew so far.
1. The high ABV can make carbonation take longer. From what I have read that is not a very common issue. There are some yeasts that will not survive high ABV - you might check the yeast spec for that info.
2. The 60 F storage temperature is pretty low and has been a common issue with carbonation wait time. Room temperature (70 F) is the general recommendation for carbonation. Many yeasts really slow down at 60 F.
3. The idea that secondary would reduce available yeast for carbonation is not a widely accepted conclusion.

Suggest that you bring the batch up to 70-75 F for a week or so and see if that solves it.
And check the yeast spec to see if it is especially weak at high ABV.

 

[duboman]

At over 9% and sitting at 60oF I'm not surprised that they are taking longer to carbonate.

As mentioned you need to raise the temp to at least 70oF and give them more time.

Any beer I've ever bottled at the higher ABV take at least a month to fully carbonate and condition, some as long as 2 months or more

The fact you got a hiss tells me they're carbonating so just be patient and raise the temp


Sent from the Commune

 

[hizzy19]

Thanks for the replies, fellas. I moved a 6 pack to a warmer temperature. Also, something I left out of the original post. There is almost no sediment in the bottles at this point either. That was another reason for my questioning if there were actually any active yeast left. I will check yeast specs as well. Thanks!

 

[surffisher2a]

Thanks for the replies, fellas. I moved a 6 pack to a warmer temperature. Also, something I left out of the original post. There is almost no sediment in the bottles at this point either. That was another reason for my questioning if there were actually any active yeast left. I will check yeast specs as well. Thanks!

As long as you didn't filter it, you should have enough yeast that was in suspension to carbonate the beer.

 

[hizzy19]

I be moving all of the beer to a warmer spot tonight. I will report back in a week or two. Is there any risk of giving the beer off-flavors by keeping it in a 75-80 degree environment?

 

[ob_1jr]

I had a nearly 10% beer (honey weizen)that took about 3 months to carb up. My basement was a bit chilly during the winter (mid 60s), but the beer finally carbed.

 

[kombat]

Is there any risk of giving the beer off-flavors by keeping it in a 75-80 degree environment?

None whatsoever, at this point. You're out of the woods as far as keeping it cool is concerned. As others mentioned, unless you filtered or pasteurized your beer, there are more than enough yeast cells there to do the job. They're just cold. Get those bottles up to 70° F (warmer is fine, within reason obviously) and give them some time to work - they'll be a little sluggish in a 9.6% ABV brew. Sounds like a delicious beer! Your patience will be rewarded!

 

[hizzy19]

Thanks for all the peace of mind! I moved all of the bottles upstairs where the temps typically range from 70-80. I will report back in a month or so. This is a beer I am really excited about and was pretty bummed before hearing from you guys. It is a smoked maple amber recipe that was featured in BYO magazine earlier this year. Maple sap was used in place of water, and another pint of syrup added toward the end of the boil. All the maple came from my family sugar orchard up here in VT. I'm guessing my sap and/or syrup had a much higher sugar content than what was used in the BYO recipe... My OG was much higher than theirs.

 

[shortyz]

ive filtered through a 5 micron bag filter and still had excellent carbonation. just because there is no sediment doesn't mean there isn't any yeast. they are there, just waiting.

 

[hizzy19]

So my impatience got the best of me. I popped a top on Saturday, June 28. Temps in the closet I moved them to have been ranging from 68-75 F. I was pleasantly surprised. There was no head formation yet, but there were CO2 bubbles emerging from the beer. A step in the right direction, I'm pumped!