carbonation

[jayroth]

I recently made an extract dubbel which has been in bottles for 3 weeks now. I'm extremely satisfied with the flavor; however, it isn't as carbonated as I would like. The ABV is about 7.5%. Do beers generally take longer to carbonate when they have a relatively higher alcohol content?

 

[joyceman]

Ive heard the darker/bigger the beer the longer to carb. I've never done anyting that big, but Im betting someone will be along in a couple of posts telling you to wait 3 more weeks.

 

[JLem]

Yes, higher alcohol beers will take longer to carbonate. The yeast that are there, while still alive, are fewer and are probably not in the best shape due to the higher alcohol environment. 3 weeks @ 70°F is suggested as a starting point for carbonating beer. It often will take longer. Try to forget about them for a little while longer.

 

[jayroth]

I suspected that the yeast might be slowed by the higher alcohol, thanks for confirming. Now comes the tough part of leaving them alone for a while...