Dead flat after 3 weeks!!

[Tag]

I just opened my Honey Wheat that has been carbonating for three weeks and it is DEAD FLAT!! I then opened another with the idea to add more priming sugar and re-cap but when I tried, it gushered like Mount St Helens!! How do you accomplish adding additional primer? I thought I'd try a few and see how it worked out.
Thanks

 

[Yooper]

Well, when you add the priming sugar, it does tend to gush. I used prime tabs or carb tabs or something like that when I had a batch that didn't carb. If you add undissolved sugar, it'll foam up on you.

 

[discgolfin]

You added the sugar to the un carbed beer? How much?

J

 

[Tag]

I didn't add ANY!! It foamed too much to accomplish the mission!!

 

[maltMonkey]

How did you add the priming sugar originally? Did you measure a bit into each bottle or boil some sugar in water and pour into your bottling bucket?

 

[Tag]

I boiled 3/4 cup of corn sugar in water and added that to my bottling bucket, then siphoned on top of it and then bottled. I don't remember stirring it after siphoning to the bottling bucket though.

 

[maltMonkey]

That's probably the issue--the sugar was all at the bottom so the last bottles you filled won't carbonate.

I usually pour the boiled sugar water on top of the beer that's already in the bottling bucket, give it a good stir then stir once again halfway through bottling. That seems to work pretty well.

 

[Tag]

Do you think I should try to re-prime each bottle or dump it back into the bottling bucket and re bottle with more batch primer?

 

[Evan!]

Dumping it back in is NOT what you should do. It'll oxygenate it to hell, and you'll be screwed. Here's what I'd do: get carb tabs made my Munton's. Don't get the coopers. You need muntons. Put bottles in the fridge as normal and proceed as normal, and be prepared to drink---but when you open them, be careful. Open it over the sink, etc.

If you encounter a gusher, pour it into the glass carefully, and let it die down, pour more, then drink it. If you encounter a flat one, quickly drop 3 carb tabs into it (per 12oz btl) and cap it with a sanitized cap. Hopefully you'll get some that are carbed just right, though.

 

[Revvy]

I wouldn't dump back into a bottling bucket...to much of a risk of oxidation...

I think before I tried repriming, I'd roll the bottles gently on their sides to rerouse the yeast to work with the sugar already in the bottles...Then I'd stash them for a couple more weeks in a warm place, and see if that works.

If they're still not good then I would consider CAREFULLY re-priming... I don't know if it can be done or not, but I'd see if those priming or carb tabs can be cut in half with a pill cutter and only add half of one...carefully and quickly openning the bottles and quicky capping with fresh caps...Maybe with a friend to help...I'm just worried about future bottle bombs.

If they can't be cut, maybe you can mix up fresh priming solution and use a graduated eyedropper from a drug store...

Once someone on here more smarter than me can figure out how much you should add...

But I'd try the gently re-rouse and wait a couple weeks trick...It's worked great for me in the past.

 

[Revvy]

Dumping it back in is NOT what you should do. It'll oxygenate it to hell, and you'll be screwed. Here's what I'd do: get carb tabs made my Munton's. Don't get the coopers. You need muntons. Put bottles in the fridge as normal and proceed as normal, and be prepared to drink---but when you open them, be careful. Open it over the sink, etc.

If you encounter a gusher, pour it into the glass carefully, and let it die down, pour more, then drink it. If you encounter a flat one, quickly drop 3 carb tabs into it (per 12oz btl) and cap it with a sanitized cap. Hopefully you'll get some that are carbed just right, though.

See I told you someone here smarter than me would tell you how much to add...

I forgot...the muntons are the smaller ones, right? The coopers are the big ones that you would cut...this sounds much better.

 

[Evan!]

See I told you someone here smarter than me would tell you how much to add...

I forgot...the muntons are the smaller ones, right? The coopers are the big ones that you would cut...this sounds much better.

Yep, the muntons are better because you can adjust for bottle size and desired carbonation level. The coopers are designed specifically for one 12oz bottle per tab, which screws you if you're bottling in one of those german-style 16oz+/- bottles, etc., or you want a lower carbonation level than normal.

 

[Tag]

OK. Here it is almost 6 weeks after bottling and my Honey Wheat is still dead flat. I tried putting a little extra prime in a few and it didn't do a thing. I think my yeast may be dead.

Now I'm ready to bottle another batch and I'm a little paranoid!! Can I repitch a little yeast at bottling time? Am I asking for more problems? If I can repitch, how much should I add? A full pack of yeast or part of one?

Thanks

 

[Yooper]

Well, you can certainly put in some fresh yeast if you're paranoid about it. I'd mix up the priming solution, cool it a little, and while in the 80 degree range, gently stir in 1/4 package of a neutral yeast, like nottingham. When that is all dissolved, pour it into your bottling bucket and rack as usual.

I've only done that in the past with beers that were lagered and super clear at bottling, but it worked.