Imperial Stout Beer Conditioning Stuck (!?)

[theQ]

Hello,

I don't usually have issues with fermentation or bottle conditioning.

I have a fermentation chamber and I can control the temp to a 0.5F but recently, 3 weeks ago, I bottled conditioned a Imperial Stout that doesn't seem to want to carbonate. The ABV is high 10ish and I didn't do any fresh yeast not oxygen. The conditioning temp is 80F


I popped a bottle yesterday there was very little to no fizz, I can't figure it out if it was residual from fermentation or it's in early stage due to lack of oxygen, high ABV and stressed yeast.

I will wait few more weeks and pop another one. Is there a visual wait to figure out if the liquid is carbonated ? Would I have to dump it all 50 bombers in my corny kegs and tap it ?

Share your thoughts!

 

[thehaze]

How large was the batch and how much priming sugar did you use? Have you inverted the bottles at least once since you let them condition? Like in the first week, to evenly mix the sugars which might deposit themselves at the bottom?

Higher ABV beers tend to need a lot more time to carbonate properly, so I would wait 2-3 weeks more.

 

[isomerization]

Worst case, pop each one and add a tiny amount of wine yeast. If you aren't sure about the sugar, you can always add those pre measured drops.

Depends on your yeast selection, but I've had 1056 bottle carb just fine at 10% (although if that is the old formula, you're likely a point or two higher in abv).

 

[theQ]

I used a calculator for 3.0 volume of C02. And melted the sugar for each for the two 5 gallons. It's 10 gallon batch split in half brewed in January. Added bourbon oak 4 weeks later then blueberries finally decided to bottle it 2 weeks ago. I will wait. The yeast is WL 3787 high gravity. Should do very well.

I haven't inverted the bottles but I will.

 

[theQ]

Two weeks later still no CO2 in the few bottles I sampled. I might have to pop them open. I'd make a started and add some to each bottle. What a pain...

 

[secondbase]

I've had high gravity beers take months to full carbonate. I wouldn't try to rush a beer like this, but if you're in a hurry and are sure you evenly distributed the priming sugar throughout the batch, open the caps and pour a little CBC-1 or other bottling yeast in each bottle. Then leave it alone for a few months.

 

[theQ]

I will wait, there should be yeast in there...

 

[theQ]

Maybe it's above 11 ABV! I did pop one over the weekend, there is some co2 but looks like the residual CO2. I might have to uncork them all 50 bottles :-|

STRAIN: 3787
TRAPPIST STYLE HIGH GRAVITY ™

MEDIUM
FLOCCULATION

74 - 78
ATTENUATION

64 - 78
TEMPERATURE RANGE

11
ABV​

 

[JordanKnudson]

Can't help you on carbonation, but holy wow does this beer sound all over the place! Even without knowing the grain and hop bills, this is an imperial stout with bourbon, oak, blueberries, and fermented with a Belgian yeast. I hope you do get it carbonated just so we can hear what the completely finished product tastes like. I have to admit that it sounds to me like "homebrew-style busy," but I know better than to judge too quickly when it comes to these sorts of things. Hope it carbs up for you and that it turns out fantastic.

 

[theQ]

Thanks for the input.

I called it here Imperial Stout for the ease of discussion. It's a Frankenstein for sure, IS meets Quad in a oak barrel. It tastes really good. Using the Belgian Trappist for it's high gravity tolerance and for the fruity esters and phenolics character to pair the berries (all was planned, not throwing stuff together). I am not sending it to any contest. Althou the half batch that is not using blueberries does taste like an barrel aged imperial stout.

It's a big beer, very little bittering, but all of that is not relevant when it comes to my problem stuck bottle conditioning.

The sole purpose of this thread is to see if anyone experience a slow, slow, super slow bottle conditioning. At this point I am inclining to think that the due to the high ABV the yeast is dormant or even dead. I am bottle condition it at 75F in a fermentation chamber for about 2 months now. It should have carbonated.

Time to buy more corks !

 

[theQ]

I haven't re-primed them yet. There is a fizz so I will age them for few more months. Patience is a virtue they say!