Imperial Stout Carb Problems

[tooblue02]

Is there a trick to getting an imperial stout to carb up in the bottle? I used the sugar calc for a regular stout but I think that may have been my problem. The beer tastes wonderful, not too sweet at all so I am wondering if time is the only thing that might help?

I made a 3 gallon batch and it sat in the fermentor for 6 weeks, verified FG, then bottled back before memorial day and just tried my first one this evening... Kind of bummed there is no fizzy? Anything I can do or should i just enjoy it as is? Not going to dump it! Temps for fermenting were in the low 60's using a California Ale yeast (liquid), and bottle temps have been the same as the fermenting (maybe slightly higher like 68-70? Hard to tell as I don't have great temp control... YET!

Thanks!

 

[freisste]

Might just need a little more time and temperature.

Other issue: ABV. Yeast can only handle a certain level of alcohol. If you are above that (not uncommon on imperial brews), the yeast may have no more potential.

 

[KepowOb]

Warm up your bottles a bit. Colder temperatures will really slow down carbonation. Give them two weeks above 70.

 

[tooblue02]

I will try that out, thanks! If the ABV is too high, is there any hope or should I do something different next time??

 

[cobrem]

If abv is too high, you can find a more alcohol tolerant strain (can't help with that, but that's gotta be out there on the interwebs), make a slurry, add a little to each bottle with a sanitized eye dropper, and recap.

That said, I'd try raising the temp and waiting a couple of weeks before going that route.

Off topic - I like your profile pic. Which boat? I was on the good ship Miami 10-12 years back. God bless her soul...

 

[KepowOb]

If your yeast got you down to a suitable FG, they're tolerant to whatever ABV your at, I would think.

What yeast season did you use, and what was your OG and FG? I really don't think that's your problem though. Usually carbonation issues with big beers happen because of very long aging periods (like several months in the secondary) more than anything else.

 

[WileECoyote]

Warm up your bottles a bit. Colder temperatures will really slow down carbonation. Give them two weeks above 70.

+1, your temps are low for fermenting and carbing cali ale yeast, 68 to 73 is what it should be if its WLP-001

Also when you do put 1 in the fridge, leave it there for 3 days before trying it, this time allows the co2 to completely go into solution.

Good luck, proper temp and time will make all the difference!

Cheers