No carbination in my AG NB Cream Ale

[msa8967]

I tried sampling my Northern Brewer AG Cream Ale for the first time today. Three straight bottles had zero carbination. The suger I used to bottle with that day did carb up some other recipes fine. It had been sitting for 5 weeks in the basement at 65 F and I chilled for 48 hours.

Is there anything I can do to try to fix each bottle? I would like to not dump this second AG batch effort.

Thanks for any ideas.

Mick

 

[yodalegomaster]

Roust them,
Pick them up one by one and shake them. Try again in two weeks, The yeast settles to the bottom and can't find the sugar.

 

[msa8967]

Should I leave the bottles inverted after shaking or just have them up right? Nothing to lose and so much to gain.

Thanks,

Mick

 

[avidhomebrewer]

I have a hard time dumping the fruits of my labor, even if it is a somewhat flat batch.

You could always do what yoda said as well as warm up the bottles/cases. Bring the batch to a warmer part of the house if possible and see what that does.

 

[Cart]

I've had some take a long time to carb. 65 is still a little cool, especially if you secondary or cold crash prior to bottling. Can you see any yeast sediment forming in the bottles?

 

[D_Struct]

I was having the same issues with a batch of Honey Blonde.

Two weeks in bottles at around 65, and very little carbonation.

Moved both cases to my back room that's not connected to the house's AC system. Temps get up past 80 during the day.

After two days, I'm already noticing more carbonation.

 

[msa8967]

I looked closely at the bottom of some of the sealed bottles and saw that there is no yeast sediment at the bottom. Not sure if this implies that I didn't add enough priming sugar or that there was not enough viable yeast left for carbonation.

Has anyone had much success using carb drops and resealing bottles?

 

[Revvy]

65 degrees is NOT the 70 degrees that we recommend, 5 degrees may not seem like much to you or me, but it IS to the little yeastie beasties. Move them to a warmer place, rouse them to lift the yeast and come back in 2 weeks, they will be fine. I have the same problem in my loft in the winter, since I keep it in the low 60's especially when at work, they take froever to carb and condition, then suddenly when the ambient rises over 70 degrees, they all go *pop* and are carbed just fine.

You DON'T need to add carb drops or do anything else. In fact if you do, you will more than likely get bottle bombs!!!!! The problem is not a lack of sugar, it is a lack of activity of the yeasts.

 

[msa8967]

Good to know. I was not sure how viable the yeast would be after these five weeks. I will move these up tonight and hopefully these bottles will be carbed in th next 2 weeks just in time to celebrate the birth of our first child. I will be more carefull about assuming that all brews will carb at the same temp range.

Thanks again.

Mick

 

[eddie]

65 degrees is NOT the 70 degrees that we recommend, 5 degrees may not seem like much to you or me, but it IS to the little yeastie beasties. Move them to a warmer place, rouse them to lift the yeast and come back in 2 weeks, they will be fine. I have the same problem in my loft in the winter, since I keep it in the low 60's especially when at work, they take froever to carb and condition, then suddenly when the ambient rises over 70 degrees, they all go *pop* and are carbed just fine.

You DON'T need to add carb drops or do anything else. In fact if you do, you will more than likely get bottle bombs!!!!! The problem is not a lack of sugar, it is a lack of activity of the yeasts.

Sure, it'll take quite a bit longer to carb as 65f versus 70f but he should have seen something. At least a *pfffft* when he popped the top. I'm wondering if he may have forgot the priming sugar at bottling (don't laugh, it happens.) IMO, he should move the bottles to a warmer place and leave them there for two weeks. After two weeks, he should sample another bottle. An easy way to tell if things are carbing up is to take a flashlight an hold it to the side of a bottle then look through the bottom of the bottle. If it's carbing, he should see yeast sediment on the bottom of the bottle.

 

[Revvy]

Sure, it'll take quite a bit longer to carb as 65f versus 70f but he should have seen something. At least a *pfffft* when he popped the top.

Not necessarily...sorry but there are NO GENERALIZATIONS in homebrewing where yeast are concerned. I have had PLENTY of my loft beers not have even a pfft at 8 weeks at 61, while other's have. But I have NEVER not had a bottle that wasn't carbed in my cold loft, carb up quite soon after the ambient temp rose into the 70's.

I doubt he forgot priming sugar. I can almost guarantee that he will have carbonation after 2 weeks above 70.

 

[Cart]

The lack of sediment is indication of a lack of activity, likely due to temp. You almost certainly have enough yeast and sugar in the beer to carb up, just need the patience (and as Revvy's already been here, I'm just beating a dead horse...)

 

[Revvy]

(and as Revvy's already been here, I'm just beating a dead horse...)

But sometimes folks need to hear it from more than one person.

 

[archiefl98]

But sometimes folks need to hear it from more than one person.

Do what Revvy said.

 

[Revvy]

Though I will say that the type of yeast, as well as factors such as time in primary and/or secondary, even how you bottle, is going to determine the "visibility" of any bottling sediment. I've had plenty of perfectly carbed batches with almost no visible sediment. Some it is so tiny that you have to look straight down into the bottle and light the bottom from behind to see just the slightest "stain" on the bottom.

I find that after a month in primary I tend to get very little sedimentation what so-ever, and also using my bottling bucket dip tube, I leave even more stuff behind.

Less flocculant yeast, like for wits and heffe's may even have none at all.

So sedimentation is not always a good indicator. I've often said that there's no way to "see" bottle carbonation....you just have to insure it will carb, by having patience.

 

[Justibone]

If it doesn't carb, I'd recommend against adding more sugar and trying to get it to carb up that way. Either drink it flat, or try freeze concentrating it (if you are in the mood to experiment). If you are desperate and/or brave, and you have access to dry ice, you can risk explosion (and chance of maiming) by insta-carbing it. That, by the way, is the OTHER way to go blind with booze.

Never toss a beer because its flat.

My 2 cents.

 

[Revvy]

If it doesn't carb, I'd recommend against adding more sugar and trying to get it to carb up that way. Either drink it flat, or try freeze concentrating it (if you are in the mood to experiment). If you are desperate and/or brave, and you have access to dry ice, you can risk explosion (and chance of maiming) by insta-carbing it. That, by the way, is the OTHER way to go blind with booze.

Never toss a beer because its flat.

My 2 cents.

Honestly there has rarely been anyone that has needed to add more sugar to their beer. All beer will carb up eventually. I had a Belgian strong need 3 months to carb up. But it did.