No carbonation in lager after two weeks in bottles

[BrewingCzech]

Hi everybody. I was very disappointed when I opened up a bottle of Czech pilsner after two weeks of bottle conditioning and it was totally flat and sweet. Sweet because none of the priming sugar was converted by the yeast I guess.
It's true that I underpitched the lager (50 % less) but it fermented just fine to 1,010.
It was fermenting at 45 F for 14 days in primary, diacetyl rest 3 days, and then at 34 F for 2 months in secondary.
It was my first time doing lager so I'm not sure now.
Should I pour all bottled beer in a bottling bucket and add dry yeast that I used for primary fermentatiton? It was Weihenstephan 34/7. Or add yeast straight in the bottles? Because I'm afraid that after all the lagering there were no yeast left in the beer. Or should I wait longer?
I did't find any conversation about a case like mine is anywhere.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

I'm in a situation that is so identical to the above as to the specifics that it amazes me. I'm going to allow another 2 weeks at 70 degrees before I begin to consider adding yeast to each bottle.

If it gets to a need for more yeast, my plan (following 'Brew Dudes' advice) is to rehydrate some W-34/70, draw it into a syringe, and inoculate each bottle with a dribble, then recap.

 

[jalc6927]

Have you tried adding carbonation drops?

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Have you tried adding carbonation drops?

Since the sugar is already added, adding more sugar could create bottle bombs.

 

[jalc6927]

One more piece won’t hurt, I’ve had to do it myself

 

[flars]

Hi everybody. I was very disappointed when I opened up a bottle of Czech pilsner after two weeks of bottle conditioning and it was totally flat and sweet. Sweet because none of the priming sugar was converted by the yeast I guess.
It's true that I underpitched the lager (50 % less) but it fermented just fine to 1,010.
It was fermenting at 45 F for 14 days in primary, diacetyl rest 3 days, and then at 34 F for 2 months in secondary.
It was my first time doing lager so I'm not sure now.
Should I pour all bottled beer in a bottling bucket and add dry yeast that I used for primary fermentatiton? It was Weihenstephan 34/7. Or add yeast straight in the bottles? Because I'm afraid that after all the lagering there were no yeast left in the beer. Or should I wait longer?
I did't find any conversation about a case like mine is anywhere.

Wait another week and then chill a bottle for at least two days. Wait another week to chill another bottle for two days if the carbonation level isn't coming up.

How much priming sugar did you use for what volume? Did you use a priming sugar calculator such as this one?
https://www.northernbrewer.com/priming-sugar-calculator/
Did you use the highest temperature the beer rested at for temperature or the cold crash temperature if you used a calculator?

Most likely just need more time if you used a priming calculator and you are keeping the beer warm for 24 hours a day.

 

[BrewingCzech]

To Silver is money: Let me know the results, I'm curious. I will probably do the same, unless someone comes up with a better idea here.
Good luck man.

I used 5 Brewer's Best priming sugar tablest for each bottle. That should make a high level of carbonation according to the text on the package. So I don't think that adding more sugar is the answer.
The diacetyl rest was at room temperature then I lowered it down slowly to 34 F.
And yes, the bottles are resting at room temp all days.
Yeah, I will give it another two weeks to see what happens.
Thanks for the advice, everybody.

 

[jalc6927]

Those tablets are worthless in my opinion

Try these

I used them and then added the drops, these look like

 

[BrewingCzech]

I used these for some of the bottles. I might still remember which bottles they were, so I might check one out.
But the tablets worked just fine for my other beers... I don't know man...

 

[brew703]

I had a batch that took well over a month to properly carbonate. I didn't use the tablets but regular sugar. I would check in another week or two or as much as a month.
I never had any luck using the tablets or drops. Maybe you should switch to table sugar to prime.

 

[BrewingCzech]

Actually, it was BSG carbonation tablets that I used for my other beer. Not Brewer's Best. And there seem to be people having problems with these tablets on this forum. But it might be just the fact that only those that have problems post about it and it might not be the tablets' fault. I think I'll open one bottle now and add the drop that jalc6927 recommends. I have them on stock.

To Brew703: Yes, maybe I should switch back to using sugar.
The reason I've been using the tablets and drops recently is oxidation ect.
With drops and tablets I rack straight from fermentor to bottles, so no bottling bucket in the middle. But I could also measure exact amount of sugar per each bottle...
You mean that tablets or drops never worked for you at all?

 

[elreplica]

I've used Muntons drops in 22 oz bombers adding 3,4, and 5 drops and they worked fine. Can't see BB being a lot different as they're dry malt extract based...I'd say you've got a time/temp issue...couple weeks at room temp always worked for me...your FG is 1010... give it temp or time...

 

[brew703]

Actually, it was BSG carbonation tablets that I used for my other beer. Not Brewer's Best. And there seem to be people having problems with these tablets on this forum. But it might be just the fact that only those that have problems post about it and it might not be the tablets' fault. I think I'll open one bottle now and add the drop that jalc6927 recommends. I have them on stock.

To Brew703: Yes, maybe I should switch back to using sugar.
The reason I've been using the tablets and drops recently is oxidation ect.
With drops and tablets I rack straight from fermentor to bottles, so no bottling bucket in the middle. But I could also measure exact amount of sugar per each bottle...
You mean that tablets or drops never worked for you at all?

I've never had any oxidation issues using a bottling bucket and priming sugar. Only time I had oxidation is when I brewed a NEIPA. Outside of that batch, never had an issue. And I'm on batch 47.

I used the tablets when I first started brewing and have the bottles carbonated and the other half never did. After that, switched to priming sugar.

 

[elreplica]

I do too...priming sugar and zero probs...I keep some drops for leftovers doing a metric batch of 23 litres and kegging 18.9 litres...both worked admirably...but I bulk prime my cider with no issues...

 

[BrewingCzech]

Definitely not temperature issuses. There's 71-77 F in the room. Time? Yes, maybe. I'll wait longer and I'll also experiment with 1 bottle and add the drop that jalc6927 recommends.
If none of that works, I'll add yeast.

Well, they say, that less handling means better, fresher flavor. I used bottling bucket before too and the beers were superb.
I just thought, that they could have been even better if I racked straight into bottles.

 

[BrewingCzech]

Btw in order to remove as much handling as possible I've also been experimenting with racking beer from primary (after the fermentation is perfectly complete) straight into bottles-half of the batch. So they were like in secondary and conditioning at once. I also cold crashed the bottles. They came out excellent but I'm waiting for the secondary half to bottle condition and compare. It's too soon to open now.
I'll let you know how they compare to each other if you guys are interested.
But I'm talking about totally different beer, not about the lager. This one is IPA.

PS: I heard about this at Basic Brewing Radio, podcast with Wyeast founder.
http://www.basicbrewing.com/index.php?page=basic-brewing-radio-2005

 

[jalc6927]

I think also if you use 1/2 teaspoon of priming sugar for 12 oz and 1 tsp for 22 you’ll be fine

I miscalculated and used half a d that’s why I had to add the drops

 

[Rhaop]

Lagering for 2 months you dropped a lot of yeast out of solution keep the bottles warm and wait a few more weeks if they aren’t carbed but still sweet then You need to drip some fresh yeast in their as suggested earlier in the thread, I believe you could use some cheap champagne yeast that should only target the simple sugars you added at bottling

Edit: oh and dominos sugar dots work well, 1 cube per 12oz worked for me

 

[BrewingCzech]

I will do. Thanks.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

For many years I added dissolved sugar to a bottling bucket, but lately I've just been adding a Domino Dot sugar cube (2.29 grams, or the equivalent of 1/2 tsp) to every 12 ounce bottle before filling. My local supermarket sells them at $1.98 for a box of 198, or 1 penny apiece.

Domino Dots
198 cubes x 2.29 grams/cube = 1 pound

Just make sure you are buying the 1 lb. box with a count of 198, and you will know that you are getting the 1/2 tsp size. The box will state 1 lb. and 198 count.

These sugar cubes dissolve almost instantly, and are better in that regard than most if not all of the commercially available carbonation drops. Use for 12 ounce bottles only!!!

 

[BrewingCzech]

Sounds great. Thanks for advice.

 

[Kee]

If you do decide to add yeast (and that's what I would be leaning toward if the bottles are not carbonated in another week or two), it's easy enough to cut the corner off a pack of dry yeast and sprinkle a little into each bottle.

I had a Belgian dark strong that had no carbonation after two months. After adding Champagne yeast to each bottle (and recapping), they carbonated within a couple of weeks.

 

[BrewingCzech]

Yeah, I'll do it this way. Good idea. Thank you.

 

[elreplica]

The only time I never had any residual yeast left was when I used Nottingham to brew a cider...ate all sugar and exhausted itself...force carbed and all was well..realize that you're not there but betting to say time will carb and tell...[emoji106]

 

[BrewingCzech]

Exactly!

 

[jalc6927]

I’ll be using the sugar cubes once I run out of priming sugar and drops

Thanks

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

To Silver is money: Let me know the results, I'm curious. I will probably do the same, unless someone comes up with a better idea here.
Good luck man.

I'm at 4+ weeks post bottling now and my Bohemian Pilsner is carbonated. Have you tested another one of your bottles to see if carbonation is commencing?

BTW, on my gram scale the Domino Dots I've purchased actually weigh in at a measured 2.32 grams (as opposed to 2.29 grams). This differential makes sense, as packaging underweight is illegal, but packaging overweight is legal, so in order to be on the safe side most packaging is typically done at just slightly more weight than the package proclaims.

 

[BrewingCzech]

Hi. Great, congratulations!
Yes, I have tested one bottle and I must say that the waiting paid off. It's medium carbonated now. So I think they will need another two weeks to fully finish. I will open another one next week and we'll see. I will post about it.
The Domino sugar... After you wrote about that, I did a research about using table sugar and it seems that it's supposed to cause cidery off flavours.
Is that just a myth spread by manufacturers?

 

[elreplica]

Table sugar...cheapest way out...DME (dry malt extract) or forced carbonation...although my buddy does kit and kilo for 30 yrs now...and results are inconclusive lol. Seriously, dextrose is cheap and DME isn't expensive...up your game bro...after all, I've been doing it for decades and hit various plateaus...it's lifelong learning for sure!

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Hi. Great, congratulations!
Yes, I have tested one bottle and I must say that the waiting paid off. It's medium carbonated now. So I think they will need another two weeks to fully finish. I will open another one next week and we'll see. I will post about it.
The Domino sugar... After you wrote about that, I did a research about using table sugar and it seems that it's supposed to cause cidery off flavours.
Is that just a myth spread by manufacturers?

Back in the early days of homebrew when 5 gallon recipes (almost always extract batches using LME or DME, and untested tap water) nearly all called for 3 to 5 lbs. of table sugar to be added to them (and yeast was a joke by comparison to today) cidery off flavors were inevitably the result. But 2.32 grams in 12 ounces is a far cry from 35 grams in 12 ounces.