Not enough priming sugar!

[wizardofza]

Hi guys-

I recently brewed up a Tripel and bottled it. I typically keg everything I brew, but wanted to bottle this just for aging reasons (I wouldn't be tying up a keg for one reason).

Anyhow, I brought a couple bottles to a buddy's house (almost 2 months after bottling) for the inaugural opening. Well, needless to say it was anything but exciting. The beer came out undercarbonated-severely.

I was out of town at the time and didn't have my notes in front of me, but when I got home and looked them up, turns out I used 1/3 cup priminar sugar for the 5 gallons, not 3/4cups which I should have.

Any idea if I can fix this? What if I bought those priming tablets and popped one in each bottle, would that work, or would exposing the beer the air ruin it?

Any other ideas would be great....

Here's the recipe just in case :

Batch Size: 5.75 gal
Boil Size: 7.13 gal
OG: 1.073
TG : 1.010

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
13 lbs 16.0 ozPilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 77.78 %
1 lbs 16.0 oz Caravienne Malt (22.0 SRM) Grain 11.11 %
1.00 oz Northdown [5.50 %] (60 min) Hops 13.5 IBU
1.00 oz Mt. Hood [6.00 %] (15 min) Hops 7.3 IBU
1.00 oz Mt. Hood [6.00 %] (5 min) Hops 2.9 IBU
2 lbs Candi Sugar, Clear (0.5 SRM) Sugar 11.11 %
1 Pkgs Bastogne Belgian Ale (White Labs #WLP510) Yeast-Ale

 

[wizardofza]

Hmm, I thought someone would have a suggestion. Anyhow, maybe I'll just move them to a warmer room based on another thread I came across.

 

[Spunkmeyer]

You could also roll the bottles on their side in an effort to re-rouse the yeast. That and warmer temps may do the trick. Good luck!

 

[Yooper]

I had one batch a couple of years ago that was flat. I ended up uncapping, putting the right number of carb tabs in, and recapping. They came out perfectly after that! If, after 2 months they're flat, they probably aren't going to carb on you without some help. I'd also suggest that since that is such a big beer, you might want to add just a tiny bit of yeast. I'd say like one grain (out of a dry yeast package) to a bottle while adding the carb tabs.

 

[wizardofza]

I had one batch a couple of years ago that was flat. I ended up uncapping, putting the right number of carb tabs in, and recapping. They came out perfectly after that! If, after 2 months they're flat, they probably aren't going to carb on you without some help. I'd also suggest that since that is such a big beer, you might want to add just a tiny bit of yeast. I'd say like one grain (out of a dry yeast package) to a bottle while adding the carb tabs.

Yeah, this sounds like the info I was looking for.

I'm going to go this route and see how it turns out.

Thanks for the replies!

 

[surfingpl]

Bringing this thread back to see if you decided to un-cap the beers and add tabs and yeast - and how it worked?

Sooo....?

 

[wizardofza]

I did add the caps, but haven't opened any yet. I'll post when I do. Hopefully this weekend!

 

[Revvy]

I did add the caps, but haven't opened any yet. I'll post when I do. Hopefully this weekend!

Good luck...

You issue was/is different from someone who openned their bottles after 1 week and complained about them being under carbed...you know you used too little sugar, plus you brewed a big beer. I missed this thread, but I would have told you to use the prime tabs as well...

Let us know!

 

[wizardofza]

I finally tapped into these beers that I added the caps to. And they are definitely carbonated! The beer tastes like crap, but it tasted like crap when I originally opened them.

I was hoping that a bit more aging, along with some carbonation would help.

But the caps definitely worked!