I have a porter that has been bottle for over 2 weeks and is flat as can be. I know they can take longer, I have as stout that took a month and a half to get there. Basic question is that this beer sat in the primary for over 4 months. I rarely use a secondary, and the main reason is we just didn't make it a point to get to it. So it sat. I have always bee under the assumption that extra time sitting doesn't hurt anything. Could the yeast have dies possibly? I know they are just suppose to be dormant and should come back. Am I getting excited about nothing and should I just RAHAHB? Thanks!
Over 2 weeks bottled...no carb?
- Thread starter Gopher40
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IvanTheTerribrew
Well-Known Member
Well 4 months is a decent amount of time and thus more yeast will call out of suspension.
How much priming sugar did you add, what kind?
How big of a batch is this?
What temp are you letting the bottles condition?
I never let a beer stay that long in primary so idk if maybe the answer in that case would be to add a small amount of yeast along w the priming sugar.
- ISM NRP
How much priming sugar did you add, what kind?
How big of a batch is this?
What temp are you letting the bottles condition?
I never let a beer stay that long in primary so idk if maybe the answer in that case would be to add a small amount of yeast along w the priming sugar.
- ISM NRP
4 oz corn sugar....5 gallon batch.....brought a six pack upstairs from my basement immediately after bottling because it is warmer up here (I live in Michigan), so the ones I have tried have been at 68-70.
I have had this problem with a few belgians that I made. Not that 4 months is to long to let it sit but in that amount of time most of your yeast have become dormant and are now lying at the bottom of your fermenter. You should still get decent carb but it may take much longer than you would like. I have had to wait up to 6 weeks at times to get decent carb. Your beer is just so clean that there are fewer yeast to carbonate. What I do now to help with this issue is to siphon a small amount of the troub into my bottling bucket. That way more yeast will mix in and you should have better results. Hope this helps!
this seems to be true but the reality is that even after 4 months there are more than enough yeast in the beer to carbonate. who knows why his beer is having trouble carbonating but it is probably not due to insufficient yeast in suspension. a lager sitting at near freezing temps for a few months still carbs up without a problem and sours sitting for a year do the same.
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I would agree it is prob just going to take a little more time. Yes there are still plenty of yeast in suspension after 4 months, but that is much less yeast than would be in suspension after just 1 month.
One other point to consider is the OG of your wort and the initial health of your yeast. My experience is higher gravity beers also take longer than the 2 week average to carb. I have had a triple and RIS take a month plus to fully carbonate. After two weeks they were slightly carbonated, but it wasn't until prob about 2 months that I was happy with the level of carbonation. If the gravity was high or the pitch of yeast wasn't really healthy, that could contribute to longer carb times. RDWHAHB.
One other point to consider is the OG of your wort and the initial health of your yeast. My experience is higher gravity beers also take longer than the 2 week average to carb. I have had a triple and RIS take a month plus to fully carbonate. After two weeks they were slightly carbonated, but it wasn't until prob about 2 months that I was happy with the level of carbonation. If the gravity was high or the pitch of yeast wasn't really healthy, that could contribute to longer carb times. RDWHAHB.
It should carbonate. It needs time. I also allow a bit of yeast into the bottling bucket after a long secondary or extended cold crash. It is only a matter of pulling maybe two ounces of beer that you would normally waste.
I've also been trying something new recently. I top crop at high Krausen into a small sanitized container. Cold crash it immediately (cover loose of course). Decant the wort into the primary two days later. Take note of the amount of slurry. You need a ridiculously small amount. If need be add some distilled water to loosen up the yeast and dump the unneeded amount. After ferment and conditioning rack off the cake to a secondary. Collect and rinse yeast for next beer. use gelatin and cold crash it long and hard. Rack off that low flocculating yeast into the bottling bucket. Add the miniscule amount of yeast that was saved from the top crop. This has a lower percentage of low Flocculation yeast so it decants well after carbonation and you know it will carbonate quickly.
Sent from my SCH-R970 using Home Brew mobile app
I've also been trying something new recently. I top crop at high Krausen into a small sanitized container. Cold crash it immediately (cover loose of course). Decant the wort into the primary two days later. Take note of the amount of slurry. You need a ridiculously small amount. If need be add some distilled water to loosen up the yeast and dump the unneeded amount. After ferment and conditioning rack off the cake to a secondary. Collect and rinse yeast for next beer. use gelatin and cold crash it long and hard. Rack off that low flocculating yeast into the bottling bucket. Add the miniscule amount of yeast that was saved from the top crop. This has a lower percentage of low Flocculation yeast so it decants well after carbonation and you know it will carbonate quickly.
Sent from my SCH-R970 using Home Brew mobile app
