Porter w/Jack Daniels - no carbonation

[ronstar55]

I brewed 2- 5 gallon batches of Porter. One on 10/5, the other on 10/26. Both have vanilla beans soaked in Jack Daniels (along with some Jack) added to the secondary.

I bottled the first batch around 11/5 using cane sugar as a priming sugar. I kegged the second batch.

I tried a bottle after 3 weeks of bottle conditioning - little or no carbonation. I tried another one after 5 or 6 weeks - still little or no carbonation. Tastes good, but flat with no head. The kegged batch is excellent with good head.

I'm weighing the following options:

1. Whenever I want a porter, just mix one of the bottles with a pint from the kegerator.

2. Open all of the bottles and add carb tablets.

3. Other ideas?

 

[zachattack]

3) wait a lot longer?

What's the ABV? What temperatures have the bottles been at? High ABV beers can take months to carbonate. Being that it's winter, if the bottles are stored below 70 degrees that'll make things take a lot longer as well. If they're stored at 55 degrees or so (parts of my house stay at 55 or even lower in the winter) they may never carbonate.

I suggest hitting the keg for now, and hiding the bottles to drink in a year or so!