Pumpkin Ale Won't Carb

[ashrivers86]

So I made a beer last month, & I bottled it 3 weeks ago or more. Generally it takes about 4 days for me to get any sort of carbonation and sometimes the carbonation is done after a week. However, this time I made a five gallon pumpkin ale batch and I did my sugar and water mixture and I waited a week and a half before I opened one bottle.

When I opened it all I heard was a small pop but I did not see any co2 at all and the beer was pretty flat. I put some sugar directly into that bottle and went out to find the sugar tabs. Unfortunately all the homebrew stores nearby were out of it so I bought co2 tabs. I stuck 4 tabs per bottle and that was a week and a half ago. Why the hell is my beer not carbonating?

 

[j1n]

What temp are these bottles at?

 

[ashrivers86]

70ish. They sit in my apt. Thermostat sits at 72-74°.

 

[ashrivers86]

Some sit on top of my Xbox One and get in the 80's.

 

[ashrivers86]

Nothing....?

 

[jtratcliff]

OG? FG?, batch size? Amount of initial priming sugar?

 

[ashrivers86]

1.070, 1.020, 5 gal., 3/4 cup of sugar.

 

[RainyDay]

3/4 cup of sugar for the whole batch? I dont know the volume to weight conversion, but that seems low. You could get some carb drops, half a drop per bomber.


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[RainyDay]

Nevermind. I just did a conversion and the volume seems fine. It may just need more time to carb. Did you create a simple syrup to prime, or did you add the sugar as is? Was it mixed in the beer well before bottling?


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[jtratcliff]

Priming sugar seems right for 5G... Temps seem ok. 3 weeks seems like it should be plenty and is it is only 6.4% ABV.

Which yeast? Liqiuid or dry? Fresh or washed if liquid? Rehydrated or sprinkled if dry? Yeast issues seem like a long shot though.

Maybe caps or the capper?

 

[FloppyKnockers]

Have you tried...

....just sayin'.

 

[campbellmike]

So I made a beer last month, & I bottled it 3 weeks ago or more. Generally it takes about 4 days for me to get any sort of carbonation and sometimes the carbonation is done after a week. However, this time I made a five gallon pumpkin ale batch and I did my sugar and water mixture and I waited a week and a half before I opened one bottle.

When I opened it all I heard was a small pop but I did not see any co2 at all and the beer was pretty flat. I put some sugar directly into that bottle and went out to find the sugar tabs. Unfortunately all the homebrew stores nearby were out of it so I bought co2 tabs. I stuck 4 tabs per bottle and that was a week and a half ago. Why the hell is my beer not carbonating?

We did a pumpkin ale recently which wouldn't carbonate. We eventually added maltodextrin which added a little body and it took some carbonation. It has an OK flavor but it still seems thin. We put the pumpkin in the mash (@158) and used S-05 yeast. It's sitting in our kegerator now and doesn't get much love as it's competing with a couple of IPAs and a Zombie Dust clone.

 

[ashrivers86]

Almost 9%. San Diego Super Yeast. Caps are creating a seal.

I added real pumpkin too. Maybe the pumpkin does something with carbonation. I just added 10 brewers best carb tabs 4 days ago and I think that did it. I am going to open her up soon. I wanted to leave her in the fridge for 24 hours because I was told that is the turnover time.

 

[jtratcliff]

Maybe the pumpkin does something with carbonation.

My pumpkin ale with real pumpkin puree in the mash has carbed up fine... I don't think it's necessarily the pumpkin.

You got a puzzler on your hands...

If understand correctly you opened your bottles and added carb tabs then recapped? Beware bottle bombs.... Once you get them carbed to your level of satisfaction, get them cold and keep them there. If you just had lazy yeast who hadn't gotten around to finishing the job, you've potentially got twice the carbonation needed...

 

[ashrivers86]

I just opened the 10 carb bottle after 4 days carb and 24 hours in the fridge. Barely a pop.

One thing I did after I bottled was put all 48 bottles in the fridge for 48 hours to help clear it up. Then I let all the bottles sit for 3 weeks at 72 degrees. did that kill all the yeast by doing that? I also added gelatin 24 hours before I bottled.

 

[Steve3730]

I had one not carb too. I'd get a thin layer of foam if i poured the beer from a foot above the glass. Been in bottles for a month.

 

[sboyajian]

Did you use actual pumpkin or just pumpkin spice? If it has pumpkin, the enzymes in pumpkin slow down the carbing process. I don't know why.

I generally get fully carbed bottles in about 1-2 weeks depending on level. My pumpkin ale just got fully carbed about 2 weeks ago. I bottled it Oct. 4.. so just about 6 weeks.

Just be patient, it will get there.

 

[ashrivers86]

I used 100 percent pumpkin from a can. I also used gelatin and this is the first time I've ever cold crashed after bottling. I did re-edit it one of my posts above.

 

[sboyajian]

I used 100 percent pumpkin from a can. I also used gelatin and this is the first time I've ever cold crashed after bottling. I did re-edit it one of my posts above.

Just give it some time. I saw a lot of posts before I did mine about pumpkin ales taking a while to carb. With that in mind I brewed mine beginning of September to make sure it was done for Fall. True to what I read, I tried some about 2-3 weeks after bottling and it was flat. 4 weeks, a little bit. 5 weeks, about 75%. Now it's fine.

Every other beer I've made has carbed within 2 weeks. Even with cold crashing it should have plenty of yeast. Although I'm sure it might extend out the time on a pumpkin even longer. Don't sweat it. Might just be a good Pumpkin Winter Ale.

 

[ashrivers86]

Ok, I'll just throw it in the closet and let it be for another month. Will adding the carb tabs after I opened the bottle just reset the c02 process or double it?

 

[sboyajian]

Ok, I'll just throw it in the closet and let it be for another month. Will adding the carb tabs after I opened the bottle just reset the c02 process or double it?

I think I read you added 4? I assume all tabs are the same, 4 seems to be between medium and high carbonation? Might want to be on the lookout for bombs, but I wouldn't stress too much. Once you opened the caps, you released any CO2 that was sitting on the top of the bottle.

They may be a little overcarbed when it's all said and done, but probably not too bad.

I had a cream ale I forgot to dissolve my sugar one time and ended up with half of it sitting on the bottom of my bottling bucket when I finished. 3 weeks later still completely flat, so I ended up opening them all. I accounted for 1 tab to replace what I lost by opening, then 1 additional tab to get more carbonation. Using that as reference, you can assume your 4 is really 3. If you had any carbonation at all, maybe 2.

Another trick I learned from a friend is to flip the bottles and let them rest on their tops for about 3-4 days, then flip them back right side up. This will help wake the beer up a bit. Not sure if it actually works, but can't hurt.

 

[doug293cz]

I just opened the 10 carb bottle after 4 days carb and 24 hours in the fridge. Barely a pop.

One thing I did after I bottled was put all 48 bottles in the fridge for 48 hours to help clear it up. Then I let all the bottles sit for 3 weeks at 72 degrees. did that kill all the yeast by doing that? I also added gelatin 24 hours before I bottled.

The cold crashing after bottling could be your culprit. You shouldn't chill the bottles until carbonation is complete. If most of the yeast settled to the bottom of the bottles, rather than staying in suspension, then carbonation would likely take a lot longer. The suggestion in a previous reply to stir up the yeast in the bottles may help speed things up. You should agitate the bottles enough to resuspend all the yeast layers on the bottle bottoms. The beer will clear again, after carbonation is complete, with a few days in the fridge.

Brew on

 

[m00ps]

I had this happen to me with my first pumpkin ale. Took 3+ months to carb up. Really weird, and it didn;t happen with my second batch...

 

[ashrivers86]

These are the conditioning tablets. 3 is for light, 4 for medium, 5 for heavy carbonation. I've swirled the bottles around a lot when I recapped. I'll try setting them upside down for a few days that back upright.

This thread should probably be a sticky for those making pumpkin ale. What to expect and all.

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