root beer not carbonating :-(

[mdfairbairn]

So ... I made a 2g batch of Mr. Root Beer about a month ago. The dry yeast wasn't expired, but there's no fizz ... what the ?!?

Kept the bottles at ~70F for a week and then in basement (~65F) for another 2 weeks.

Any ideas? Should I dump them all back into a carboy and pitch new yeast then rebottle?

Thanks!

 

[Yooper]

So ... I made a 2g batch of Mr. Root Beer about a month ago. The dry yeast wasn't expired, but there's no fizz ... what the ?!?

Kept the bottles at ~70F for a week and then in basement (~65F) for another 2 weeks.

Any ideas? Should I dump them all back into a carboy and pitch new yeast then rebottle?

Thanks!

You could try just adding a pinch (literally, like two grains) to each bottle and recapping. There isn't any reason to put it into a carboy. I assume you have enough sugar to carb it?

 

[mdfairbairn]

Thanks ... It's definately sweet enough and tastes good even flat. I added both table and brown sugar per the recipe in double the amount since I was makin 2g at once rather than 1g.

Thoughts on kegging in a 5g keg?

 

[Yooper]

Thanks ... It's definately sweet enough and tastes good even flat. I added both table and brown sugar per the recipe in double the amount since I was makin 2g at once rather than 1g.

Thoughts on kegging in a 5g keg?

You could easily keg it and carb it that way. Remember that soda needs a much higher psi than beer- like 30 psi for soda at fridge temps- and so needs a much longer serving line as well to balance it (I think I had 25' of 3/16"). Also, dedicate one picnic tap and line to root beer as the flavor will NEVER come out. Ever.

 

[Raenon]

I thought that Mr. Root Beer was typically supposed to be a non-alcoholic product?

If you put yeast into the bottles with sugar for two weeks at room temp, the bottles should have exploded (or seriously deformed) as the yeast eat all the sugar that should have been there for flavor. Though their instructions dictate that it might take from 3 days to two weeks, I just can't believe that any normal situation would require that long, even with such a small amount of yeast (considering that same 2g packet is used in their 2 gallon beer kits, and fully attenuates in around a week)

A couple of days at room temp should have firmed up the bottles, which means it's time to store them in the fridge to allow the CO2 to enter solution. When they're ice cold, it's good to drink.

Something is definitely off here.

 

[mdfairbairn]

You could easily keg it and carb it that way. Remember that soda needs a much higher psi than beer- like 30 psi for soda at fridge temps- and so needs a much longer serving line as well to balance it (I think I had 25' of 3/16"). Also, dedicate one picnic tap and line to root beer as the flavor will NEVER come out. Ever.

Holy bat guano!! That's a lot of beverage line ... May rethink and go the yeast route again. Cheers!

 

[mdfairbairn]

I thought that Mr. Root Beer was typically supposed to be a non-alcoholic product?

If you put yeast into the bottles with sugar for two weeks at room temp, the bottles should have exploded (or seriously deformed) as the yeast eat all the sugar that should have been there for flavor. Though their instructions dictate that it might take from 3 days to two weeks, I just can't believe that any normal situation would require that long, even with such a small amount of yeast (considering that same 2g packet is used in their 2 gallon beer kits, and fully attenuates in around a week)

A couple of days at room temp should have firmed up the bottles, which means it's time to store them in the fridge to allow the CO2 to enter solution. When they're ice cold, it's good to drink.

Something is definitely off here.

Mr Root Beer is more a near beer ... Since you naturally carbonate using the wine yeast in the kit the root beer will have a small amount of alcohol. However, you only use 1/4 tsp of the yeast packet per gallon of root beer. I used 1/2 tsp since I was making 2g.

I can't figure it out myself ... It tastes great, just flat. :-(

 

[Yooper]

Mr Root Beer is more a near beer ... Since you naturally carbonate using the wine yeast in the kit the root beer will have a small amount of alcohol. However, you only use 1/4 tsp of the yeast packet per gallon of root beer. I used 1/2 tsp since I was making 2g.

I can't figure it out myself ... It tastes great, just flat. :-(

I figure it was dead yeast, or at least nearly so. With the sugar, at room temperature and active yeast, I've had root beer carb up in 3 days before!