Time to worry?

[mdf191]

Bottled and primed a 9 % brew on December 12th 2007... Cracked one today to check carbing December 25th 2007..... Very Very flat ...no head....only the slightest fizz when the cap was popped...

I am looking to give some of these away as holiday gifts. And I was going to wax the tops for show. The last thing I want it to find out they are not going to carb and have to get the wax off and add yeast and or sugar... or just have people opening up aged bottles of flat beer sometime in the future.

Should almost two weeks time with almost zero carb be a sign to act? Should i uncap them all and add a little yeast or a little sugar...? OR should I hold out another week and check again?

 

[Kubed]

1) What did you prime with and how much did you use?
2) After 2 weeks priming, did you pop it in the fridge at all before opening it up?

 

[mdf191]

I chilled it down to about 40 degrees right before I opened it. Before that it had been sitting at about 65.
And this was a 3 gallon batch so I used a little under a half a cup of dextrose to prime.

 

[Kubed]

I bet it's still ok, it just needs a little more time. I think some more time priming and a longer rest in the fridge will help get a little more of the CO2 into solution. Wax those tops, give it out, and add a note that says "do not open until 2008"

 

[mdf191]

I have the people I want to gift it to coming in right after the new year so I think I will hold out to wax until then. Get one more week and check one more small bottle. But I hope you are right, I am a little worried because there was some bourbon in this brew and I am hoping that, plus the already high alc didn't hurt my yeasties...and I hope a tiny bit under 1/2 cup of dextrose was enough for 3 gallons of beer.

 

[malkore]

get em to 70F for a week. 65 is cool for yeast, and they'll be slow to metabolize the sugar.

 

[sirsloop]

Keep in mind that high alcohol kills head retention.... so you can't compare it to a 5% ale. Granted, if its flat its flat.

 

[GrantLee63]

Like malkore said ..... a week at 70-75 F will do the trick. I had a similar experience about a year ago and all was fine after getting the temps up a bit.

- GL63

 

[homebrewer_99]

Also, at 9% it could take months to condition.

 

[sirsloop]

Also, at 9% it could take months to condition.

...will take...