Un-carbed Tripel

[soup67]

Tripel brewed (extract w/ steeped grains) in early August. Bulk primed and bottled in early September. When I first tasted it in October, it tasted good but there was no carbonation. I agitated the bottles and moved to a warmer location (70-75 degrees). Three weeks ago, after still no sign of carbonation, I hydrated some champagne yeast and added 2ml of the slurry per 12oz bottle. Interestingly, one (and only one) of the last bottles I opened during the process was supercarbed-- overflowed all over the table and I had a hard time pouring it. Tasted great.

Tasted another last night-- still no carbonation.

I am ready to move on but do not want to waste the beer. My thought is to carefully pour into a bottling bucket, rack to a buddy's keg, force carb and bottle. Any other ideas? Should just jkeep waiting?

I bulk primed using the same method I have used on 4 other batches since (this was my first effort) with no problems. Any thoughts on what went wrong?

Thanks.

 

[phatuna]

do you use a bottle priming calculator? http://www.tastybrew.com/calculators/priming.html

take a look and make sure you used enough priming agent. you'll notice that the recommended priming sugar will go by weight, not volume.

Did you hit your FG?

Did you store your conditioning beer in a cold temp? sounds like you moved it to a 70 degree temp, but not till later on.

I would probably rack to your buddies keg at this point, but others may know a better way to handle the problem.

 

[soup67]

Thanks-- yes I think used enough sugar. I recall my FG was ok-- might have been a touch on the high end of target. (Don't have my recipe notebook handy now).

The batch fermented and conditioned right at 70. The move was to get it closer to 75. I don't think temp was the problem, as one bottle carbed up big time. It must have been technique, although I cannot figure out what I might have done differently.

What I can't figure out is why it won't carb now with the champagne yeast.

 

[phatuna]

The only thing that I can think of which is not very common is that the sugar that you added did not get mixed in enough. This would explain why the new yeast addition also contributed no co2.

it begs the question if some of your bottles are way overcarbed?

 

[soup67]

it begs the question if some of your bottles are way overcarbed?

I agree-- I will now stir every time, although I have never stirred before (used circulation of beer to mix). Could the temperature of the sugar/water mix have anything to do with it? How warm can/should the mix be?

 

[phatuna]

I never cool my sugar water mix. I just turn off the stove and leave it for a few minutes. Then pour the very hot mixture into the bottling bucket and rack over the top. The amount of sugar water is so small compared with your wort that it leads to no problems.