When to add yeast for carbing big beers?

[Cardog]

I am making a 9% beer which will be racked in a secondary for quite some time. Although I have read a lot about bulk vs bottle aging, what I am not sure is how long is too long in the secondary before it will not carbonate without adding additional yeast? 2,3,4,6 months??

If the answer you think you are going to give is......"if your worried just add yeast to be safe". Then what time frame would one not have to worry?

 

[Germelli1]

I voted for never

 

[Cardog]

Never? So if you left it in a secondary for over a year, you think it would still carbonate? Hmmmmm.

 

[Revvy]

Never? So if you left it in a secondary for over a year, you think it would still carbonate? Hmmmmm.

It would...but it more than likely would take a long time. The yeast doesn't just vanish, nor does it die, it goes go dormant but the presence of sugar gets it going again. It may be tired, and it may take a long time to do the job...but it would eventually.

Do what you feel works for you. There is no right answer, and you don't need a silly poll to help you decide. I usually don't worry unless the beer is over 6 months or extremely large...but I have bottle a big beer that was over 6 months in secondary, and it still carbed up...it just took 3 months to do so...which if you are planning to bulk age a beer, then it really doesn't matter WHEN the beer pops up anyway.

At the same time I will be adding yeast to my barleywine, because since it is going to age 5 years, I am over compensating for overything...hoppiness, and everything else is bigger so that there is some remainder of those qualites when it gets opened on my 50th.

There's one person who adds yeast to all his beers on bottling day. Do I think it's necessary, NO, would I do it? No? Does it work for him? Yes! Do what works for YOU.

 

[bja]

Never? So if you left it in a secondary for over a year, you think it would still carbonate? Hmmmmm.

What makes you think that it wouldn't?