Why didn't my Root Beer carbonate?

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HSM

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Made a 4 gallon extract batch. It's been a month and I'm just starting to see some carbonation.

I used Mutons Ale yeast (the 1st time). After 2 weeks and still squishy bottles I made a distillers yeast slurry and added a bit to each bottle.

A week later... nothing. I began to suspect the integrety of the bottles. They were new 1 ltr soda bottles/caps from Steven Springer Scientific. So I took an old 2 liter coke bottle and sanitized it and poured in 2 liters and added a little more yeast.

4 days later and that bottle is rock hard! I went to check the other old 1 ltr bottles and most of them are now solid as well (after a month and 2 yeast additions).

So I'm not sure if my bottles, yeast or whatever was suspect. Not as easy as I thought it would be.
 
Can you list your ingredient list? I am not that familiar with extract kits.

What kind of sugar? When did you add the yeast? Oh yeah, please list your procedure as well. Usually something stands out to people here.
 
Assuming you used straight table sugar, about the only other thing I can suggest is the temperature was too low. Both Munton's and distiller's yeast should chew through enough sucrose in a day or two.
 
Made a 4 gallon extract batch. It's been a month and I'm just starting to see some carbonation.

I used Mutons Ale yeast (the 1st time). After 2 weeks and still squishy bottles I made a distillers yeast slurry and added a bit to each bottle.

A week later... nothing. I began to suspect the integrety of the bottles. They were new 1 ltr soda bottles/caps from Steven Springer Scientific. So I took an old 2 liter coke bottle and sanitized it and poured in 2 liters and added a little more yeast.

4 days later and that bottle is rock hard! I went to check the other old 1 ltr bottles and most of them are now solid as well (after a month and 2 yeast additions).

So I'm not sure if my bottles, yeast or whatever was suspect. Not as easy as I thought it would be.


Yes, which kit did you use? Something like "Old Fashioned" brand? A tablespoon of extract to two cups sugar and a tsp yeast per gallon?

If you did this method, and you didnt leave a ton of headspace in the bottle, then it should have carbed in 4 days max.. (at least thats the longest one has ever taken for me)..
 
Thanks for your replies! The root beer that finally carbonated in the "scientific" bottles is nearly undrinkable. It tastes really good at first but has a "knock you off your a$$ super plastic aftertaste" that brings the bottle to drain very quickly. I rinsed the new bottles before using them but apparently that was not enough. I'm tossing all of them.

The 2 liter batches I did in used soda bottles are great. I believe this is the "old fashioned" brand extracts.
 
Glass is the way to go. You need a capper and you have to buy caps.

Don't use too much yeast though. Apparently that causes explosions.
 
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