I am about to bottle a porter. It’s been in secondary for probably 4 months. I pulled out a sample of it and added sucrose, then waited a few hours to see if there was any activity. Nothing. So, I’m going to add some fresh yeast at bottling time. So I sent my husband in to our LHBS to get the yeast. The proprietor says that we should add the yeast to the carboy and let it sit for a couple of days so we don’t get bottle bombs. This seems boneheaded to me because it seems that it’s not the amount of yeast that causes bombs, but the amount of priming sugar. Can’t I just add the yeast to my cooled priming solution and pour the beer on top of it and maybe stir a little, then bottle as usual?
You are so right! I’m not convinced you need the yeast, but if you do, your method is the right way.
I guess I’m not totally convinced I need it either, but it seems like more of an insurance policy. I can’t imagine that it would hurt anything? I honestly thought my husband had lost his mind when he told me what the LHBS dude said, then the guy called me and told me to be sure to rack the beer into another carboy before adding the yeast!
Ya know, in a situation like yours when it’s a maybe/maybe not thing, I think I’d add the yeast but go light on it.
Sounds like a plan. Thanks!