Beer is Flat

Brewing Processes
1

Hi:

I’ve been brewing for a couple years now and, generally have had pretty good success.  Recently, I tried a brew which I was hoping would be a good summer beer.

I started with Brooklin Brew Shop’s Honey-Grapefruit Ale (http://brooklynbrewshop.com/directions/Brooklyn%20Brew%20Shop%20-%20Grapefruit%20Honey%20Ale%20Instructions.pdf)but I substituted a mix of Orange and Lemon for the Grapefruit.  The fermentation was very active for a number of days so I have not doubt fermentation was fine.

OG was 1.054, FG was 1.014 at the time of bottling.

Usually, I put a teaspoon of conditioning sugar in each 12 oz bottle and siphon from the fermenter directly to the bottles and and carbonation is fine.  This time, I dissolved five ounces of conditioning sugar in about a half cup of water, added that to a carboy, siphoned the beer from the fermenter into the carboy, mixed it and then siphoned from that to the bottles.

After two weeks, I refrigerated a couple of bottles to test it and, sadly, the beer is totally flat.  The flavor is good but no fizz at all.

I’ve read that “lack of suspended yeast” can cause flat beer.  Other things I did differently:  Usiually, I just do a single fermentation for two or three weeks.  This time, after two weeks, I siphoned into a secondary fermenter and then fermented for another eight days.  Could I have exhausted the yeast?  I don’t usually do a secondary; I sanitized the carboy but perhaps it wasn’t clean enough.  Could remaining bubbled from the no-rinse sanitizer have caused a problem?

What could have gone wrong?  Is there anything I can do?  Or just suck it up and drink 50 bottles of flat beer?

Thanks

2

Just wait longer.  I’ve had to wait up to 6 weeks when bottling.

3

Needs more time, be sure the bottles are kept at 70 degrees or warmer and they will carbonate fine, just be patient;)

4

I agree, try patience, if that doesn’t work you could add a few grains of dried yeast to each bottle and recap.

5

Ah…  I’ve been putting the bottles in the basement right after bottling, probably about 55 degrees.

I’ll move them to a warmer location and wait a couple weeks!

Thanks for the replies.

6

give each bottle a gentle swirl after they warm up a bit. the yeast are probably a bit sleepy after the cold. what yeast did you use?

7

Safale S04

8

Yu need them at 70 if at all possible.

9

Yep, warm those puppies up.  No need to re-yeast yet at this point.    I wouldn’t consider adding more yeast unless 2 full months go by near 70 degrees with no action.