I bottled a DIPA (extract recipe) 10 days ago. Last night I opened one and there was little to none carbonation. When I prepared the 4 oz. of corn sugar I did so by boiling it with 2 cups of water for 5 minutes. I let it cool and then put it in the racking bucket along with the beer. The bottles have been sitting at room temperature @ 70 degrees.
So, did I lose this batch or should I just wait another week or two to see if the carbonation happens?
I would say that you should have some carbonation at this point, but be patient. It should carbonate in a week or so. One thing to consider is did you stir the sugar in with the beer? I like to give it a very SLOW and easy stir, to avoid oxidation, with a sanitized spoon about every sixth beer poured. This will keep the sugar suspended more evenly throughout the beer.
10 days is just not enough time especially for higher alcohol beers, my guess is 2-3 weeks.
I’ve got a 9% beer sitting at 8 weeks and its almost ready:)
The sugar was put in the racking bucket and then the beer was added. I didn’t stir for fear of oxidation but will try your method next time. Thanks.
I’m so hoping it will turn out OK and will be patient and wait. Thanks.
Like others have said, it is probably just too early. There is probably some carbonation, but you may not notice it if you are used to highly carbonated beer. Did the bottle “pfffft!” when you opened it?
It can help to stir at the beginning, even though just racking can be enough, if you get a a bit of a vortex going. Stirring during bottling is unnecessary, since you boiled the sugar in water and dissolved sugar will not settle out.
Thanks Malzig.
The next recipe I’m making doesn’t list the amount of sugar to add at bottling time. I entered the recipe into BeerSmith and it calculated 3.61 oz. As with the last bottling, I boiled 4 oz. corn sugar into 2 cups water for 5 minutes. I watched a video that showed boiling water for 10 minutes and then adding the sugar to dissolve. Curious to know what others are doing to prepare for bottling. Thanks.
On high gravity and especially high gravity heavy hopped beers you are always better off adding half a packet of dried yeast just to be sure. The yeast will not always respond as well on a natural conditioned beer after a high gravity ferment.
If you still don’t get any carb in the next few days you can rehydrate a pack, take an eye dropper and crack open each one, add a little yeast and reseal. You should get carbonation then assuming you mixed the priming sugar up well.
Does the beer taste kind of sweetl? if so +1 to Majors advice. if it doesn’t I would lean towards the lack of mixing argument. check some more bottles and see if they have more pfft
Next brew day is the 29th so I’m going to be patient and not open another bottle until then. Hopefully there will be plenty of pfft when I flip the cap and a wonderful creamy head on top of that DIPA.
I used to have carbonation problems (some under, some over) until I started stirring the sugar and beer together. Just use a long spoon and stir gently but thoroughly. Adding yeast for a big beer is good insurance too. Beer always carbonates quickly that way. You don’t need much, 1/4 packet rehydrated is plenty.
Any special yeast?
Just one that’s similar to the original or neutral. Actually, you won’t get any character out of it so almost any yeast will do. The main concern is that you don’t want a yeast that will attenuate more than the original. For instance, you wouldn’t want to use a belgian strong or champagne yeast in a beer fermented with british ale yeast.