Help needed with carbonation please.

[TrappistBeerFan]

Hi, I've got a few demijohns that are nearly finished fermenting.

My plan was to rack to fresh demijohns, let them sit somewhere cool for a couple of weeks, rack them again and add carb sugar and bottle.

My local brew shop have just told me that I shouldn't rack and let them sit for any period of time after the fermentation is finished because the yeast will all fall to the bottom and I won't be able to carbonate it. They have said to bottle straight after the fermentation is done.

Are they right?

 

[Yooper]

Hi, I've got a few demijohns that are nearly finished fermenting.

My plan was to rack to fresh demijohns, let them sit somewhere cool for a couple of weeks, rack them again and add carb sugar and bottle.

My local brew shop have just told me that I shouldn't rack and let them sit for any period of time after the fermentation is finished because the yeast will all fall to the bottom and I won't be able to carbonate it. They have said to bottle straight after the fermentation is done.

Are they right?

No. Yeast are microscopic and there are literally hundreds of billions of them you can't see. The yeast on the bottom are dormant, and spent, and they won't "do" anything anyway as when you rack you leave them behind.

You will get carbonation in the bottle, even with a clear cider as long as you don't exceed the alcohol tolerance of the yeast strain you choose to use.

 

[JosephN]

I agree with yopper. I've even filtered my beer with a 5 micron filter and they still carbed, took a heck of a lot longer, but it did. You'll be fine to rack if you want. Also depending on what beer you made and how dirty the yeast cake is, meaning if it has a ton of pumpkin in it or similar trub, you should be fine to just leave it in your primary fermenter. But that's your call, obviously.

 

[Yooper]

I agree with yopper. I've even filtered my beer with a 5 micron filter and they still carbed, took a heck of a lot longer, but it did. You'll be fine to rack if you want. Also depending on what beer you made and how dirty the yeast cake is, meaning if it has a ton of pumpkin in it or similar trub, you should be fine to just leave it in your primary fermenter. But that's your call, obviously.

We're in the cider forum, so there may be a lot of lees, but no trub or anything like that.

 

[JosephN]

Haha my mistake.

 

[TrappistBeerFan]

Ok thanks guys.

So I won't need to bring any of the yeast from the bottom through when I rack?

 

[slym2none]

Nope.

 

[jsiddall]

I had a batch that did not carb when I primed it, but it had been sitting for several months in a sealed carboy. The ABV was only 6% so it was not at the alcohol tolerance. I don't have a good explanation other than it appears the yeast will eventually die if left long enough.

 

[TrappistBeerFan]

I was also wondering if anyone has found any disadvantages to carbonating with loose sugar as opposed to sugar syrup?

I have used syrup before but this time I was just going to add an amount of sugar to each bottle before filling with cider.

 

[Dragonmead]

I carbonate with a carbonation stone, under pressure in a sealed stainless steel vessel. It's a great investment. But for the homebrewer it may be too pricey. I wouldn't put money on bottling post clearing (depending on the yeast strain). But if I were to condition and clear before bottling I'd add a smidgeon of yeast to the demi john. Essentially a quarter of a test tube worth of the same yeast strain. Stir it in the demi john with the priming sugar and bottle immediately. I'd love to see how this turns out. Keep us updated.

 

[Maylar]

I routinely bottle carbonate 6.5% crystal clear cider fermented with ale yeasts. Never had one that wouldn't carbonate, though the time line can vary quite a bit. Sometimes it takes 4 days, sometimes 3 weeks.