Wyeast 1084 Irish Ale - Slow to carbonate?

[TheHappyHopper]

Apologies if there is a thread on this somewhere - I couldn't find one specific to this yeast strain.

I have a theory - I am starting to think that the Wyeast Irish Ale 1084 tends to carbonate more slowly. I have done 2 batches with this yeast, and it has been the same thing both times. The first batch was an Irish Red that took nearly 4 weeks before it was perfect. I tried swirling up the bottles to get the yeast in suspension, I tried putting them on their heads for a week - it wasn't until about week 4 that the carbonation was perfect, but by that time I had pretty much given up on the batch and had already drank almost all of it.

Right now I have a batch of Cream Stout that has been sitting above my fridge (temps around 70-72 degrees) for just over 3 weeks now, and the carbonation is still very weak. A couple nights ago, I opened a Strawberry Blonde (fermented with Wyeast American Ale II) that was stored in the same conditions for 1.5 weeks and the carbonation was already perfect.

I wouldn't think that the different recipes would make a difference, since the yeast would just be eating the priming sugar at that point in time.

Is it possible that I just got a weak pack of yeast? (I did a starter for the first beer and then washed yeast and did a starter for the second) Or could it be possible that the Irish Ale yeast just doesn't work well under the pressure from bottling? Has anyone else had this experience with this yeast or another yeast strain?

 

[helterscelter]

I use 1084 for my house amber ale and don't have issues with it carbing slow. caveat, that I usually prime/carb in the keg and don't bottle often. pretty sure that wouldn't make a lot of difference as compared to bottle carbonation time, but I suppose it could.

I usually add priming sugar to the keg as I'm racking, purge the headspace/seat the lid with 30lb co2, and then shake the $#!+ out of it to make sure the sugar has all mixed well. (since I'm kegging, shaking to mix the sugar probably isn't necessary, but it makes me feel good) the Keg then sits at room-temp (70ish) for a week to two (depends on how long it takes me to kill whats in the kegerator).

 

[flars]

I have also found that perfect carbonation with WY 1084 will take 4 to 5 weeks. With my stouts I don't think it is a function of, or the viability of the yeast in the bottle, but the carbonation level I had planned for. My stouts are usually primed for 1.9 to 2.1 volumes of CO2. The beer will seem to be flat on opening one at two weeks because, even at the perfect carbonation level, the CO2 volume is low at 5 weeks.

 

[TheHappyHopper]

I have also found that perfect carbonation with WY 1084 will take 4 to 5 weeks. With my stouts I don't think it is a function of, or the viability of the yeast in the bottle, but the carbonation level I had planned for. My stouts are usually primed for 1.9 to 2.1 volumes of CO2. The beer will seem to be flat on opening one at two weeks because, even at the perfect carbonation level, the CO2 volume is low at 5 weeks.

That's why I'm even more confused on the problem...both of the beers I mentioned above were primed to be at about 2.1-2.2 volumes of CO2. Most other beers I do are about 2.5. Since we are asking the yeast to eat less sugar and work under less pressure, shouldn't they get the job done quicker than usual? Maybe this strain of yeast is just bad about procrastinating...

 

[flars]

A complete fermentation, whether in the carboy or bottle, will take about the same amount of time even with different OGs, amount of fermentable sugars. (This does not include aging for a big beer.) A beer primed for 3.0 volumes of CO2 may seem well carbonated after two weeks and chilled, but it isn't fully carbonated. A beer primed for 2.0 volumes will seem flat after two weeks, because the finished carbonation level, which is much lower, has not been reached yet.