Zero Carbonation!

[FoggBrew]

My Pumpkin Blonde has gone flat!

Today marks the 17th day of bottle conditioning, with the past 36 hours spent in the fridge. Upon pouring the first two and a half bottles, they're all decarbonated. The flavor, color, and aroma are all right where I was hoping it would be, but there is zero head and zero drinkability.

I've been reading that the temperature in storage has a lot to do with the carbonation (I've haven't had this issue with the past two brews), so could it be that they've been in the fridge too long? This question confuses myself, as refrigeration shouldn't completely kill CO2, no?

I suppose there could be other factors to the lack of carbonation such as dead yeast or lack of sugars for said yeast to consume.

Anyway, I've got about a half dozen pints left. Is there any way I can salvage this batch or is it doomed to be for the porcelain king?

*EDIT
I didn't add any priming sugar between fermentation and bottling. Can this still be done or is it too risky? I mean, at this point what've I got to lose...

 

[JonM]

What was your recipe? How much priming sugar did you use? What is the temp where they are stored?

Theyre probably just taking their time and will carb up. Three weeks is the minimum for carbing, (and you're a little short of that) but I've had beers take far longer.

 

[skitter]

I've been able to get a decent carb at 2 weeks, but it won't hold a head until 3 weeks, so generally the longer the better.

 

[spark_plug]

I didn't add any priming sugar between fermentation and bottling. Can this still be done or is it too risky? I mean, at this point what've I got to lose...

You mean you are trying to carbonate without using sugar? That is what I'm gathering from that statement. Probably be waiting a looooong time if you didn't add sugar.

 

[JonM]

You can add priming sugar now - either use the carbonation drops, or make a boiled corn sugar solution and add a measured amount to each bottle.

 

[BigFloyd]

Why did you not add ANY priming sugar before bottling?

 

[Yooper]

I didn't add any priming sugar between fermentation and bottling. Can this still be done or is it too risky? I mean, at this point what've I got to lose...

That's why it's flat. In order to carbonate in the bottle, a small measure of sugar must be added to the finished beer.

You can try buying some "carb tabs", where you drop them in the bottle and recap.

 

[cjgenever]

*EDIT
I didn't add any priming sugar between fermentation and bottling.

????????

You need some sort of fermentable sugars in there for the yeast to produce co2. Pop each bottle, prime, cap.

 

[MarcusKillion]

After you do as cjgenever said put them in a warm place for a month or so . In the winter I switch mine around . warm room for a month or so and then cold room .

 

[cjgenever]

John Palmer's book"how to brew" 1st edition is available for free online. Give at least the sections pertaining to general beer making and your equipment a good read.

 

[FoggBrew]

I had neglected priming sugar by act of hastiness to get the brew in bottles as I was leaving for 7+ days and was thinking it'd be best to have the beer bottled in my absence. Rookie mistake is all.

I had a couple friends recommend how to go about adding some priming sugar to the beer and potentially saving them. I whipped up a solution with some honey I had on hand and added a pinch of yeast to the bottle.

It's purely experimental, I'm not too concerned about saving all these brews. Even flat, it really doesn't taste too bad. I drank a glass and a half of it while talking about it with a friend of mine, so needless to say I'm certainly trying this recipe again. I'll post the recipe shortly.

So, I'll ask this- how would you go about adding priming sugar to bottles that have been stored for 15 days in about 70 degree temps and then 36 hours in a fridge? I've had a number of different ideas thrown my way.

 

[andy6026]

pop each bottle, drop in the requisite amount of sugar into each and then recap.

edit - no need to add more yeast, there will still be enough in suspension. Then store the beer somewhere around 70 F for 3 weeks. At Lower temps it will take longer.

 

[skitter]

Putting them in the fridge only makes the yeast dormant, doesn't get rid of it.

 

[cjgenever]

Your beer is fine. Don't write it off, you just need to carbonate it.

At this point you need to measure your sugar precisely. I would either use dry sugar(table, corn, or dme) for its ease of measuring and dispensing or carbonation tablets(available@most lhbs). Too much sugar well cause over carbonation@best, bottle bombs@worse. Honey is a pain to dispense in small amounts.

Don't ever worry about an extra week in the fermenter. As long as the temp is stable it will only make for a better beer...Unless you have dry hoped. In that case you could loose a bit of aroma.

 

[FoggBrew]

Sorry for the delay, but I saved one pint of the beer and by god, was it good.

It was a couple months ago now. I concocted a priming solution of honey and water for one gallon's worth of brew and measured out one eighth of that solution to add to the one bottle I was attempting to save. I added the smallest pinch of yeast, swirled it a bit and let it sit for two weeks.

Color, clarity, head, aroma, taste, mouthfeel; it was all pleasing.

 

[stonecutter2]

Sorry for the delay, but I saved one pint of the beer and by god, was it good.

It was a couple months ago now. I concocted a priming solution of honey and water for one gallon's worth of brew and measured out one eighth of that solution to add to the one bottle I was attempting to save. I added the smallest pinch of yeast, swirled it a bit and let it sit for two weeks.

Color, clarity, head, aroma, taste, mouthfeel; it was all pleasing.

Well done, looks beautiful!

 

[daksin]

Glad this turned out!