Bottled RIS no carbonation

[Monkhouse]

Hey, I brewed an imperial stout which I left in primary for 4 weeks to ensure I got full attenuation. It finished nicely at 8.5% and I bottled the entire batch with one mangrove jacks carb drop per 500ml bottle (the carb drops are about 4g)
These are the drops I use for all my beers which I’ve never had an issue with. I bottle exclusively also I should add.
I put the bottles in the warmest rooM in my house which at this time of year with the heating off it around a constant 17c.
The yeast I pitched before fermentation was 2x S0-4 packs

My issue is after 2 weeks in the room at 17c I’ve now transferred to my cellar for cold(er) conditioning and I’ve tired 2 bottles tonight and they are hardly carbonated at all, zero head and pretty much zero sparkle.
Any ideas or suggestions? Is this something that may fix itself over time even in the cooler 14-15c temps of my cellar atm?

 

[samale]

2 weeks is not enough time for an imperial to carbonate. It needs time, I would suggest moving back into a warm room and leaving 2 months before trying again

 

[DavidDetroit]

Agree with the above: way too cool for such a short time. 21°C is better and with that new temp as a starting point, as long as a couple of months.
Everything else you did seems to be spot on.

 

[Monkhouse]

Hmmm….ok. Thanks for the replies. I’ve not had a problem before with previous beers using this exact method albeit I’ve never before done an imperial stout.
So…the stout now is in a cellar which at this time of year is around 16c. I use the cellar as it remains a constant temp given whatever season we are in. In the summer we may be looking at around 18-20c is it worth keeeping it in the cellar throughout summer bearing in mind I’m not looking to drink this beer until maybe autumn?
or would you recommend I love the entire 40 pint bottles somewhere else in the house? My issue being that especially during the summer months I cannot reliably sustain a constant temperature….

 

[sifty]

Yes I'd cellar it and wait.
I also panicked about my RIS not carbing, but more time fixed that. I used a temp controlled fridge at 20 degs and lots more sugar than you did, and after a month carbonation was very slight. Some months later it's great...

 

[Erik The Anglophile]

As others have said, when you approach 8%+ in your brews, carbing can take a while.
I'd put the bottles somewhere warmer and check again after AT LEAST 6 weeks, then you can expect uptowards 6 months of aging in the cellar if not more for the beer to really start shining, patience is virtue with these heavier brews...

 

[Monkhouse]

I’ve put them in our bedroom now which is probably the warmest room but it’s still only around 18c. It will get warmer obviously as the summer progresses. Does the yeast need shaking to re suspend or anything or will the increase in temps be enough do you think?

 

[sifty]

Interesting question. I inverted mine and gave a gentle shake, apart from 2 bottles I marked and left as test cases. Haven't compared them though so no idea what difference it made...

 

[Monkhouse]

Interesting question. I inverted mine and gave a gentle shake, apart from 2 bottles I marked and left as test cases. Haven't compared them though so no idea what difference it made...

I think you need to “test” one

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

I’ve put them in our bedroom now which is probably the warmest room but it’s still only around 18c. It will get warmer obviously as the summer progresses. Does the yeast need shaking to re suspend or anything or will the increase in temps be enough do you think?

No need to shake or agitate: simple diffusion will ensure that the sugars in the bottle spread out and are available to the yeast. The reason for the slow carbonation is just that the yeast metabolism gets slow in the presence of higher levels of alcohol (the poor yeast cells are basically swimming in their own effluent)

 

[DavidDetroit]

I’ve not had a problem before with previous beers using this exact method albeit I’ve never before done an imperial stout.

I had the same experience where all of a sudden, the beer wasn't carbonating (RIS). It's the RIS and its ingredients, not the ABV (at least up to a certain point). I've done 9% ABV Belgians and they were almost done carbing in four days at room temperature.
Any big dark beer I do takes a very long time which isn't terrible in that they start to taste really good after three months so the waiting isn't such a big deal.

 

[DavidDetroit]

There is plenty of yeast in suspension after four weeks in the primary to carbonate.
That your conditioning temp can't be easily adjusted is a bit of an issue. I can only guess that they will carbonate, perhaps after an even longer time. But since I've never run across that issue, it's just an opinion.

 

[Monkhouse]

I really appreciate all these replies, I’ll leave them in the bedroom for a couple of months. Hopefully once summer gets a hold and the room naturally starts to warm up the yeast will kick into action once again. There is some carbonation but very little atm. I can only assume the head will also develop in these couple of months!

 

[sifty]

4 weeks after bottling, some carbonation was present but I had zero head. Some time later this is how it pours...

I'm sure yours will come right...

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Bit of an early start @sifty !! Do you drink the lighter beers as the days goes on or continue on the strong stuff?

 

[Monkhouse]

4 weeks after bottling, some carbonation was present but I had zero head. Some time later this is how it pours...View attachment 68122
I'm sure yours will come right...

WOW

 

[sifty]

Bit of an early start @sifty !! Do you drink the lighter beers as the days goes on or continue on the strong stuff?

Ha. That was a friend's pic, he's one of my tasters. I did ask if he poured it from the roof...
But yes brewed that in advance for winter supping, not really a brew for the long summer days. So dark and intense, be interesting to see if it mellows with time...

 

[DavidDetroit]

But yes brewed that in advance for winter supping, not really a brew for the long summer days.

One person's winter beer is another person's lawn mowing beer.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Ha. That was a friend's pic, he's one of my tasters. I did ask if he poured it from the roof...
But yes brewed that in advance for winter supping, not really a brew for the long summer days. So dark and intense, be interesting to see if it mellows with time...

Maybe he stood the glass in his ultrasonic jewellery cleaner.



he certainly pours a flat pint after degassing it.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

One person's winter beer is another person's lawn mowing beer.

Grass never stops growing here so there's always an excuse.