Failed Bottle Conditioning

[John Holgreaves]

I opened a bottle of beer which I bottled 3 weeks ago. It was flat, no conditioning, I could taste the sweetness of the sugar. At this moment I am not too concerned about the cause, I just need to know the best way to get it conditioned quickly as it is for an old school reunion in 2 weeks.
My initial thoughts are to flip the tops off and add some yeast that I am multiplying up for another brew.
Your thoughts please and quickly. LOL

 

[dad_of_jon]

conditioning temps too low and/or yeast have had enough if you have added sugar to prime.

 

[John Holgreaves]

Thanks dad of jon, I realise this is the cause, but need to correct it immediately so it will condition in 2 weeks. Thanks

 

[Slid]

Put the beer somewhere warm - 20C or so. Should not be hard in this weather.

 

[dad_of_jon]

Thanks dad of jon, I realise this is the cause, but need to correct it immediately so it will condition in 2 weeks. Thanks

sorry misread, +1 as slid says with a little swirl of the bottle. use a plastic pet bottle as a carb tester. if the warmth hasn't firmed the bottle in a week more yeast

 

[John Holgreaves]

Thanks Slid, it's been at 20C for 3 weeks.
I think I will stick to my original plan and add a little yeast to each bottle as I am running out of time. I expect it will take 2 weeks to condition. Unless some one can come up with something different.

 

[Sandimas]

Why don't you open another bottle? I can't believe it's been at 20C for 3 weeks and you've got no CO2, I suspect a leaky seal on that bottle. If that one's the same, give us some more detail on your brew: how long did it ferment, how long did you leave it before bottling?

I definitely wouldn't add yeast. Even lagers that have been left in the FV 3 months at a very low temp still have some residual yeast.

 

[Slid]

Why don't you open another bottle? I can't believe it's been at 20C for 3 weeks and you've got no CO2, I suspect a leaky seal on that bottle. If that one's the same, give us some more detail on your brew: how long did it ferment, how long did you leave it before bottling?

I definitely wouldn't add yeast. Even lagers that have been left in the FV 3 months at a very low temp still have some residual yeast.

Agree with Darrellm here, no need for more yeast. If you bottled with crown caps, they may just not give a great fit.

 

[John Holgreaves]

All bottles are the same. I opened another one, no gas. Instead of opening them all I checked the bottles for sediment, nothing. It fermented in 10 days and was bottled it in 2 weeks. I used non rinse steriliser for the bottles and left them to drain for half an hour.

 

[SebScott]

I know this might be a no-brainer, but did you leave enough air in the bottle after capping it? The usual reason my brews have been low in carbonation or not carbonated at all is that i sometimes overfilled the bottle. Other than that I don't see any reason why your beers shouldn't carbonate if you are keeping them in the right temperatures and general conditions.

 

[John Holgreaves]

Thanks SebScott.
The beer has just finished conditioning, and most has been drunk at the old boys reunion. I think the reason why it was so slow is the fact that I purged the bottles with CO2 and in so doing drove off most of the oxygen. Turned out a very nice beer and I am saving some for Christmas when it should be even better.
Cheers!

 

[terrym]

Thanks SebScott.
The beer has just finished conditioning, and most has been drunk at the old boys reunion. I think the reason why it was so slow is the fact that I purged the bottles with CO2 and in so doing drove off most of the oxygen. Turned out a very nice beer and I am saving some for Christmas when it should be even better.
Cheers!

The general consensus amongst homebrewers (at least on this forum as far as I can establish from the many posts concerning this subject) is that you try to actively avoid getting air/oxygen into bottles at packaging time, since it can spoil the beer through oxidation. So in driving out the air with a CO2 purge you have done the right thing.
And if you end up with a minimum headspace (i.e. minimal air) after filling that's also a good thing too in my book, certainly its what I do when I use PET bottles, as in squeeze as much air out as I can before sealing the bottle. So I can't understand what's wrong with 'overfilling', the yeast should still work, it just means there is a tad more CO2 in solution.
My guess as to why it took a long time to carb up is that although it was apparently at temperature the yeast was somehow slow to chew through the priming sugar probably because it was nearly clear when you bottled it, which again is no bad thing.

 

[Nicks90]

I've had beers take 4-6 weeks to carb up before, whereas others have been done in a week.
As I use the same 2 or 3 yeast types, it's not that. I reckon it's just if the yeast has fallen asleep and is being lazy and taking its time.

 

[Keruso]

Did you cold crash? I found when using high flocculent yeast and cold crashing that not much yeast makes it into the bottling bucket and therefore takes ages to carb or never gets a good carbonization. I stopped cold crashing, used hop bags and spiders in the boil and fermenter, I found that a week at room temperature was enough to give a really decent carbonization.

 

[John Holgreaves]

Many thanks for all your help boys.
Next time I bottle beer , if ever. I will bottle it 8 weeks before it is to be drunk.
I didn't cold crash, my beer usually clears without it. Cheers again.
Just about to do a clone of Timothy Taylors Hopical Storm, They put the ingredients on there web site which helps!

 

[Cwrw666]

I usually fill to half an inch but it's often less. The beer still carbs up (why wouldn't it?) but you don't get the loud pfshhh when you pop the top off as the CO2 is all in the beer.

 

[Ashman]

I’ve had a mixed / inconsistent batches - some carbonated some not. I’ve put it down to either inaccurate priming sugar calculation (used 1/2 teaspoon per 500ml bottle suspect on lazy filling some got 1/4) and possible leaky seals.

 

[Banbeer]

I've got a conditioning room (shhhh, don't tell anyone it's an empty wardrobe with temp control) and the bottles (pet) closest to the tube heater get carbonated a lot quicker so I need to do a rotation system. All controlled at 20degC, all turn out really well carbonated when left in there for a fortnight

 

[Gavin Callaghan]

How about kegging it? Expensive option but at least it's ready in time

 

[GerritT]

Took months for my last triple to condition. The last 10% of the bottles were as they should be.