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Author Topic: Carbonating flat beer in bottles  (Read 2619 times)

Offline usabill

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Carbonating flat beer in bottles
« on: March 12, 2014, 07:36:21 pm »
Hello,
Newbie here and first post.
I have about a dozen brews so far including one all-grain. I recently did a batch (extract kit from NB) called Hopqulia Double IPA. Awesome beer - a bit heavy at 15.4%ABV which doesn't worry me - only those who are not allowed to drive home after a couple beers.  After 4 weeks in bottles the beer is stone flat. I used the fizz drops from NB. I put 1 in each 12 oz bottle and tried 2 in one with no better result.
What is best solution - can I place in keg to carbonate then tap into bottle and seal?
thx
Bill

Offline euge

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Re: Carbonating flat beer in bottles
« Reply #1 on: March 12, 2014, 07:43:08 pm »
Have you brewed this before? With the extreme abv the yeast may be done. That's red wine territory.

Keg it.
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Offline usabill

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Re: Carbonating flat beer in bottles
« Reply #2 on: March 12, 2014, 08:33:18 pm »
Have you brewed this before? With the extreme abv the yeast may be done. That's red wine territory.

Keg it.
First time with this recipe. I want to hand these out in bottles. I have some in keg so guess no harm in trying to bottle from a keg. Was just curious if anyone has experienced same and might share outcome.
thx

Offline Stevie

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Re: Carbonating flat beer in bottles
« Reply #3 on: March 12, 2014, 08:35:50 pm »
Big beers can take some time to carbonate.

Offline usabill

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Re: Carbonating flat beer in bottles
« Reply #4 on: March 12, 2014, 08:50:01 pm »
Big beers can take some time to carbonate.
These are '''dead" flat after 4 weeks - not a single bubble. Personally I can drink flat and warm - but others tend to enjoy cold and carbonated.

Offline Stevie

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Re: Carbonating flat beer in bottles
« Reply #5 on: March 12, 2014, 08:58:44 pm »
Do you get a hiss when you pop the cap?

15% is crazy high. What yeast is there is going to be pretty beat up. You can try adding a bit of dry champagne yeast to each bottle, but it will still take time.

I've had big beers in the past that where pretty flat, I stuffed them in the back of a closet and six months later they were good.

Offline usabill

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Re: Carbonating flat beer in bottles
« Reply #6 on: March 12, 2014, 10:00:39 pm »
Do you get a hiss when you pop the cap?

15% is crazy high. What yeast is there is going to be pretty beat up. You can try adding a bit of dry champagne yeast to each bottle, but it will still take time.

I've had big beers in the past that where pretty flat, I stuffed them in the back of a closet and six months later they were good.
Hey Steve - this is big beer for sure - after 2 it's nap time. You can smell the alcohol but oddly you can't really taste it - the hops carry it well.
Dry champagne yeast? hmmm - how would you work out proportions?
thx

Offline Stevie

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Re: Carbonating flat beer in bottles
« Reply #7 on: March 12, 2014, 10:39:05 pm »
Honestly, I've never tried it, but I know others have with various levels of success. You could sprinkle a bit in or or mix with a bit of sanitized water and use an eye dropper. Once the yeast consumes the priming sugar it will drop out.

I'm sure somebody here has some more detailed tips.

When I bottle a big beer, I add a pack of dry champagne yeast in the bucket. I think they are 5 gram packs.

Offline bonjour

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Re: Carbonating flat beer in bottles
« Reply #8 on: March 13, 2014, 06:18:33 am »
What's your recipe, FG, and process, include your mash details.

knowing how big this beer is you may have a lot of sugar left.

The best bet with these big beers is to force carb them in a keg them bottle from the keg.
Fred Bonjour
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Everything under 1.100 is a 'session' beer ;)

Offline Jimmy K

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Re: Carbonating flat beer in bottles
« Reply #9 on: March 13, 2014, 06:49:04 am »
For champagne yeast, you can try removing the cap, dropping 2 or so grains of dry yeast in the bottle, and recapping. Just do a bottle or two, leave for a few weeks and see if they carbonate.
 
By the way, did you measure final gravity before bottling? Was it what you expected?
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Offline ynotbrusum

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Re: Carbonating flat beer in bottles
« Reply #10 on: March 13, 2014, 06:38:24 pm »
There are these:
http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/brewing/prime-dose-carbonation-tablets-200-count.html


I am trying them out on a few styles to see how they work.   Supposedly they are a blend of sugar and CBC yeast.  Convenient at least....
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