[ANDREW.GROGAN1]

Just opened a bottle from my first barrel aged beer.  15 gallon Imperial stout...

Brewed: 6/24
Into the bourbon barrel: 8/3
Bottled: 12/3

Used my normal bottling routine off boiling water/sugar mixture and adding to the bottling bucket.  I also added 1.25 liters of bourbon to the barrel to achieve the bourbon flavor I was looking for.  I opened my first bottle yesterday and there is no carbonation.  Do I need to give it more time or did I not bottle correctly for the amount of time it was in the barrel?  Did I kill the yeast by adding the bourbon?  FG going into the barrel had it at about 10.5% and the Scottish Ale yeast I used is rated up to 12%.

[klickitat jim]

Depending on how high the alcohol was, coupled with 6 month old yeast, maybe they just didn't have it in them to carbonate. You might try a touch of dry champagne yeast in each bottle, then recap.

[ANDREW.GROGAN1]

Depending on how high the alcohol was, coupled with 6 month old yeast, maybe they just didn't have it in them to carbonate. You might try a touch of dry champagne yeast in each bottle, then recap.

I thought about this too but how much is a touch?  I need some level of control.  Don't want fountain soda or a bunch of bottle bombs. 

[klickitat jim]

Amount of sugar determines that not amount of yeast. I think I'd hydrate one packet, pull it up into a sterile syringe, and add maybe 2 or 3 CCs to each bottle.

[Stevie]

A few grains per bottle would be fine, but a syringe will work well too. Adding all that bourbon would take your ABV to ~12.5%. This coupled with the amount of time may have been too much for the yeasts that were still around.

[ANDREW.GROGAN1]

A few grains per bottle would be fine, but a syringe will work well too. Adding all that bourbon would take your ABV to ~12.5%. This coupled with the amount of time may have been too much for the yeasts that were still around.

Do you mean un crushed grain?  The idea being that  the yeast in the grain with get with the sugar and carbonate?

[Stevie]

No. Grains of dry yeast.

[ANDREW.GROGAN1]

No. Grains of dry yeast.

Boy do I feel dumb. Thanks for clarifying. 

[brewinhard]

Amount of sugar determines that not amount of yeast. I think I'd hydrate one packet, pull it up into a sterile syringe, and add maybe 2 or 3 CCs to each bottle.

I have done this in the past prior to kegging when big beers would not properly condition. My go to process would be to rehydrate 1 5 gram pack of Lalvin EC-1118 dry champagne yeast in 1 cup of pre-boiled and cooled water. Then using a sanitized graduated medicine dropper, carefully pop the old caps of a couple bottles (having a buddy to help with this makes it better) and add one mL of yeast solution to each bottle and cap with a freshly sanitized cap. Keep those bottles warm for about 1-2 more weeks and your carbonation should be fine.

Next time, when bottling a stronger beer >8% or so, add your rehydrated yeast along with your priming solution (cooled) and rack your beer on top for proper mixing prior to bottling. This ensures some healthy (not pooped out) yeast to finish your beer making process. Good luck!

[JJeffers09]

I have always used CBC-1 yeast when bottling an aged beer.  The yeast has depleted all of its reserves and is almost useless.  Then I wonder how much clings/gets absorbed by the oak itself.  I have not counted cells from a barrel aged brew.

Sent from my SM-S820L using Tapatalk

[brewinhard]

I have always used CBC-1 yeast when bottling an aged beer.  The yeast has depleted all of its reserves and is almost useless.  Then I wonder how much clings/gets absorbed by the oak itself.  I have not counted cells from a barrel aged brew.

Sent from my SM-S820L using Tapatalk

My preference for bottle conditioning high ABV% beers with EC-1118 is as follows:

1. It works well in low pH environments.
2. It works well in high alcohol contents.
3. It does not impart any additional flavors/aromas when used at this stage (not many yeasts really would).
4. A 5 gram packet only costs about $1.

[bboy9000]

Good advice from everyone.  One thing to keep in mind with high abv beer there are more compounds in solution so there is less volume available for CO2 to go into solution.  A higher abv would be expected to be less carbonated but definitely not flat.