Bigger Beer - Carbonation Time..

[Stiftung]

So, I've been brewing my first batch of beer for quite some time now, and I used rice malt for reasons I don't want to get sidetracked with in this thread. I started out using just rice malt, I used a Belgian saison yeast and Hallertau hops, added for the second half of the boil. fermenting stalled at 1.020 at which point I ended up racking it into 4 separate batches.

1. 2L - Nothing added just original rice malt
2. 8L - Barley malt added
3. 8L - Cherry Syrup added
4. 8L - Barly malt & Cherry syrup added

(I want to taste the difference between all of the flavours - hence the sample of the original, the single of each & the combination of each)

Fermenting took off well again for all that I added new sugars to. (I didn't add new yeast, I re-pitched the original stuff)

The batch with just barley malt added kept dropping quickly which caught me by surprise, I bottled it at 1.005 ABV 9% into 345ml bottles.

I used brewing sugar to prime the bottles with. Using the small scoop of the standard double ended sugar scoop, rather than level the sugar to the lower notch, I leveled it at an angle from the lower notch to the higher notch if that makes any sense!? I used this much priming sugar with all bottles, except for the sample bottle which I doubled the sugar, wrapped in a tea towel and placed in a container. I also did a couple of samples using the same amount of coconut sugar. I'm pretty sure the seal on the bottles is good, I used a super automatic bench top capper and 50 lashes bottles.

The Cherry/Barley mix was bottled at 1.010 (I think - I don't have my diary in front of me) ABV 7% both batches will have been in the bottle for 2 weeks this weekend.

I know it's too early, but this process has been a long one and my patience is slimming, so I opened a bottle of the 9% batch last night not expecting much as it was 2 days short of 2 weeks in the bottle, but possibly at the least, signs that carbonation is happening to set my mind at ease. It was pretty much flat. But, I don't know if I was just willing it or not, but is it possible to feel the most minute amount of carbonation in your mouth that you wouldn't see visibly??

Could this take months? or is it possible that it won't carbonate at all??

I can carbonate it with my mates set up as a last resort, but I would rather hold out as long as I need to if it is indeed likely that eventually it will carbonate, as to me the flavors are actually quite promising. I can start another batch of something simpler and sip on some Fat Yaks in the meantime. It's just a shame though, I thought I had given myself heaps of time to take a few samples to chopped with me this year!

 

[malt junkie]

I haven't used a Belgian saison yeast, I have other Belgian yeast, and my experience of those has been they can lay dormant in the bottle of a week or 2 before beginning to carb. Now that may not be the case with the yeast you used but you need to be a little more specific than just the strain. Also how much was pitched, if you O2 the wort and fermentation temps will all allow those in the know to give the more informed answers, and more chance of them being right.

 

[damoninja]

My typical responses to the "Is it ruined?" questions are either "Nah" or "Wait" in this case the latter

9% is bigger than many but it's not that much of a heavy weight, I've had a few 10-11% beers carb up without any concerns (time was not a concern in my case )

That yeast also likes it warm so if it's cool it could just be a lil slower. I don't think O2 was an issue since you got quite a low gravity as expected and fairly quickly.

For what it's worth, if nothing else... a bigger beer is better off just left alone for a few months regardless of whether it's carbed quickly or not.

 

[Stiftung]

I've been keeping it warm, both fermenting and once bottled. I've had an oil heater running in the spare bathroom, it's pretty toasty in there! I originally made a 1.5L starter with 1 pitch of Wyeast Belgian saison, no extra yeast was added before bottling.