Carbonation

[Colo]

Hello All,

Have had a lager sitting in primary for about 4 weeks to try and clear it up. Bottled it 2 weeks ago, using the same method I have with other brews, 1 1/2 carbo drops per 500ml bottle.

Cracked one open in the weekend (after 2 weeks) to make sure things were going as they should..."uh oh" the sound of opening the bottle was less then flattering, taste test resulted in quite a flat beer with only mild carbonation and was regrettably tipped down the sink.

The only conclusion I can come to is because it was left in primary for so long alot of the yeast settled into the yeast cake, resulting in very little left to do the work of secondary fermentation. Any tips to get the whole process working again, maybe up end the bottles a few times to mix the sediment back into the beer again?

 

[Bizier]

What temp has it been sitting at 'carbonating'?
How much yeast did you use in the ferment and at what temp?

 

[Colo]

About 14-18 degrees for both questions.

Used a whole packet of the Saflager yeast.

 

[slcmorro]

Don't give up. Let it sit for another week, and then before you try it, sit it in the fridge first for 48 hrs. You'll find when it's colder, the CO2 incorporates into the beer a lot better.

 

[Rocker1986]

I've had something similar happen with the latest lager I bottled 2 weeks ago. The first one I did carbed up well after 2 weeks, but this one is taking longer. I set aside 8 bottles (stubbies) from the batch and am trying one a week to see how it's progressing. The one I tried yesterday was more carbed than the one last week, so it is improving. I'd be inclined to give them more time. Lager yeast is a bottom fermenter anyway so I don't know how much advantage re-suspending it would be. Also what sicmorro says is true about the CO2 dissolving into solution better at colder temperatures - you just have to give it time to produce the CO2 before chilling of course! Hope that helps a bit.

 

[yum beer]

Patience grasshopper...
The longer you leave the fermenter in the fridge before bottling the longer it will take to carb.
I have had lager's take up to 6 weeks to reach good carb levels.