No Carbonation In The Bottles

[MCT]

I recently brewed an imperial stout that I think is so strong it has killed off the yeast.
The OG was around 1.088 with the hydrometer, and it fermented down to 1.022. But since then I was given a refractometer which has consistently proved the old hydro to give very low readings. ie the hydrometer is often 10 points lower or more than the refractometer...
I'm thinking this brew could be up around 1.10
But I digress. I have this stout which I bottled 8 weeks ago that just won't carb up.
I used enough sugar to carb to 2 volumes as I wanted a nice head, but it's doing nothing.
I'm thinking I've killed the yeast with the high alcohol and am going to try and transfer from the bottles back to a keg and carb up with co2.

Just looking for suggestions to do this and keep the beer fresh?
I was thinking that maybe I could purge a cube with co2, then try and gently pour the bottles into this cube without splashing, then rack to the keg. I spose that's about all I can do.

I WANT to save this stout!

 

[Maple]

MCT,
you're not alone in this situation. Very interested to hear what some of the more experienced guys think on this one. I have done the same thing, bottled mid Sept, and still only a light "pfsst" when I crack it open, no carbonation to speak of. I think the yeast definitely struggle with the level of alcohol in it. I'm happy enough to leave it for a year and see what happens, as at least I'm getting a little action with the "pfsst" sound. I first thought it might have to do with the Oak I racked it onto, but hearing that this same thing happened to someone else, I wasn't too concerned. this makes 3 of us at least.

I used 1084 as a yeast that got it from about 1.095 to ~1.050. pitched some Us05 after a few weeks of no movement and got a further few points knocked off (now about 1.028).

 

[Peaka]

I'm in the same boat here guys.
I did a toucan of Homebrand Draught, used 3kg of the dreaded white sugar, 500g of brown sugar, OG was 1.090 and FG was 1.016...it was bottled on 04/10/08.

I also did a 1 can of Homebrand Lager, 3kg of sugar, 200g of honey, 200g of Maple Syrup, OG was 1.070 and FG was 1.006 and was bottled on 14/10/08.

I was just trying to make strong beer but I don't use white sugar anymore. Both of these brews let only a small amount of gas as stated above when I open them and there is not much of a head to speak of.

The yeast from the kits were used in both brews.

I wonder if the yeast was killed off or whether these Homebrand cans are just bad.

 

[buttersd70]

MCT, no matter how you do it, theres going to be a certain amount of splashing and risk of oxidisation, I think it's unavoidable. It's really a matter of limiting that as much as you can...

My thought would be to purge the keg, depressurise it and put a racking tube straight in to the bottom, with a funnel on the top end of the tube, and carefully decant the bottles into the funnel, down into the bottom of the keg. I don't think you'd get anymore splashing than doing the same thing to a cube, and it prevents the need to do the second transfer.

 

[kabooby]

You could try mixing up some yeast with some water and add it to each bottle with a syringe or gently pour the bottles into a keg. I wouldn't try the funnel. I think that would only introduce more oxygen. Gently pour it against the side of the keg. Purge the keg with a good amount of C02.

I have never done this before so good luck and let us know how you go.

Kabooby

 

[MCT]

You could try mixing up some yeast with some water and add it to each bottle with a syringe or gently pour the bottles into a keg. I wouldn't try the funnel. I think that would only introduce more oxygen. Gently pour it against the side of the keg. Purge the keg with a good amount of C02.

I have never done this before so good luck and let us know how you go.

Kabooby

The only problem with doing this Kabooby is that the ferment might actually not have finished fully, the alcohol might have killed the yeast. Introducing a more tolerant yeast might make a bit of a mess in the garage when the bottles go, and god knows my garage has seen enough beer spilled :lol: .

I'll give it another month and if it's still flat I'll purge a keg with co2, gently pour and drink fast.

 

[buttersd70]

MCT, how flat is flat? It can be a bit of a bugger to get a head on a bottled beer that was carbed to 2 vol....get a 3 or 5mL syringe from the chemist...they're really expensive, about 30c a pop. Pour your flat beer into a glass, insert the syringe into the glass and pump the bugger up and down....if it actually does have 2 vol co2 in it, this will kick the head in like putting it through a sparkler. I read it on here a while ago, but it;s my new favourite trick. If there is any gas in there at all, it should pump a head onto it like a beer engine; if it works, problem solvered. If not, then you can re-examine your options.

Currently drinking a yorkie with 1.8Vol that needs the head forced.....yum.

 

[MCT]

MCT, how flat is flat? It can be a bit of a bugger to get a head on a bottled beer that was carbed to 2 vol....get a 3 or 5mL syringe from the chemist...they're really expensive, about 30c a pop. Pour your flat beer into a glass, insert the syringe into the glass and pump the bugger up and down....if it actually does have 2 vol co2 in it, this will kick the head in like putting it through a sparkler. I read it on here a while ago, but it;s my new favourite trick. If there is any gas in there at all, it should pump a head onto it like a beer engine; if it works, problem solvered. If not, then you can re-examine your options.

Currently drinking a yorkie with 1.8Vol that needs the head forced.....yum.

Nah mate, she's flat as a tack.
I get a small pff as I open the bottle, but it's flat.

I put a good amount of carapils in the mash too, so should get some sort of a head if there was co2 in it.
It's also a very thick stout (yum) which kind of needs a little bit of fizz in it to drink. Currently it's undrinkable.

Thanks for the suggestion though, I'll give your idea a go when I open the next one in a month.

 

[buttersd70]

no worries mate, it was just a thought. Thought it might have the carb, but just not kicking out.