Carbonation/Bottle Conditioning

Brewing processes and methods. How to brew using extract, partial or all-grain. Tips and tricks.

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ILikeBeer
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2001 5:23 pm

Carbonation/Bottle Conditioning

Post by ILikeBeer »

I just started exploring some of the higher gravity extract/grain recipes. In my past experience, most of the stuff I brewed with gravity below 1.060 carbonated in the bottle within two weeks. Sure it always tasted better after four weeks but I can't resist the temptation to start sampling at week two. The last two batches I made, a brown ale at 1.069 and an IPA at 1.076 have been flat at three weeks. The brown ale came around and is quite tasty almost six weeks after bottling. The IPA is still conditioning so I have my fingers crossed. Both were made with White Labs British Ale yeast added to the wort in 1 pint starters. Am I imagining things or do the higher gravity brews just take longer to condition?
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Mesa Maltworks
Strong Ale
Strong Ale
Posts: 477
Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2001 11:16 pm
Location: Georgetown, Grand Cayman Island

High alcohol levels can kill/diminish yeast counts !

Post by Mesa Maltworks »

The strain you have used is not particularly alcohol tolerant and may have led to a reduced viabilty or count when used as a conditioning yeast in these higher gravity brews. They beer may either take longer to carbonate, may only carbonate so far, or not carbonate at all. My suggestions in order of preference: 1) Switch to a more tolerant strain while still being style appropriate; 2) Add fresh yeast of a different strain for carbonation at bottling time (can increase risk of infection).

Eric Watson
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