Slow Carbonation

[apples1525229491]

Hi Guys

Ive been brewing for 4 yrs, and 99% of my brews are Coopers Pale ale, enhanser#2 and Willmanette hops. I love it.

Procedure rarely changes, 10-12 days in the vat, 4 weeks in the bottle. I brew 6 vats continuously.

I have recently changed from the generic yeast found under the cap, to Mangrove Jacks Craft Series - M36 Liberty Bell Ale Yeast

Well the 1st of that brew hit 4 weeks yesterday. I notice a very thin film of sediment in the bottle, and very little noise when i cracked the lid. The taste was ok, but def felt flat. No bubbles hitting the back of my throat.

Anyone know if the yeast i used, doesnt like cold temps ? Its been a cold winter here in Penrith NSW, and I store my cartons on shelves in the back shed. Temps be 1-14 degrees most days. 

Another  beer brewed at the same time, but with  the generic yeast, is showing a thick layer of sediment, as i would normally expect.

Did i use a summer yeast in winter ?

Do i just leave them for longer ?

Any help be handy

Regards

Steve

[Otto Von Blotto]

Yep too cold for ale yeast. The yeast that comes with the kit is an ale/lager blend, and the lager portion keeps working at lower temperatures which makes it ideal for bottle conditioning in cooler weather. 

The thickness of the sediment isn't really an indication of anything though. I used to and still do deliberately drop yeast out of the beer before it's packaged, so all my bottles had very little sediment in them. Still carbonated fine.

[apples1525229491]

Thanks Otto

Just leave them for a few more weeks, and they be good, or throw out ?

Steve

[Otto Von Blotto]

Warm them up if you can. In future, keep in mind that ale yeast tends to go to sleep below about 16 degrees. Nottingham is one ale strain that can work lower but the rest are best at 18+. Otherwise, other than kegging and force carbonating, either use the APA kit yeast or a lager yeast in the cooler weather. 

[apples1525229491]

Thanks mate

Moving the bottles into the spare room, gets nice and warm in there. Will cover with a blanket, and retry in a month

Steve

[BlackSands]

Yup.  I've had M36 fermented batches take ages to carbonate -  especially when the beer has been cold crashed as well.  A small yeast layer and low temperatures equals little or no carbonation!  I don't know what the lowest working temperature is for M36 but it's clearly asleep at this time of year at ambient temperatures.  One thing I've been doing recently is putting the entire batch of bottles in my fermentation fridge while I'm fermenting a new brew.   I can just managed to fit all the bottles in along with the fermenter!   That way they get to spend around 5 days at 18 - 20ºC which gives them a good start. 

Otherwise, as Otto mentioned Nottingham yeast is a great alternative for the Winter months and I yeast I like to use much of the time. It keeps ticking over right down to around 10ºC according to the spec sheet.   I have another brew conditioning at ambient - fermented with Notty - still quite slow to carb but it is getting there.   Meanwhile, today's brew I will ferment with two of the Coopers blended yeast pkts -  I just happened to have a couple which I should use before they get too old..  As also mentioned by Otto above the lager portion will help with the cold temperature carbonation.     

Ultimately it's all about time and temperature.   

Interestingly, as an aside I've been reading (and watching vids) of beer that is fully carbonated and yet was un-primed.  It seems given enough time (many months) even a fully fermented beer will eventually carb up in the bottle.   

Edited August 31, 2019 by BlackSands