Adding Liquor to beer and bottle Carbonation

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by fthomasl, May 20, 2015.

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  1. fthomasl

    fthomasl Initiate (0) Mar 20, 2007 Texas

    I have having a hard time with carbonating beers that are aged on liquor and oak. Twice now, I've brewed a 10% beer and aged it on oak and burbon/scotch for 2 weeks. Both times I'm adding about 3/4 a cup of liquour. Both beers were 1 week primary and 2 weeks secondary so there should be plenty of yeast still around...right?

    Has anyone else ran across this issue? Do any of you think it the liqour is the cause for lack of carbonation.
     
  2. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    Assuming 86 proof bourbon and a 5 gallon batch of 10% ABV beer, you would have ended up about 10.3% ABV. So it's doubtful that the extra alcohol is a major problem.

    How long did you wait before deciding you were having a hard time carbonating? High ABV beers tend to take longer, because the yeast are not at peak health.
     
  3. fthomasl

    fthomasl Initiate (0) Mar 20, 2007 Texas

    it's been 4 and 1/2 weeks in the bottle now. I would think there would be a tiny bit of carbonation by now, but they are complelety flat.

    If I were to have pitched champange yeast....do you simply sprinkle it on top or hydrate it and pitch it. On a another beer that turned out to be 13.5% I sprinkled the yeast on top and stirred it in. There is a tiny bit of carbonation on that one, but could have used more.
     
  4. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    If adding to a bottling bucket, I'd probably rehydrate. But if you're going to uncap and add, I'd just use it dry.

    Temperature? Also, I believe some people have had to wait even longer than that with big beers. I wouldn't expect completely flat though. Are you sure you added priming sugar? And mixed it thoroughly? Maybe open bottle from the other end of the bottling run and see.
     
    inchrisin and PapaGoose03 like this.
  5. machalel

    machalel Initiate (0) Jan 19, 2012 Australia

    Although it's not up in the 10+ range, I've added rum to a porter that took it from about 6.5% up to 8% and it carbed fine. Not sure how long it took, however, as it was about 6months before I opened one.
     
  6. fthomasl

    fthomasl Initiate (0) Mar 20, 2007 Texas

    My process has alwaya been adding the cooled priming sugar to the bucket first then racking the beer in top...then stirring with the racking cain. Is there something wrong with thia method?
     
  7. PapaGoose03

    PapaGoose03 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,057) May 30, 2005 Michigan
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    Because the sugar is heavier than the wort, I always use my brewing spoon to dig deep into the bucket and pull that sugar syrup upward with spoon strokes. I also do it several times during the bottling process just to make sure it stays mixed. Before I started using this procedure, I learned the hard way what happens with an improperly mixed batch and have had no issues since.
     
  8. inchrisin

    inchrisin Pooh-Bah (2,013) Sep 25, 2008 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah

    That's a sound method. I'd be most concerned with the time in between fermentation and how many weeks pass before you bottle. The yeast on a 10% beer are usually exhausted. I personally have luck moving the beer within 3 weeks, or repitching some extra yeast into the bottling bucket. I use half a pack of champagne yeast and save the other half for priming or small wine projects. Storing the beer at about 68-70F for a few weeks usually gets things going.
     
  9. Quetzolcotl

    Quetzolcotl Initiate (0) Jun 19, 2014 Missouri
    Trader

    Yeast craps out on high gravity beers. It is like they've just run a marathon and have an empty tank so pitch new yeast when you bottle and you will be fine. Using about 1/5 of your pitch rate for the beer works.
     
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