Do yeast die after bottling?
My second batch of beer have been stored in bottles over a month now without producing any co2. I want to add some priming sugar to start the fermentation again, but I'm unsure if it will help.
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At what temperature are you holding the bottles?– bakaCommented May 19, 2012 at 23:44
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They are stored in my bathroom. 18-25c with a average about 20c.– OlseniusCommented May 20, 2012 at 0:01
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You may have forgotten the priming sugar in the first place if there was no CO2...– brewchezCommented May 20, 2012 at 13:17
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We actually forgot to add the priming sugar in the first place. I had bottled 2-3 bottles when we remembered. I added 5g per liter and redid the first bottles.– OlseniusCommented May 20, 2012 at 13:29
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In answer to your question of do yeast die after bottling. There should be enough especially if someone can resurrect a yeast strain from a weevil trapped in amber: dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/09/23/ancient-yeast-beer.html :-)– Chris PlaisierCommented May 22, 2012 at 15:30
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4 Answers
Yeast will become dormant and eventually die after a few weeks to months, but only after any food sources, like priming sugar, have been consumed.
The lack of carbonation after a month could be caused by a number of things
insufficient yeast - normally there is yeast in suspension after primary, but a highly flocculative strain may settle out completely. For bottling, 10,000 cells per ml is considered a typical cell density.
if the priming sugar was added to the entire batch, it may not have been mixed with the beer fully, leaving some bottles without sugar and others an excess.
the bottle caps are not on airtight
your temperature of 19-25c should be warm enough, but typically cold temperatures can hinder fermentation.
Adding more priming sugar can be done on a bottle or two as a test, which you can open after 3 days. You should hear a hiss, but the beer itself won't be carbonated unless it's left for another week. But if you get the hiss then the yeast are working it's most likely a problem with distributing the priming sugar evenly. No hiss, and you may need to pitch some more yeast. A tiny pinch of yeast is enough for the entire batch, but putting a tiny pinch of yeast in each bottle will work also.
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3I disagree with the cell count as a likely reason. I brew alot with very flocculant english strains. Even after a month in a carboy at cool temps there is still plenty of yeast in suspension to carbonate. Its nearly impossible to drop so much yeast that beer doesn't carb.– brewchezCommented May 20, 2012 at 13:17
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Depends on the circumstances. If the bottles have been sitting for a month without any priming sugar at warm temperatures, cell counts will have dropped 10 fold or more, and there won't be enough yeast to carb the beer.– mdmaCommented May 20, 2012 at 23:02
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I opened a few bottles last night. The first one was flat, and i added some boiled sugar to it. The next 3 beers had much co2, and the foam came out of the bottles. It seems like the priming sugar weren't mixed good enough into the beer before bottling, as you suggested might be the problem.– OlseniusCommented May 21, 2012 at 19:55
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Olsenius, this is precisely why using a bottling bucket is popular; you make your syrup (boil and cool to a yeast-safe temp), pour it into your sterilized bottling bucket, then transfer the beer from fermenter to bottling bucket. I also like to sterilize a large all-metal spoon and give it a healthy stir after transfer. (Remember to keep splashing/aeration to a minimum.) At that point, rack the beer to bottles, cap, and you're done. Commented May 22, 2012 at 14:53
Yeast are pretty hardy and it takes time before they completely die off. Even when the nutrients are nearly all consumed the yeast simply go dormant. I have cultured yeast out of beer bottles that were at least a year old. Granted the total viability isn't high but they aren't all dead. Alcohol levels, oxygen levels and storage temp plays a big role.
In your case, adding more priming sugar should work as I am sure there is plenty of yeast around. Be sure the beer is at 70F/21C before starting. You want the beer at room temp as the yeast see the sugar. For ease you may want to try something like Coopers carb tabs. Little pills of sugar for carbing one bottle at a time.
I have just revived a liquid yeast that was in the fridge for 2.5 years, I cleaned it up, did a starter and its like new.. I took some microscope samples and didn't see any bacteria infection or mutations and even made a little fun video on it, for anyone interested...
co2 gas bubble moving under the slide, live sample from active fermentation
The question has essentially been answered, but I'd like to suggest that you also check out the following rather informative write-up regarding the yeast lifecycle which I've found informative:
http://www.beer-brewing.com/beer-brewing/brewers_yeast/yeast_life_cycle.htm
