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lager issue

freeride415

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I've been brewing for about 6 months. Back in December i did my first attempt at a lager. I gave it the diacytle rest, then racked it to a secondary fermenter. Then i stored it at around 40 degrees till two weeks ago when I bottled it. I followed the same steps that I always use when bottling a 5 gallon batch. I tried the first bottle last night, and it has no carbonation. Any thoughts or ideas as to why this has happened?
 
You didn't state when in December you brewed the lager, but just taking the days until 2 weeks ago, you have had it sitting in your fermenter for at least 9 weeks.  At 40F, the yeast cells would have slowly prepped themselves for preservation after the available sugars and byproducts produced by the yeast and settled to the bottom.  If you did not stir up a bit of yeast when you siphoned/drained your wort into your bottling bucket or add yeast specifically for refermentation, you may be a bit short on available yeast cells to cause rapid carbonation of the lager.  At what temperature have the bottles been kept while carbonating?  How much yeast did you pitch into what batch size?

So in trying to recover, I would suggest the following options:

(1) if the bottles have been stored at 40F or cooler temperatures, bring the bottles up to room temperature to carbonate,

(2) you can take some dry yeast and sterile water, proof the yeast in the water and then uncap and add a ml or so of yeast solution to the bottles and cap immediately,

(3) Chalk the whole thing up to experience gained and start over again.
 
didnt stir or add yeast to the bottling bucket. since bottling the brew has been stored at room temperature. I used I packet of Whitelabs lager yeast in fermentation. definietly going to take this as a learning expirence, and maybe hold onto this recipe for when I have a kegging system.
 
One packet of lager yeast in a 5 gallon batch is definitely an under pitch.  Your yeast were most likely worn out and stressed enough to sputter out when you were trying to reinvigorate them to carbonate. 
 
Will the bottles eventually carbonate over time if I just let them continue to condition at room temperature?
 
The only way to tell is to try it.  At this point, if you don't want to introduce additional yeast it might be worth the wait.
 
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