Beer Forum

Anyone have problems with bottle conditioning after fermenting with US-04? The yeast cake is so solid I'm wondering if adding more yeast at bottling would do the trick. Its been a couple weeks after I bottled an Ordinary Bitter. It tastes great but still hasn't carbonated very well? I added enough dextrose to bring it to 1.5 volumes.

How long has it been there, and at what temperature? Have you tasted other beers with that level of carbonation? 1.5 volumes isn't a ton more than a hydrometer sample.

I don't think you have a problem if you bottled within a week of the end of fermentation (JZ just posted this in another thread, trust the Pope). Sure, a hefe or kolsch yeast is a low floc, the US04 is high but I still think you have plenty in suspension of either yeast. The bigger concern might be for an unhealthy situation: long time, low initial pitch, low nutrients, not enough O2 at the beginning, high %alcohol. I have never added yeast back to a batch I have bottle conditioned; even a 9% xmas ale with US04, not a problem yet although I mostly keg now. That's just me though.

Personally, I think you are over analyzing things. Did JZ say "there will be plenty of yeast available given good conditions...except with a highly flocculating yeast"? No, he made no mention of flocculation. I don't assume he is ignorant to flocculation, nor would I recommend you assume that; he is the Pope!