5 Week Brew

[davewalk]

5 weeks ago today I started a Cascade Draught brew using the kit yeast with 500 grams of sugar and 120 grams of Dried Corn Syrup and whilst it has slowed now, it is still bubbling in the airlock. It has had a reasonably constant 20 degrees and was a bit slow to start (about 4 days) and has bubbled consistently. Normally I have the brew bubble for a week, sit for a week then keg but this bugger doesn't want to stop. Anyone else had a long brew like this before?

Cheers
Dave

 

[Inge]

5 weeks ago today I started a Cascade Draught brew using the kit yeast with 500 grams of sugar and 120 grams of Dried Corn Syrup and whilst it has slowed now, it is still bubbling in the airlock. It has had a reasonably constant 20 degrees and was a bit slow to start (about 4 days) and has bubbled consistently. Normally I have the brew bubble for a week, sit for a week then keg but this bugger doesn't want to stop. Anyone else had a long brew like this before?

Cheers
Dave

What's the hydrometer readings? What does it taste and smell like? Could very well be that a bug has taken hold.

 

[mika]

What's the hydro say ?

Edit: Inge types faster

 

[matti]

Ouch!
The yeast probably have starting to eat it self at those temperatures.
Final gravity should have been reached long ago.
Taste it! if YOU like it, bottle it!

A mate who does K&K had a brew doing a similar thing because the Ale yeast slowed down duing the cold southern highland winter. I tasted it. It turned out to be a reasonable drop. A bit thin and no real flavour, but not contaminated and no rotten stinking smell or taste.

Go0d luck hehe

 

[davewalk]

What's the hydrometer readings? What does it taste and smell like? Could very well be that a bug has taken hold.

Haven't taken any hydro measurements but will have a taste tomorrow and report back.

 

[Sammus]

Ouch!
The yeast probably have starting to eat it self at those temperatures.
Final gravity should have been reached long ago.
Taste it! if YOU like it, bottle it!

A mate who does K&K had a brew doing a similar thing because the Ale yeast slowed down duing the cold southern highland winter. I tasted it. It turned out to be a reasonable drop. A bit thin and no real flavour, but not contaminated and no rotten stinking smell or taste.

Go0d luck hehe

Can't say I completely agree here. I've done Saisons that have been actively fermenting for 5 weeks at 24C, and the yeast never ate themselves.

Second, If you like it and bottle it, and it does happen to be a bug or unfinished ferment, then you may end up with bottle bombs. I reckon go the hydro path.

 

[matti]

Can't say I completely agree here. I've done Saisons that have been actively fermenting for 5 weeks at 24C, and the yeast never ate themselves.

Second, If you like it and bottle it, and it does happen to be a bug or unfinished ferment, then you may end up with bottle bombs. I reckon go the hydro path.

Fully agree Hydro sample it,

It just seem odd that a kit yeast would do this. At room temp they ferment out in a week or the yeast is weak and perform poorly hence the long ferment.
Poor yeast = crap Beer in my books.
Most kit yeast are crap IMO and should be chucked out.

 

[sid]

I have done that Cascade draught kit, it took around 11 days for mine to reach the right hydrometre reading, I just used 1kg dextose. I then bottled it, after 4 weeks I tasted it and wasn't impressed with this beer at all, but now at 7 weeks it has come right and isn't too bad, not sure about spicey beer though, it's an aquired taste.

 

[davewalk]

Good news everyone- I've finally worked up the courage after a big weekend to sample this brew and it's come up quite nice so I'm just heading down now to keg it.
On reflection, most Cascades I've done have been a bit slow but over 5 weeks seems a long time.
I've just realised that my next brew is a choice of Coopers Lager or Coopers Ale. Do you think the Lager can will last til next winter or should I take a chance now at around a reasonably constant 20 degrees? The risk of course is that we may get a couple of high 30's in the next week or two and the cellar temp then ould go up to around 25. Any thoughts?

Cheers
Dave

 

[Uncle Fester]

Good news everyone- I've finally worked up the courage after a big weekend to sample this brew and it's come up quite nice so I'm just heading down now to keg it.
On reflection, most Cascades I've done have been a bit slow but over 5 weeks seems a long time.
I've just realised that my next brew is a choice of Coopers Lager or Coopers Ale. Do you think the Lager can will last til next winter or should I take a chance now at around a reasonably constant 20 degrees? The risk of course is that we may get a couple of high 30's in the next week or two and the cellar temp then ould go up to around 25. Any thoughts?

Cheers
Dave

Both will have a generic ale yeast supplied. Around 20 degrees would be nice (18 would be better). 25 will be a bit high, but shouldnt be too bad if its all you can do. Try the wet towel evap cooling method to keep the temp as close to 20 as you can.

The 100 can cooler from K-Mart is also a good way to keep temps down at the height of summer.

Festa.

 

[davewalk]

Both will have a generic ale yeast supplied. Around 20 degrees would be nice (18 would be better). 25 will be a bit high, but shouldnt be too bad if its all you can do. Try the wet towel evap cooling method to keep the temp as close to 20 as you can.

The 100 can cooler from K-Mart is also a good way to keep temps down at the height of summer.

Festa.

Yeah, I think I'll give it a crack, if it goes off it goes off. Chances are it may not be any good in the can in the middle of winter anywy.