How long can you leave in the fermenter?

[No.42-jsb]

So I got asked this question by my brother in law. He's got a batch that he's had in the primary fermenter since January/February (he's not sure exactly when). It's kept in his garage. I can't vouch for that so just assume the temperature varies. After telling him to keep better track of his beers so he knows how long it's been there and so he can bottle them without having to buy VB (how he drinks VB after home brew I don't know) I said I'd find out. My suggestion was take the lid off and if it's not infected or mouldy try and bottle it.
I know you can lager for months but I'm unsure when the temp would be varying like it would have been since the start of the year.

Anyone have any thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

 

[n87]

Taste it.

I would guess it tastes like liquid Vegemite.

 

[homebrewnewb]

Well if it's sterile you will be right but you will need to re-prime with another starter, consider the yeast has depleted all it's food, unless it's dormant, but that's a bit of a long shot.
Drop some out and see if you can re-prime it after a week, if bottling's your thing.
if it's not re-priming, and still tastes good you might have to make a starter, or if it's going in a keg no worries.
i think it's too soon for autolysis, but 7 months who knows.
taste it and get back to us.

 

[mtb]

Yeah I'm with n87, tell him to have some toast ready

 

[wide eyed and legless]

I would be tipping it.

 

[Lethaldog]

If he's a VB drinker maybe he did it on purpose, probably still wouldn't taste as bad[emoji23]

 

[MitchD]

I'd say taste and see. I had a brew with an off flavour dms/underpitch that I racked to secondary march last year in the hope that the off flavours would clear over Canberra winter. Anyway it didn't so I left it until after summer, then may this year. Tried it again and the dms and other unwanted flavours remained, but nothing new. No oxidation, no Vegemite, lots of hop flavour and aroma remained (I used lots of home grown Chinook) I tipped it only because I couldn't stand the dms and needed the space.

 

[Grott]

Just tell him to smell it and taste it. If it's off tell him to bottle it in VB bottles as he won't know the difference.

 

[n87]

I'd say taste and see. I had a brew with an off flavour dms/underpitch that I racked to secondary march last year in the hope that the off flavours would clear over Canberra winter. Anyway it didn't so I left it until after summer, then may this year. Tried it again and the dms and other unwanted flavours remained, but nothing new. No oxidation, no Vegemite, lots of hop flavour and aroma remained (I used lots of home grown Chinook) I tipped it only because I couldn't stand the dms and needed the space.

See, you racked into secondary. you didnt leave it on the full yeast cake that whole time

 

[MitchD]

See, you racked into secondary. you didnt leave it on the full yeast cake that whole time

There was a lot of yeast in the bottom of the fv when I did tip it. Not a full yeast cake but more than I thought there would be.

 

[No.42-jsb]

Thanks, guys. Had a good laugh at some of the VB comments and have noted the others to pass on.

 

[No.42-jsb]

Well if it's sterile you will be right but you will need to re-prime with another starter, consider the yeast has depleted all it's food, unless it's dormant, but that's a bit of a long shot.
Drop some out and see if you can re-prime it after a week, if bottling's your thing.
if it's not re-priming, and still tastes good you might have to make a starter, or if it's going in a keg no worries.
i think it's too soon for autolysis, but 7 months who knows.
taste it and get back to us.

What would you recommend for a starter in this case?

 

[MHB]

Well if it's sterile you will be right but you will need to re-prime with another starter, consider the yeast has depleted all it's food, unless it's dormant, but that's a bit of a long shot.
Drop some out and see if you can re-prime it after a week, if bottling's your thing.
if it's not re-priming, and still tastes good you might have to make a starter, or if it's going in a keg no worries.
i think it's too soon for autolysis, but 7 months who knows.
taste it and get back to us.

Not even going to bother with most of the blather in your reply but after 7 months, odds of being "sterile" =0.
Would there be autolysis after 7 months - yes - guaranteed
Mark

Yes you can drink metho - it tastes like shit. someone pointed out that under Australian law tax evasion isn't/shouldn't be a capital offence so they no longer ad methanol nor other Toxic flavours.
M

 

[No.42-jsb]

Not even going to bother with most of the blather in your reply but after 7 months, odds of being "sterile" =0.
Would there be autolysis after 7 months - yes - guaranteed
Mark

Yes you can drink metho - it tastes like shit. someone pointed out that under Australian law tax evasion isn't/shouldn't be a capital offence so they no longer ad methanol nor other Toxic flavours.
M

So your opinion is to tip it? Not much he could do to save it?

 

[MHB]

Christ if it was a loaf of bread, no one would even ask the question. Just because its beer doesn't exempt it from the normal rules food safety or sanity.
Tip it the hell out and confiscate his equipment, you would be doing him a favour.
M

 

[Stouter]

confiscate his equipment
M

Get the homebrew task force onto this now before more atrocities happen.

 

[manticle]

Taste it so you understand why leaving beer on the primary yeast cake for 7 months in variable, uncontrolled conditions is a bad idea.

Then you'll probably want to tip it.

You can leave beer for months but not on loads of yeast, not without reducing the exposure to oxygen and not without controlling the temperature.

 

[mtb]

confiscate his equipment, you would be doing him a favour.

Or, maybe, just help the guy learn how to brew properly. No need to be an arse about it.

 

[Stouter]

Or, maybe, just help the guy learn how to brew properly. No need to be an arse about it.

I'm guessing that he has limited interest in any improvement. Having said that, I found myself in a similar situation through bad circumstance and it wasn't until life conditions changed favourably that I gave Brewing another more serious try.

 

[mtb]

I'm guessing that he has limited interest in any improvement. Having said that, I found myself in a similar situation through bad circumstance and it wasn't until life conditions changed favourably that I gave Brewing another more serious try.

We have no idea what sort of attitude this guy has to brewing - he could've had that batch in his garage for so long due to plenty of reasons - so to assume he's an idiot who doesn't deserve brewing gear is nothing short of arrogant. No.42-jsb has made an attempt to find some useful advice here, I guess I have an issue with him receiving the exact opposite.