How Long Will Brew Last?

[hazard]

Hi, I brewed an English bitter (partial mash) 3 weeks ago, its been in a secondary fermenter for the last 2 weeks, I was planning to bottle on Sat morning before I head off to the the beach for a week's holiday. Now with the hot weather in Melbourne - 39 deg yesterday, and 32 deg at midnight! the fermentor has started to bubble again. Temp guage shows 24 degrees. SG is now at 1014, I was expecting 1016 so shouldn't have much more to go. Yeast is Wyeast 1968.

Will it be OK to leave this in the fermentor for another week till I get back from the beach?

 

[MarkEinOz]

Hi, I brewed an English bitter (partial mash) 3 weeks ago, its been in a secondary fermenter for the last 2 weeks, I was planning to bottle on Sat morning before I head off to the the beach for a week's holiday. Now with the hot weather in Melbourne - 39 deg yesterday, and 32 deg at midnight! the fermentor has started to bubble again. Temp guage shows 24 degrees. SG is now at 1014, I was expecting 1016 so shouldn't have much more to go. Yeast is Wyeast 1968.

Will it be OK to leave this in the fermentor for another week till I get back from the beach?

Hazard,

The bubbling most likely was not any further fermentation, but dissolved CO2 coming out of solution(beer), (eg why warm beer goes flat really quickly).

Look its not ideal to keep it another week, but it wont stuff it, thats for sure. It may oxidise a smidge with these higher temps but if you bottle asap on return, you should be ok.

 

[Nickwrighty]

In my opinion, i would rack off to a cube, then it should be fine.
I presume you do not have temp controlled fridge, so althoh not ideal it prob woulden't harm.
When you get back, bottle straight away.
Or put the holiday off?

 

[buttersd70]

agree 100% with mark as to why it is bubbling again.

Personally, I would bottle it before you left, as you said. Second option would be to rack to a cube and refridgerate, as nick said.

 

[boingk]

If you can't bottle it before you leave then I'd just take it easy and bottle upon return. If its in secondary and off the yeast cake then thats the main thing anyway. I think the longest I've had something down for was around the 3 week mark and it wasn't destroyed by it, so I wouldn't worry. As above, if you've got a fridge for it then that'd be the way to go.

Cheers - boingk

 

[matt white]

She'll be right mate, bottle it now, or if you cant, when you get back.

Dont let beer rule your life (although I do), it aint the end of the world if it tastes 5% different than it should.

Disclaimer: 5% I pulled out of my arse, it may make all the difference!