Is This Too Long In The Fermenter?!

[robster]

Hi all! It's still bubbling, but slowly to be true... but well, how long is too long?! It's got a LOT of sugar and I think it's a ripper in the making, but I'm getting worried about how long she's been fermenting now...

(17 days in fermenter so far)


Here's the notes I've taken so far:
======================


Home Brew Beer
2007 Brew 04 - Muntons Connoissers Range Export Stout

MIXING and FERMENTING

Added to fermenting barrel on 03 Feb 2007

-Town water used straight from the tap
-Brewing Sugars @ 500gm Brewcraft Dark Unhopped Spraymalt.
-Brewing Sugars @ 1.5Kg Brewcraft Milk Stout Improver (Dextrose, Dry Malt Poweder, Lactose).
-Added all ingredients and boiling water into the fermenter then topped up with water as standard to only 20 litres
-Added 15-20ml of Licorice extract at end, stirred in and closed fermenter.
-Water temp was about 34 + Degrees when first adding everything to the fermenter so left sit for a couple hours and dropped to about 30-32 before adding yeast.
-Yeast not used from can, rather purchased an extra Muntons premium export yeast and used instead.
-Has sat at an AVG of 29 degrees throughout fermentation period. Don't think it ever got above 30, maybe on occasion it went down to 27.




Any advice REALLY appreciated

Rob

 

[braufrau]

Hi all! It's still bubbling, but slowly to be true... but well, how long is too long?! It's got a LOT of sugar and I think it's a ripper in the making, but I'm getting worried about how long she's been fermenting now...

(17 days in fermenter so far)

Hi Rob,

17 days is not too long (but 30deg. is too hot!).
You're fermentation is more than likely finished. Measure the SG today and tomorrow and see
if its the same. It should be down around 1.010. If the SG is low and stable then bottle.
The bubbles you are seeing are probably CO2 escaping as the temperature changes.

-braufrau

 

[andrewg]

Hey Rob
I suspect that under the conditions you describe fermentation should be well & truely complete! If you are worried, take gravity readings over a couple of days to confirm this . Residual bubbling post fermentation is probably just slow release of CO2 which has supersaturated the beer during fermentation.

Anyway the other piece of advice is to get your fermentation temps way down - the Muntons premium yeast will ferment nicely at 18-20oC and give a much cleaner tasting beer. High fermentation temps will give weird flavours and a good hangover beer due to the fusel alcohols, esters, etc that result from the rapid ferment.

IMHO appropriate fermentation temps and good sanitation are the two most important things that anyone can do to improve the quality and taste of the beers they brew.
cheers
HStB

 

[geoffi]

If you can control your temperatures, 17 days is fine. But at the temps mentioned I'd be very worried about infections taking hold. (And the beer would probably taste pretty bloody awful too!)

Keep your ales at around 20c, and the beer gods will smile.

 

[robster]

thanks everyone, so do i bottle it and hope for the best if the SG readings are the same?


would hate to throw out such a premium mix....

 

[razz]

Yep

 

[pint of lager]

What everyone else has said.

Sanitation and temperature control are fundamental to good brews.

Sanitation is every surface that comes into contact with your beer is cleaned, rinsed and a good no rinse sanitiser applied.

Temerature control. Most new brewers are misled by the instructions on the tin, where it appears that higher temperatures are ok.

Ales (such as your stout) 18-20 is ideal. Don't go below 16 with most ale yeasts. Anything above 22 is not a good temperature. Your brew will stop below 16 (it will restart when you warm it up again.) Above 20-22, as previous posters have said, the brew works quicker, but produces extra unwanted fusels, they will taste fruity, smell like nail polish and not be clean.

Lagers, if using a proper lager yeast, 8-12 deg. Most tins, even though they say lager, actually use ale yeasts. So before launching into a lager, make sure you know what yeast you have.

Read plenty of back posts. Dig up the 100 can cooler thread. There are also plenty of ideas around using insulated boxes and swapping frozen water bottles in and out twice a day to get your ferment temp down. Have some takeaway contianers of ice in the freezer, they can be used as big iceblocks to get your pitching temperature down.

After sorting out temperature and sanitation a big dose of patience and good ingredients are the next fundamentals in brewing. You already have the patience, plus using good ingredients. Your 5th brew will be even better.

 

[Mr Bond]

Above 20-22, as previous posters have said, the brew works quicker, but produces extra unwanted fusels, they will taste fruity, smell like nail polish and not be clean.

And will give you a headache quick smart.At 30c I'm tipping you will have some nice black paint stripper.

 

[robster]

damn, that's not looking good, I'll try my best though, but perhaps I should really only brew in winter and drink all summer But this year, it's my first year of production.

I just did a SG reading and it's at 1022. Seems high, but mine always have so far....

Fingers crossed, will tell you all where we're at tomorrow when I re-read the SG.

Thanks again...

Rob

 

[pint of lager]

perhaps I should really only brew in winter and drink all summer
But this year, it's my first year of production.

That is what I do. Mostly lagers with a few ales.

Usually, a stable sg reading over 2-3 days means it is right to bottle. However, with a bigger beer and extra ingredients, aim for a stable reading over 3-5 days.

After 17 days at 28+ degrees, I suspect yours is well and truely finished.

 

[Ross]

Rob,

With those ingredients I'd suspect it's well finished at 1022. As others have said 30c is way to warm, it may be drinkable (hopefully), but it's likely to give you some fearsome headaches, so drink with caution.
We'll keep our fingers crossed for you

cheers Ross

 

[braufrau]

Hi Rob,

its not too hard to keep your beer cool.

Here are some pickies of my current brew.
This is a box from bunnings. It says nylex on the side so I'm guessing it
had hoses in it. Its wrapped in an old wool blanket.

And here's the inside. You can see the 2l bottle keeping the fermenter cool.
I have a few in the freezer and swap a frozen one in every 12 hours.

In the winter, unless you're making lagers, you'll have the reverse problem!
And, IMO, its harder to keep a steady warm T than a cool one, unless you have
a thermostat!

-braufrau

 

[robster]

Thanks all, I'll do the box thing, just got a big box the other day and guess what, it was lined with styro!!! perfect

OK, another day passed and it's the same SG reading. I'll be bottling it this afternoon, but I'd like to ask, am I wasting my time, or should I just chuck it out and lose the $40+ worth of ingredients?

I don't want headaches is for sure, and I want a nice tasting beer.... Maybe a quick concensus on what I should do (throw it or go it!) ?

This last bit of advice REALLY appreciated


Rob

 

[Batz]

Simple Rob,have a taste first

Batz

 

[robster]

straight out of the fermenter? Is that safe? Don't laugh, I'm really still a learner

If you do mean out of the fermenter, what am I testing for, the final taste (will it be similar to when bottled)... What else should I be tasting for?

Thanks so much!

Rob

 

[winkle]

straight out of the fermenter? Is that safe? Don't laugh, I'm really still a learner

If you do mean out of the fermenter, what am I testing for, the final taste (will it be similar to when bottled)... What else should I be tasting for?

Thanks so much!

Rob

If you were kegging that is what you'd be drinking in a day or so. The priming sugar will strip a bit of the body out as it adds ~0.5 ABV during 2 weeks of bottle conditioning. If it tastes ok it should be ok(ish)

 

[braufrau]

straight out of the fermenter? Is that safe? Don't laugh, I'm really still a learner

If you do mean out of the fermenter, what am I testing for, the final taste (will it be similar to when bottled)... What else should I be tasting for?

Thanks so much!

Rob

I always have a sip out of the hydrometer.
Should taste pretty much like beer. A bit sweet because its
not carbonated. It will improve in the bottle.
This page has a bunch
of common off tastes.

Anyway, if it tastes like beer and not paint stripper then bottle it.
It'll be fine!

-braufrau

 

[RobboMC]

I always drink my hydrometer samples.
If the sample is anywhere near drinkable then the final product probably will be Ok.

One memorable bottling day my 8 year old boys helped a lot and they were catching the drips in their hands and licking up the brew, and loving it. It was a particularly nice drop of Dark Ale though, with lots of residual sweetness.

As braufrau says, if you can manage to swallow the sample without throwing up, then chuck it in some bottles and drink it after mowing the lawn or something

 

[robster]

mmmmm, at first it tasted... ok, not bad at all, a touch bitter... Then within a few more sips, it got a bit... Paint Stripper

I can imagine headaches and the aftertaste was bitter and lasted a long while, even after a drink of water...

No go I suspect

I might bottle a few though and just see, for the sake of science

Thanks so much everyone, I really appreciate so much great advice!

Rob