Shelf Life Of No-chill Wort?

[InCider]

Hey Team,

Time for me to post a beer related topic... I know, I should relax and wait until the feeling subsides...

I have had a no-chill cube sitting in the house for at least 6 months.. maybe more. Just dropped it into the fermenter a few minutes ago.

It smelt great, but while I was aerating it (tipping into a funnel and second cube for fermenting) it blew chunks! The chunks may have been floating, and sure look like they have.

They were rubbery, dark one side and light the other, and smelt like hops. Really hoppy feckers.

Insert shite camera phone pics:





Important points:

* The cube never showed any signs of leakage
* There was no smell coming form the cube in storage
* I have no idea what Sav and I brewed that day, but Singlet APE comes to mind...
* The wort smells as it should
* The gunk smells awesome but looks like someone else's phlegm.


So, could this be a result of excess trub in the cube? I've got no idea. I've pitch an ale yeast and hoping it gives it a workout.

Your thoughts?

 

[Bribie G]

Maybe bits of cured break that have clumped and matured like fine cheeses? I've kept cubes for 4 months but no longer.

 

[bradsbrew]

I vote excess trub thats settled over the last probably more than 6 months.

Nice to see you making beer mate.

Brad

 

[InCider]

I should have had a taste, but ... *shakes fist* damned hindsight!

Thanks Brad and BBG

 

[Westoz]

MMM Hop cheese :icon_drool2:

 

[MVZOOM]

Fear not, if the cube hasn't exploded and the wort smelled sweet and good, it'll just be caked up residue. Ferment and be happy.

 

[t2000kw]

You could sell the gunk as fake phlegm.

If it didn't smell strange, I would just ferment it and see how it turns out. You should have tasted it if you haven't, and if it's in a fermenter now, you can still take a small sample, remembering that the yeast may affect the flavor while it's fermenting.

What you essentially did was can (or preserve) some full strength wort. If the seal was good and the sanitation good enough, you probably have a winner.

 

[Beerbuoy]

+1 if it smells OK go for it. If it was infected it would have blown up by now sending fake phlegm everywhere. Then you'd know you had a probelm

 

[floppinab]

Cue crozdog...............

Tried his Schwarz that was ............. I think 16 odd months in the cube prior to ferment, a couple of weekends ago. Flavours had definately developed in that time, not the same as an aged fermented beer but development nonetheless. Very drinkable.

I don't believe his blew chunks though

 

[Pete2501]

Beer curd anyone? Hell yeah!

 

[Polar Beer]

doesn't sound (or smell) serious. I had an infected cube once. Trust me, you'd know all about it if you had an issue.

You've already done the hard work. Nothing lost by throwing a yeast on it now.

 

[InCider]

Just checked it in the fermenter, all smells fine. Will keg it early next week and cross fingers!