Wheat & Lme.

[Daawl]

G'day

Friday week ago (18/01/08) I put down a Morgans Golden Sheaf Wheat with a 1kg can of the Master Blend Wheat Malt using kit yeast. I have been as vigilant as I can be and have kept the temp at a constant 20deg (thats in a purpose built temp control box with frozen water bottles changing night & day). Was planning to bottle on Thursday or Friday night.

I have only just found out/relised that this requires a longer ferment time. :huh: Just took a reading & it is 1020. This is looking like it is going to be a decent beer.

PROBLEM. We go on Holidays to Perth and north for near a month on Saturday 02/02/08. thats right in 5 days. B)

I suspect/know i can't leave it in the fermenter that long especially as there will be no temp control (it gets hot here in the bush).

I am looking for ANY suggestions/solutions as I really don't want to lose/waste this beer.

Ps. just got a fridge mate and an old fridge and was planning on putting down a larger at about 10deg while gone so it is ready for bottle when we get back.

 

[Tyred]

What was the OG of the brew? At 1020 a fair bit of the fermentation will be complete. Unsure how much will be left.

Possibly let the temperature get up to 22 degrees after giving the brew a swirl while in the fermenter. The slightly higher temperature will help fermentation and the swirl will help lifting the yeast back into suspension. This may finish it off a little faster.

Another option is to do nothing and underprime if the final gravity is still high. That way it can complete fermentation in the bottle. This, of course, is lot more risky.

 

[Daawl]

Tyred the OG was 1050.

Don't really want to go down the possible bomb option if possible.

As with the temp & swirl i will give it a shot. Will have to re-calc the bottle swaping routine to get that balance cause i really don't want it going higher than 22. Will have to see what happens.

Edit: Serves me right for not planning propley. Also 1st time using LME so unsure of differances.

 

[Stuster]

Tyred's ideas are good. It does sound like it's not done, which it really should be after ten days. Any idea what the kit yeast was? Another possibility is to rack the beer into a second fermenter. It'll be fine to leave it in secondary for a month while you away and no more damaging in the heat than being in the bottle. Just make sure you rack using some tubing to the bottom of the secondary fermenter to avoid any oxygenation (damaging to your beer at this stage).

 

[Daawl]

Thanks for the help Stuster & Tyred

I will probably rack into my second fermenter that i keep for bulk priming.

Just a thought, would it be of any advantage/dis to get a cube rack into that and slot in next to the larger while gone??? (it should fit <_< )

Thanks

Daawl

 

[Stuster]

Just a thought, would it be of any advantage/dis to get a cube rack into that and slot in next to the larger while gone??? (it should fit <_< )

It really depends on how much the beer comes down in the next few days. If it's come down a few more points, I'd put it in a cube and stick it next to the lager. If it's still at 1020, I'd rack it to a cube and leave it to ferment a bit more. Either way, a cube will be good as there should be less headspace. Just make sure you put an airlock on it (you can drill the lid) as it'll probably still ferment a bit more and you don't want to come back to a sticky mess.

 

[captian black beer]

The beer is probably finished, however to avoid bottle bombs I would rack it like Stuster suggested and bottle when your home, just remember to keep it cool (ie not in the Shed on a 40 deg day).

 

[Daawl]

Cheers Guys

Maybe I can convince SWMBO that as she is not going to need the laundery for a month I can put it there and not in the well above 40 shed if it hasn't finished or can't fit in with the lager.

Now all I need to is sneak out the back and go and buy a cube. I mean we need milk h34r: