Home Brew Forums > Home Brewing Beer > General Techniques > Probably a Dumb Question About Autolysis




Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 02-12-2013, 05:46 PM   #1
Feedback Score: 0 reviews
Recipes 
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: West Des Moines, Iowa
Posts: 162
Liked 32 Times on 21 Posts
Likes Given: 3

Default Probably a Dumb Question About Autolysis

I transferred a Russian Imperial Stout to secondary Saturday. It had been in primary for a month. My intent is to bulk age for six months, dry hop and then bottle. I checked a few minutes ago and I had about an inch of light cream colored yeast at the bottom of the secondary. Is my RIP going to taste like rotten meat when I bottle in August or should I look at bottling at the end of February and bottle aging until Thanksgiving?


ScottG58 is offline
 
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Old 02-12-2013, 08:05 PM   #2
panem et circenses
Feedback Score: 0 reviews
 
Bensiff's Avatar
Recipes 
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: , Washington, the state
Posts: 3,546
Liked 142 Times on 130 Posts
Likes Given: 31

Default

If it were me I would give it around 3 months bulk aging then go to bottle. 6 months is longer than I'm comfortable with unless I'm brewing with bugs. I have nothing scientific for you on that...just where my comfort point would be.


Bensiff is offline
 
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Old 02-12-2013, 08:25 PM   #3
Feedback Score: 1 reviews
Recipes 
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Solway, MN
Posts: 4,016
Liked 252 Times on 233 Posts
Likes Given: 30

Default

If you had that much yeast in your secondary, I'd think you didn't leave it long enough in primary for the yeast to complete the ferment. Not much to do about that now.

Autolysis is a product of too much heat. When you have a few hundred gallons of beer in a conical fermenter, the yeast drop out just like they do in your bucket or carboy but there is so much more yeast and being in that conical, they are all jammed together. The yeast give off a little heat. No problem in your carboy but when you have 10 gallons of dormant yeast in the bottom of the big conical, they get too hot and the yeast die and begin to decompose. That's autolysis. You should have nothing to worry about.
RM-MN is online now
 
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Old 02-12-2013, 09:01 PM   #4
Feedback Score: 0 reviews
Recipes 
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: West Des Moines, Iowa
Posts: 162
Liked 32 Times on 21 Posts
Likes Given: 3

Default

I was surprised to see the yeast. I left in primary a month. SG was 1.100. FG was 1.028 with two readings 7 days apart. This was White Labs Chico, so I thought it was very likely the yeast had reached its capacity.

I like the idea of bottling after three months. Thanks for the responses.
ScottG58 is offline
 
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Old 02-12-2013, 11:22 PM   #5
Aurora CO Homebrewer
Feedback Score: 0 reviews
 
Cyclman's Avatar
Recipes 
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Aurora, CO
Posts: 1,395
Liked 75 Times on 68 Posts
Likes Given: 72

Default

Or rack it again...
Cyclman is offline
 
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Old 02-14-2013, 08:17 PM   #6
Vinz Clortho - the Keymaster of Gozer the Gozerian
Feedback Score: 0 reviews
 
TopherM's Avatar
Recipes 
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: St. Petersburg, FL
Posts: 3,300
Liked 278 Times on 224 Posts
Likes Given: 17

Default

You won't get autolysis from long term aging on the yeast cake, per se, but you will get some stale flavors.

Anything I planned on aging more then two months or so would definitely go to secondary after about 3-4 weeks in primary.


__________________
Primary #1 - Summer Hopped Hefeweizen
Primary #2 - EMPTY!
Primary #3 - EMPTY!
Secondary #1 - Downtown Flanders Brown (Due June 2013)
Secondary #2 - Pinot Noir Wine (Due December 2013)
Keg #1 - Bavarian Pilsner Ale
Keg #2 - Hard Cider (Spring SeaCider)
Keg #3 - Centennial Blonde
Bottled - NONE!
TopherM is offline
 
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Reply

Quick Reply
Message:
Options
Thread Tools
Display Modes


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Dumb Dumb hotels, removed the bottle openers passedpawn General Chit Chat 36 02-16-2013 01:31 PM
dumb question jmartyg Extract Brewing 12 12-26-2008 02:28 AM
I am dumb and have a dumb question TurboBrew Bottling/Kegging 18 08-29-2008 05:08 PM
Dumb Question McKBrew General Chit Chat 3 10-07-2007 09:07 PM
Question for those who worry about yeast cakes - Autolysis sonvolt General Techniques 4 01-06-2007 09:26 AM



FOLLOW US ON