Do i toss this batch?

HillbillyDeluxe · 04-06-2009, 03:57 AM

Hey all, i think i really screwed up. I made a batch with my own recipe that was originally planned for ten gallon but i forgot to cut two of the ingredints in half. I was shooting for about a 1.060 OG and (please no hydrometer chastizing) i did not take a reading. It is still bubbling away after 10 days. My first thought was bug, but i thought i'd take a test sip. Turns out it's more like mead than beer, no cider or vinegar taste though. It hit me that i may have an ingredient foul up so i ran the ingredients through my program again and i think my OG was more like 1.095. Ist fermenting on day 10 now so to late to cut. Can i salvage this? Here is the recipe.

1lb of bavarian pilsen steeped 30 min @ 160
3.3lb of hopped light malt extract
3lb of amber DME
4lb of honey
1oz liberty's boiled 30 min
irish moss 15 min
Notingham dry hydrated 2 hours then pitched

I make the OG should have been somewhere over 1.09, maybe even 1.1. What can i do to tone the alcohol down and make this drinkable and prevent bottle bombs?

**Nurmey** · 04-06-2009, 04:17 AM

It looks like you are brewing a "almost" braggot. To be a braggot, over half the ingredients need to be honey but that is a lot of honey.

Time will be your friend on this monster. Let that baby bulk age for a couple months to mellow. There is no way you can rush this to bottle.

Sucram · 04-06-2009, 04:23 AM

Unless it tastes horrible to you, don't ditch it. Messing up is one of the joys of homebrewing. As for the bottle bomb thing: let the fermentation finish and maybe even pitch a small starter of a drier yeast (for this purpose, you really want to pitch active yeast). If you don't want to do that, just make sure and use less priming sugar.

HillbillyDeluxe · 04-06-2009, 07:27 AM

I'm gonna start kegging in may so i thought about cold crashing then getting a corney and leting it naturally carb with whats leftof the honey. If the card doesnt take good i can alwatys force carb next month, and at this ABV (about 9%) the extra 2 months conditioning will be good for her. (will definately be kegging next month, B-bay present). thoughts?

**Homercidal** · 04-06-2009, 05:27 PM

Dang, that's a lot of honey! Don't dump it!

The problem with honey is that it can take a long time to ferment completely, so it might be risky to bottle until you are sure it's finished. At least that is my understanding.

**david_42** · 04-06-2009, 06:39 PM

Kegging it is a great idea. Then stick it in a cool place until this Fall.

**Liquidicem** · 04-06-2009, 07:15 PM

Why would you want to dump it? It's going to be stronger than planned and not exactly what you had planned, but there is no reason it won't be good. Give it some time to finish and plenty of time to age.

HillbillyDeluxe · 04-06-2009, 08:36 PM

Thanks guys, I think i'll get a corney and take a FG reading in about 2 more weeks. That gives it almost a month (i'll rack probably tomorrow) counting secondary. Then keg it without force carbing and give it 2 months to set at about 60~70f. Then force carb it with the keggin system. That sound good? Thoughts?

**Revvy** · 04-06-2009, 08:42 PM

This is nearly always my answer to a do I dump it thread...

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/never-dump-your-beer-patience-virtue-time-heals-all-things-even-beer-73254/

Patience, Patience, Patience!!!

**BierMuncher** · 04-06-2009, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HillbillyDeluxe

Thanks guys, I think i'll get a corney and take a FG reading in about 2 more weeks. That gives it almost a month (i'll rack probably tomorrow) counting secondary. Then keg it without force carbing and give it 2 months to set at about 60~70f. Then force carb it with the keggin system. That sound good? Thoughts?

Keep it at 67-70 degrees for the first 5-6 weeks. You want that mix to finish fermenting and doing so in a sealed keg will also allow some natural carbonation to start. Anything below 67 at this stage and you'll probably retard the fermentation process.