Dr_Gordon_Freeman
Well-Known Member
I know there probably isn't much I can do about this but here is my dilemma:
This is the first beer I've fermented at below 60deg and my first batch with US-05. It's a dead guy ale clone.
I followed the recipe and fermented at 60deg and all was well. I noticed after about a month there was no action on the airlock and I checked the grav and it was at 1.014 which is exactly where the recipe said I should be, so I bottled. NOTE: when I was steeping the grains I thought I'd use some powdered alpha enzyme to increase conversion, not sure if that matters but it's the first time I've used the powder. I used 3/4 C. table sugar to prime. It has been bottle conditioning at around 60deg also.
Now as per my ritual I cracked one open after about a week just to check on it, and it was WELL carbonated (only was in the fridge for a few hours though, not overnight). This MAY have been because it wasn't in the fridge long enough to dissolve the CO2 in the liquid, but it was definitely cold when I opened it. The problem was that it was TOO SWEET! Priming sugar alone isn't enough to affect sweetness greatly, am I right?
I am thinking I screwed up somehow and I am just trying to figure out how to salvage the situation IF I start to get bottle bombs.
Am I paranoid? Should I start testing them? Should I pour back into the fermenter and let it go longer?
This is my 8th batch or so and I've never had a problem... I'm hoping I don't pop my bottle bomb cherry on this one.
CLIFFS:
-first time using enzyme during steeping
-first time with S-05
-first time fermenting/bottle conditioning at below 70deg
-sample at bottling seemed OK, maybe a little sweet.
-sample after 1wk in bottle was very carbed and still seemed quite sweet!
-worried about bombs
This is the first beer I've fermented at below 60deg and my first batch with US-05. It's a dead guy ale clone.
I followed the recipe and fermented at 60deg and all was well. I noticed after about a month there was no action on the airlock and I checked the grav and it was at 1.014 which is exactly where the recipe said I should be, so I bottled. NOTE: when I was steeping the grains I thought I'd use some powdered alpha enzyme to increase conversion, not sure if that matters but it's the first time I've used the powder. I used 3/4 C. table sugar to prime. It has been bottle conditioning at around 60deg also.
Now as per my ritual I cracked one open after about a week just to check on it, and it was WELL carbonated (only was in the fridge for a few hours though, not overnight). This MAY have been because it wasn't in the fridge long enough to dissolve the CO2 in the liquid, but it was definitely cold when I opened it. The problem was that it was TOO SWEET! Priming sugar alone isn't enough to affect sweetness greatly, am I right?
I am thinking I screwed up somehow and I am just trying to figure out how to salvage the situation IF I start to get bottle bombs.
Am I paranoid? Should I start testing them? Should I pour back into the fermenter and let it go longer?
This is my 8th batch or so and I've never had a problem... I'm hoping I don't pop my bottle bomb cherry on this one.
CLIFFS:
-first time using enzyme during steeping
-first time with S-05
-first time fermenting/bottle conditioning at below 70deg
-sample at bottling seemed OK, maybe a little sweet.
-sample after 1wk in bottle was very carbed and still seemed quite sweet!
-worried about bombs