Read the brix and racked... *face palm* Why!?

My most retarded mistake ever! :rockin:

I brewed an American Wheat recipe from my LHBS fourteen days ago. I was checking the gravity two nights days ago just to see the progress and I accidentally read the brix units instead of sp. gravity scale on the hydrometer. I checked it twice and was even surprised to see it already sitting so low, and so fast, but not thinking and casually going along in a happy stupor like a mindless automaton, I racked (without sampling any too..) into a keg and force carbed thinking I was good to go. Idiot.

Of course, today when I went to lower the pressure down to a 5psi serving range and pour myself up a refreshing glass of beer, I was unaware of the terrible surprise of the sickly sweet (not in a good way) liquid I had just ingested. It was not good, not terrible, but not good at all. The most green beer I have ever tasted, obviously. Like a glass of dissolved malts. At first, I was at a loss as to what had happened until I did another gravity check after having let a sample decarb in the glass vile. My gravity reading was at 1.020. I thought, wtf!? At this point, it finally dawned on me what had happened. Yep.

Ok, after admitting my moronic mistake too all of you, is there any way at all to save this 5gal batch of beer? Any way at all?

yep, since it's in a keg. bleed the carb, and put it in the same place you fermented in. every day, bleed the co2 out till there's basically no more co2 bleeding happening, then carb and cool normally. had it happen, no problem fixing

lumpher said:

yep, since it's in a keg. bleed the carb, and put it in the same place you fermented in. every day, bleed the co2 out till there's basically no more co2 bleeding happening, then carb and cool normally. had it happen, no problem fixing

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Hey, thank you. So, my fermentation takes place in my spare bedroom closet where it is always roughly 62-68F. You mean, take the keg out of the kegarator, put it in the closet, and bleed release valve often until it's done fermenting out?

Wonder if there is a way I could just attach an airlock to my keg... hmmm. There are times when I need to leave the house for more than 18 hours at a time and I wouldn't want it to keep re-carbing itself. Think this process will cause any off flavors? Any further ideas?

alchemedes said:

Hey, thank you. So, my fermentation takes place in my spare bedroom closet where it is always roughly 62-68F. You mean, take the keg out of the kegarator, put it in the closet, and bleed release valve often until it's done fermenting out?

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yep. if you're out of the house for extended periods, when you get back do it again. the beer is done when it's done. been there, done it, fixed it

Awesome. Proceeding with this plan, right now.

Would rigging an airlock to the keg be a good idea so as I don't have to baby it? Or would you recommend just bleeding it every day at the same time?

Why not attach a gas in valve with a line that goes in to a cup of sanitizer? Kind of like a blow off.

That way it bleeds it self off naturally.

berebrando said:

Why not attach a gas in valve with a line that goes in to a cup of sanitizer? Kind of like a blow off.

That way it bleeds it self off naturally.

Click to expand...

i'd just bleed it when i remember. no worries, no thought, no special setups needed. people... don't overthink it, unless you already have the setup made

If the relief valve has a ring on it, you should be able to rotate it 90 degrees and keep the valve open. CO2 production will keep oxygen out.

why not get a spunding valve, set it to 10psi and carb that bish.

Or just let it build up pressure and release it whenever you feel like it. Corney Kegs are designed to hold max 135psi. Your relief valve should pop at anywhere from 40 -60 psi. If your beer is only going from 1.020 down to 1.009 to 1.012 it's not going to affect the beer. Then release you pressure before you put it back to chill. Will already be carbed so you can drink it when it cools.

RDWHAHB

Thanks for the advise. Looking at spunding valves, I think I want to build one for future use. However, the update on the this current brew is that it's been sitting out at room temperature and I just pull the safety valve whenever ever I walk by it like others suggested. Only a short 1-2 second hiss comes out anyway.

Also saw that they sell these fermentation locks these on tomsbrewshop.com which would be handy for fermenting in keg.

You brewed this beer 14 days ago and it is still sitting at 1.020 ? That might be a sign that the beer won't go any lower, unless your OG was ridiculously high to begin with (with a wheat, I doubt it).

I racked it too soon (and kegged it), that was why it was at 1.020. FYI, the dates on the posts are not accurate reflections of day to day activities. As per suggestion, I took it out of the kegarator and let it ferment out in the keg which I have never done before, hence the post. It got down to 1.008, so it's good to go now and tastes absolutely wonderful

Excellent!