Super fast fermentation start

Just to see how fast I could start a fermentation I did the following experiment:

Made two batches of brown with a super simple extract recipe. The first one sat in the carboy for a week then I transferred it to secondary. For the second I cooled it to about 120F then poured that along with 40F water into the fermentor on top of the existing yeast cake; resulting temperature was around 68F. Oxygenated it for about 5 minutes with a stone and O2 tank.

Within 2 hours there was activity and within 4 hours it was going about as hard as any beer I've made before.

I figure I'll give this one two weeks or so, combine the two batches and bottle 10 gallons all at once.

i'll be interested to see how the second batch tastes compared with the first, i think you should keep them separate. you've got a perfect experiment going here, one batch you fermented normal (i think) and the second you overpitched and possibly overoxygenated (especially since i don't think oxygen is as important when you reuse a cake - no reproductive phase needed). i'd be really curious to see if you notice substantial differences between the two fermentations.

Way to much oxygen. Oxidization is what causes beer to taste catty or skunky.

android said:

i think you should keep them separate.

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Good point, I'll keep at least some of each batch separate to see how they differ.

marcmittelsteadt said:

Oxidization is what causes beer to taste catty or skunky.

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Do you have any citations to back that up? I was under the impression that "catty" was merely a flavor compound endemic to some high-alpha hop varieties, short-wavelength light striking isomerized humulones caused skunkiness, and oxidation causes "cardboard" and "sherry" notes, but I'm ready to learn.:cross:

Edit

I meant odor not taste.

Class 8 - Oxidized, Stale, Musty
0800 Stale OTM Old beer, overaged, overpasteurized.
0810 Catty OT Blackcurrant leaves, ribes, tomato plants, oxidized beer.
0820 Papery OT An initial stage of staling, bready (stale bread crumb), cardboard, old beer, oxidized.
0830 Leathery OT A later stage of staling, then often used in conjunction with 0211 Woody.
0840 Moldy OT Cellar-like, leaf-mold, woodsy.
0841 Earthy OT Actinomycetes, damp soil, freshly dug soil, diatomaceous earth.
0842 Musty OT Fusty.

Lighter ales with less specialty malts tend to turn out catty if oxidized; more so than a porter or stout.