can you re-ferment?

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missing link

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I have some beer that had 1 week or more in primary, 2 weeks or more in secondary and a few weeks in the keg before being force carbonated in the kegerator. My latest 2 seem so sweet that they almost taste as if they still need to ferment more. Is it possible to siphon out of the keg, back into a carboy and add dry yeast yeast once it's back to room temp?

It seems odd that I'd get 2 with stuck or incomplete fermentations. I wish I had OG and FG readings to give but I was lazy on these.

By the way, these are both Midwest all grain kits. One is a California Common and the other is a mild ale.

Any input is most appreciated.
 
You COULD do that....but do it very gently to prevent oxidation, and be scrupulous about sanitation. You're less at risk for infection because there's some alcohol and hop acids/oils in there. Be prepared to have a bad product, just because of the manhandling. If it's good, then it'll be a bonus. I've had this happen, the problem was that it got too cold, AND I was doing a huge beer that needed more time. For next time, here's some suggestions:

A word about fermentation: Pitch enough healthy yeast, ferment at 65-70 (usually) for ales, and ferment for a long enough time, and you'll have no problem.
Try leaving your beer in the primary for longer than you have, like 2-3 weeks. Your beer will improve, and you can be SURE it's done. You WON'T get off flavors, your beer will just have more yeast available to condition it. If you keg, then that's actually your secondary. The only time you should need a secondary is for big stuff, like Barleywines, Meads, IIPA's, etc. Also, since you're doing all grain, try mashing cooler, like 152. That'll put a lot more fermentable sugars into the mix, and your beer should go all the way to 1.010.
 
Thanks.

THese were extract kits, I just did my second PM last night and haven't gotten to teste the first yet.

I have been letting the beers sit in primary much longer and I have started doing gravity readings at each step and recording them on a tag that slips over the air lock.

So you think the dry yeast might take off again if I dump some in the keg? Is there any oxygen there for the yeast if it has already been carbonated?
 
First you said...
missing link said:
By the way, these are both Midwest all grain kits.

but then you said...

missing link said:
Thanks.

THese were extract kits..

Which is it? Without taking a gravity reading, it's really hard to tell if the ferment could have gone longer. You might be able to get it to start another little ferment if you warm the keg up to 70F for a couple weeks but probably not. Maybe it wasn't really a stuck sparge. You might have underhopped or missunderstood the hopping schedule. How much wort did you boil?
 
Since they are kits, there should be a target FG. If it is too high, since it's in a keg, de-pressurize and pitch some dry yeast into the keg. I've done this on high gravity ales to dry them out when I didn't want to tie up a fermenter too long.

[Yah, the yeast ends up on the bottom of the keg. BFD]
 
Bobby beat me to it...are these extract kits or all grain kits?
are you mixing AG up with extract & steeping grains?
 
Typo. These are most definetly extract kits.

I've pulled one from the fridge and let it warm up to room temp for a few days. I'm going to dump some yeast in now to see what happens. With no air lock will it continue to carbonate?
 
orfy said:
Doy you have an hydrometer?

Yes.

I just checked a Celis white that is in Primary, it is down to 1.008 so I am going to rack it to secondary now.

If I remember right the Mild ale never really had active fermentation in the airlock, I thought maybe my lid was leaking.
 
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