Autolysis? I ain't skerred.

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llazy_llama

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Those of you who know me around this forum know that I just got home from a long deployment. What you may not have known was that I had three brews (an ordinary bitter, an APA, and EW's Apfelwein) sitting in primary when I left. I know, it wasn't my first choice, but life got in the way and I couldn't find the time to bottle 15 gallons of beer while trying to pack, outprocess, and start the divorce process.

Anywho, long story short, some of my brewing equipment was lost (she didn't know what it was, so she threw it out) when the wife moved out. By the time my replacement gear gets in and I can bottle these three batches, they'll have been in primary for a total of about 10 months. Maybe they'll be ruined by that much-feared autolysis boogeyman, or maybe they'll just be the best beers I've made to date. Either way, I'll post an update in a few weeks after I can bottle and prime them. Wish me luck!

:mug:
 
I'm admittedly a bit nervous, anytime you leave a beer to ferment for longer than you'd planned, that's the gut reaction. However, I've spoken to a few brewers who claim to have left beers in primary for ~12 months with no negative side effects (and more than a few positive ones!). Personally, I think 4 months in primary has been the longest I've ever left a beer on the cake, but this will be a fun learning experience. Worst case scenario, I'm out three batches that I had practically forgotten about anyway. Best case, I can shed some more light on autolysis, and it's effects on the homebrewer.
 
Can you keg them instead? I just wonder how well they will carb, that yeast may be sleepy after 10 months. Good luck and don't forget to follow up! I know with 15g of beer it may be hard to find the computer to get on the interwebs, but we want results!
 
Can you keg them instead? I just wonder how well they will carb, that yeast may be sleepy after 10 months. Good luck and don't forget to follow up! I know with 15g of beer it may be hard to find the computer to get on the interwebs, but we want results!

Or just mix in some dry yeast with your priming sugar. Make sure you blend it in well without oxidizing the wort. Speaking of oxidation, were the airlocks dry?
 
I don't have a setup for kegging just yet, so I'll be repitching some Nottingham before I bottle. As for the airlocks, yeah they were bone dry. Another reason to just use tinfoil instead. Luckily they were in a room that was relatively undisturbed, so other than pressure changes from the varying temperature, the CO2 layer should still be preserved. I hope.

Anyway, I'll follow up with more info as it comes.
 
Good luck. Praying to the beer gods for you.

Airlocks dry is a bad sign though... Curious were the airlocks clean or stained/moldy?
 
The first batch got bottled today. Due to a chain of events that could have come straight out of a sitcom, I wasn't able to get any dry yeast for the bottling. The good news is, it tasted great. No signs of autolysis or oxidation. Since my brewing notes were also lost when the ex moved out, I had a fourth brew I didn't mention in my first post because I had no idea what it was. I'm still not exactly sure, but it's definitely a Belgian style, I could smell the floral aroma the minute I opened the fermenter. It tasted great, I just hope it carbs!

Well, I'll know in a few weeks. Hopefully I'll be able to bottle one or two more batches tomorrow if I have more free time. More updates to follow.

:mug:
 
Update! I cracked open a bottle today from mystery batch #1. The taste was interesting, it certainly had that floral/citrus taste you'd expect from a Belgian. The beer was crystal clear; I use Irish Moss for every brew, but the fermentation length must have contributed somewhat as I've seen glasses of water with less clarity than this beer. The only real complaint I had was with the carbonation. The beer was undercarbed, with very little head and zero retention.

All in all, I wish I had pitched a packet of Notty on bottling day. Other than that, I have zero complaints about this beer.

Final Score:
Autolysis - 0.
10 month old beer - 1.
 
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