4 Month Primary Fermentation... :(

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knesbeck

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So its been a very busy summer and unfortunately I have a Cream Ale from Northern Brewer that has been in primary since May. I haven't tasted it yet and I know its a horrible tragedy but my question is:

Should I rack to secondary and give it time to clean up from sitting on the yeast cake for so long, or just rack to keg and see how it turns out?

Thanks for any suggestions! (I've been a long time lurker and am going to try to start being more active!)
 
I just racked a brew I had sitting in primary since early June and the only reason I racked it is to put it on some fruit. I was in the same boat; too busy. I think it will be fine. You can rack it if you want and taste some along the way, but it should be plenty clear by now.
 
Ya it is plenty clear... I just wasn't sure if a secondary would get rid of any off-flavors I have created from it sitting on the yeast for so long. Or if I should just go to keg and not worry about any potential "off-flavors"!
 
first things first: If you haven't tasted it how could you possibly know there is anything wrong with it?
 
It is now accepted that yeast work longer than the 'week' thought earlier and many leave it in the primary at least a month for that reason. You gain nothing by going to secondary unless you disturb the yeast cake in a major way and need to resettle it again. But, hey, it will do that in the keg any way. :D
 
This thread's title made made laugh, only because I had made and consumed 2 batch of Northern Brewers's Cream Ale in a 4 month period. Granted I bought the ingredients from Brewmaster's Warehouse...
 
That is exactly what we are saying. Unless you are adding fruit, or some other strange technique, secondary is unnecessary unless planning on 6+ months of aging.
 
Definitely. Leave it alone. A secondary is nothing more than a bright tank and since your beer is already clear why would you risk infection and/or oxidation? Wait, keg or bottle. Those are you only choices :cross:
 
Whether or not the yeast have autolysed or not, putting your beer into a secondary at this point is useless. My experience leads me to believe that if the rest of your brewing methods are fairly sound, your beer is fine and is ready to carb up and drink.

The effects of yeast autolysis have been greatly exaggerated in years past. Good yeast, and proper fermentation process helps to keep them from ruining your beer within a couple of months' time
 
Draw a sample. Taste it. If it tastes good, bottle/keg it. If it tastes bad, bottle/keg it anyways, wait another month and taste it again.
 
sorry to reawaken an old thread, but do summer temperatures affect how long you leave a beer on the trub? I have a couple of belgian beers on their respective cakes and it occassionally gets >80 here in southern Maine in the summer. I do not have an AC so is this cool to leave the beers in the primary for a total of 2 months in summer conditions?
 
sorry to reawaken an old thread, but do summer temperatures affect how long you leave a beer on the trub? I have a couple of belgian beers on their respective cakes and it occassionally gets >80 here in southern Maine in the summer. I do not have an AC so is this cool to leave the beers in the primary for a total of 2 months in summer conditions?

it would probably be ok if it's already fermented but i would put the fermenter in a water bath with a wet towel over it. storing beer in hot conditions can't help the taste much.
 
Just make your own thread next time with your question. ;-)

I know some Belgians tend to ferment warm, but I don't know how warm. That seems to me to be a little too high, and at those temps I would start to worry about autolysis actually becoming a problem.
 
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