Leaving beer in primary

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xxHelderxx

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Hi everyone, I'm on my 2nd AG batch of beer and I ran into some issues.

Background:

Brewing an Arrogant Bastard clone- Target OG 1.084, Actual OG 1.074

I brew at a friends house and stayed there overnight. My fermentation started WAY too hot, at about 80 degrees in the morning when I checked on it (about 8 hours after pitching) It was going nuts, I had to transport it from where I brewed to my apt, which agitated the fermentation and got it going nuts. When I got it to my apt, I cooled it down to about 72 degrees and acitivity in the airlock slowly subsided. After about 2 days, I was seeing no activity at all, and no foam krausen on top of the beer. I took a hydrometer reading and it appeared as though I still had some sugar left, so I added some yeast re-energizer and gave it a good stir to try and get the yeast back into suspension.

2 days later and the beer is producing what smells like a very alcoholic scent. Before adding re-energizer, the smell was distinctly hoppy. There are some bubbles on top so I think there MAY be some activity, I want to give it a few days before I take my 2nd hydrometer reading.

Ok so here's my question- I've heard/read varying things in regards to leaving beer sit on a yeast cake when its done fermenting. I'm thinking of leaving it on there for a week or so because I've heard that it can clean out some of the unwanted byproducts of fermentation. However, I've also heard that you risk off flavors resulting from autolysis.

How do I know where I stand?

Thanks for any help guys!
 
Right, I saw a quote on a thread in here somewhere that leaving your beer on the yeast can help clear up some off flavors and improve clarity. Any idea where this alcohol scent might be coming from? Probably because of a rapid fermentation right? I know you risk other types of alcohol being produced. Are these the types of things that would be cleared up by leaving the beer in primary?
 
Dont worry about autolysis there's mulitple threads on it and at the homebrew level it isn't something to loose sleep over.

With such a high OG I would let it sit in primary for 2-3 weeks. Keep your temps around 68 as much as you can. With such a high OG time is going to be your friend.
 
autolysis is pretty much the boogeyman of brewing- people barely see it. Leave it on the cake for a while (a month total)- its a big beer and the yeast need time to clean up. Fermentation that hot will produce alot of fussel alcohols which will need time to mellow. Most of my primarys which are higher gravity sit for a month in primary and the flavors are much better. If you leave it for a month you will have a much clearer beer at bottling time!
 
Man I love me some Arrogant Bastard Ale...Haven't done a clone of it yet.

Have you considered splitting the batch after fermentation and oaking half of it in secondary? I love AB...but I would MARRY Oaked AB, if it had bewbies!
 
Have you considered splitting the batch after fermentation and oaking half of it in secondary? I love AB...but I would MARRY Oaked AB, if it had bewbies!

+1 BILLION!!!!! I have had the oaked bastard right from Stone on tap and it is INCREDIBLE. And it'll **** you up quick ;)
 
You should search for "taco mac"...its a chain of casual dining stores around the atlanta area, 23 of them to be exact. each store has around 100 on draught and 200+ different brews in a bottle...so I am another lucky one to have had Stone Oaked AG on draught :) I have had every stone on draught except that new black IIPA, the subliminal something or another. I did have that in bottle, however.

We also have a place downtown called the Brickstore...they specialize in Belgian/Imports. Haven't counted exactly how many brews they have, but im sure it is in the hundreds. You can check them out online as well.

So if anyone is ever in Atlanta, those are 2 places I would say that you have to hit up if you truely enjoy good brew. The first place I listed is actually what got me into good beer. I moved here a year ago, and went to a TM. As soon as I walked in, saw the massive glass coolers, I felt like a kid in a candy store. Ever since, I won't go near a Miller Lite unless I have no choice...
 
I really really really love me some oaked AB. Also had it on tap at a local joint nearby that has 140 taps or something nuts. On tap is really the only way I'll drink it, ~$17 for a 6 pack?? Are you F'ing kididng me??

But yea depending on how well this one turns out I'm considering doing it again and oaking some. God knows its cheaper to drink it that way!

The clone recipe I got was from this site. Real simple, chinhook galore. I think I'm going to dry hop mine too for some extra hop aroma.
 
I live less than an hour from Stone. I too love me most of their beers. If you won't drink it from any other source than your tap you should go ahead and make some there Helder. It's good. I have bastardized the bastard recipe to my own liking. Nothing like going up there and getting a growler of limited release stuff on the weekends though.
 
Breck, how difficult is the clone recipe? Or all Stone recipes, for that matter...I'd love to give Ruination a shot....Don't think I am quite ready to brew some Oaked AG tho :(
 
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