Can I save this brew?

[Joe_Re]

I have done a bunch of brews and I just haven't been this stupid yet, so...

I brewed up a big batch (12? lbs extract, 4-6 oz whole leaf hops, WL 007 yeast, 5 gal) and racked it to a secondary fermenter after about two or three weeks.

I then proceeded to set it and forget it. I'll give you an idea of how long ago I "forgot" it. You measure a babies age in months for about two years before they are toddlers? Its a few babies old. It tasted okay last week. My only real concern is that the yeast is all dead or inactive.

Do I pour in a little DME and stir the carboy? Pour in a little yeast starter as well? Just yeast? Or bottle it and hope for the best?

Thanks,
Joe.

 

[CBMbrewer]

Add a fresh packet of yeast, then bottle. Let us know if it carbs, and the final outcome.

 

[CA_Mouse]

One way to get an idea is to pull off a single bottle and drop a carbonation tab in it. Cap it and invert the bottle for a week, gently turn it right side up for another 2 or 3 days and stick it in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours and open it. If it is carbonated, then you don't need to add anything except priming sugar and bottles.

 

[Chadwick]

Wow, am I reading this right? This beer is like 4 years old?!?!

 

[rorypayne]

If it is say 4 years old, I would really love to know the outcome.

 

[earwig]

I have had home brew that was in bottles for about 3 years and it wasn't that great. Actually it kinda tasted a little gross. Please let us know how this turns out

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[Joe_Re]

Okay, I got some yeast the other day, put it in the carboy and it still appears to be beer in there.

After tearing my house apart I found my notes from the original day of brewing. Apparently I forgot to measure the gravity until I racked it to the secondary. At that point it was 1.040ish. It also predates my wife and I's relationship.... ....okay thanks, bottling tomorrow.

 

[Chadwick]

1.040'sh after primary fermentation? What is the gravity reading now?

 

[Joe_Re]

1.030 when I bottled it. Surprisingly it tasted pretty decent. Nothing funky, but a smooth and very present alcohol "burn" in the throat I figured at 12 lbs of DME I would start around 1.110 and end about 1.020, but the brew didn't hardly move after racking to the secondary and didn't do much when I pitched new yeast. We'll see how it is next Friday.

 

[Joe_Re]

Sad, it didn't really carbonate much. I was hoping that it would and that it would hide some of the sweetness.

What it came out like.... ....have you ever had Triple Bock from Sam Adams? I pretty much made that. It's like drinking molasses with a crapload of alcohol in it. And it comes with a wicked hangover.

I'll give it a few more weeks to carbonate and see if it gets any better.

 

[Chadwick]

As big a beer as this is, I wouldn't bother tasting it for at least another 3 weeks. It may yet turn out to be a good beer. It wouldn't hurt to store the bottles in a place where the temp is in the 70's.

 

[Joe_Re]

I tried one last night and was surprised at the difference two days made. It carbonated a bit more and and that seemed to hide the syrupyness (is that a word?) just a bit. I've got two cases so I'll keep trying one every few days.

For anyone who wants to know, and make fun of me a bit, the vintage of this brew is early 2004. I am somewhat shocked it is as drinkable as it is.

 

[Chadwick]

This is definitely one for the books. I did a brew last year that sat for 3 months past when I should have bottled it. The airlock dried out, got some bugs in it. Yeah, it didn't turn out well. I keep them around for those select few that abuse my generosity in giving beer away. It works like a charm. So the batch wasn't a complete failure. It's serving its purpose quite well.

I call it Ul-um Soga. Which translated in English from Tolkeins' elvish means "Very bad drink".

 

[Joe_Re]

Heh nice... well, not really, but you know what I mean.

Pretty sure I never let the airlock dry out, and I eventually plugged it, as it didn't seem to be doing anything. Nor was I.

Anybody here live in Worcester? While I'm not giving away the whole batch, I wouldn't be opposed to doling out a bottle or two.

 

[cubalz]

I tried one last night and was surprised at the difference two days made. It carbonated a bit more and and that seemed to hide the syrupyness (is that a word?) just a bit. I've got two cases so I'll keep trying one every few days.

For anyone who wants to know, and make fun of me a bit, the vintage of this brew is early 2004. I am somewhat shocked it is as drinkable as it is.

Just to be clear, it sat in the fermenter for 10 years? Not making fun, just amazed.

 

[BugDude]

I'm interisted to know how it was Lost and then I assume stumbled upon. Especially for nearly 10 years

 

[Joe_Re]

Just to be clear, it sat in the fermenter for 10 years? Not making fun, just amazed.

Damn near. I just finished another one. It's not great... it's not even "really good" but it's not "bad" either. It's just really sweet, high alcohol beer. If it had some hop presence it would be better.

 

[Chadwick]

Yeah, I wanna know how one brews a beer and forgets about it for 10 years! OMG, this is some kind of record. It must be. OP, give us some pics!

10 years in a secondary. Wow, just wow.

 

[Joe_Re]

I'm interisted to know how it was Lost and then I assume stumbled upon. Especially for nearly 10 years

I just kept making excuses.

I didn't have bottles around. I couldn't get to the brew shop for priming sugar. I ski/snowboard, climb, race bicycles, etc so there was always something going on. I've moved three or four times with it, always taking care not to disturb it and trying to keep it at a stable temperature.

 

[andrhamm]

Primary for 10 years, secondary three days with dry hop. Seems legit

 

[Joe_Re]

I'm sorry, it was brewed on September 10th 2005 and racked to a secondary on September 20th 2005. I dug up my notebook. I brewed this three months before I met my wife.

 

[Joe_Re]

Andrhamm - I still have a case and a half of it. You don't live that far away...

 

[andrhamm]

i poured some two year old brew down the drain recently... dont know if i'd be very excited to try 10 year old beer