I recently experimented with a 43% rye beer. I'd intended to do a beta-glucanase rest and decoction schedule, but had an unexpectedly late night prior to brewing and opted to do a single infusion. Overshot temps for that and ended up at 155f.
My batch sparge took literally 2 hours to collect my volume, and I ended up with the slimiest wort I've ever witnessed - overshot gravity as well and ended up at 068 where I expected 063. I aerated and pitched a sufficient starter of white labs German Lager and fermented at 53 for 3 weeks, raising to 65 for two subsequent weeks, swirling the fermenter daily all the while. My gravity was at 020 at the end of the cold fermentation and never during the diacetyl rest.
I'm left with a 020 beer that has a really nice taste, doesn't occur as overly sweet, but has the viscosity of canola oil and the clarity of old motor oil. I suspect that my original omission of the beta glucanase rest is the main culprit (followed by my high mash temp) and the beer is so ridiculously thick due to the beta glucan from the big rye bill.
Question for the group is whether a pitch of some wild stuff would help this situation and give me a chance at a beer that doesn't pose a choking hazard. I have a vial of ECY02 (sach, brett, lacto, pedio) and could put this mess in the back of my closet for a year and see what happens?
Will any of those bugs eat the slime? Worth a shot?
My batch sparge took literally 2 hours to collect my volume, and I ended up with the slimiest wort I've ever witnessed - overshot gravity as well and ended up at 068 where I expected 063. I aerated and pitched a sufficient starter of white labs German Lager and fermented at 53 for 3 weeks, raising to 65 for two subsequent weeks, swirling the fermenter daily all the while. My gravity was at 020 at the end of the cold fermentation and never during the diacetyl rest.
I'm left with a 020 beer that has a really nice taste, doesn't occur as overly sweet, but has the viscosity of canola oil and the clarity of old motor oil. I suspect that my original omission of the beta glucanase rest is the main culprit (followed by my high mash temp) and the beer is so ridiculously thick due to the beta glucan from the big rye bill.
Question for the group is whether a pitch of some wild stuff would help this situation and give me a chance at a beer that doesn't pose a choking hazard. I have a vial of ECY02 (sach, brett, lacto, pedio) and could put this mess in the back of my closet for a year and see what happens?
Will any of those bugs eat the slime? Worth a shot?
