If I could get any stupider. Killed my stout?

[littletim]

Hi guys. Great site, great forums, I have gleaned so much info here it's unbelievable......and I can't find a thread to answer this question, but I may not have searched well enough.

I had a nice batch of Cooper's Stout on. Got too cold at the beginning, (under 65), no action whatsoever after 24 hrs, and as I gradually warmed it up, I discovered I had used an old yeast packet. I pitched a new one and gave the bucket a couple of twists to try to get it started fermenting. Worked like a charm, it started fermenting and looked and smelled perfect last night.

It's still pretty cold here in Atlantic Canada, and I could not seem to get it warmed up in the small room I use with the little space heater I have. the thermometer stuck to the bucket said it was below 66. So I moved the space heater onto the counter blowing on the primary bucket last night. Left it set to kick in when the temp got below 70. Went down tonight after work. The heater stuck on. the room is over 85, and the beer must be over 90, its off the 86 degree top mark, and feels warmer than any swimming pool I have ever felt.....some over 90 degrees. The huge foamy mass on top last night is completely gone. as is my attempt at a nice slow ferment starting coldish and rising gradually

Beginning SG 1.044 (20 litres total, 1 kg beer enhancer, 1 can Coopers)
Current SG 1.01

If anyone has a tip or two on how to proceed from here, or any stories that end reasonably well from here, I would be most appreciative.

Thanks

TB

 

[Roondy888]

I think your just going to have to taste it and see what happens, not much you can do now. Its probably going to be high in esters(clove banana) and theres a chance of autolysized yeast. Some might have died off at that high and spilled their guts into your beer, but there is always a chance that it could taste fine. What type of yeast did you use?

 

[rlmiller10]

It is fermented out. Your yeast was really active for a few hours. As suggested above, you might have some high esters. All you can do now is let it sit. Get that temp back down to 68 or 69 and leave it alone for three weeks. Then if you have the bottles to spare I would bottle it up and leave alone for another 4 to 6 months. The esters might just mellow and give you an incredible English stout. Or you might end up with a banana stout, interesting thought. Either way time is your best friend at this point.

 

[littletim]

Hey thanks guys! Nice to get feedback so fast. I was so bummed out an hour ago. After a couple of brew and your replies.....I may live. Where there is beer, there is hope.

I used the Coopers type yeast packet that came with it, and re-pitched with more of the same , but newer, when it failed to launch. We have very little around here for ingredients available, other than what comes with the can, and occasionally some beer enhancer or hop pellets.....and I'm a light year or two from knowing what else to order online etc, or getting into grains and all. I did order some hop rhizomes and kegging supplies.

I am cooling it now. Will bottle and or keg in a few weeks and pray for a drinkable pint. Luckily, I like bananas!

 

[Roondy888]

Good luck!! Hope it turns out for you!

 

[littletim]

I'll post a progress note in August.

 

[Riot]

Are you using the yeast taped to the coopers cans? If so, I know exactly what you can order online to have more fun with your beer. Also, less beer enhancer and more dry malt extract would probably surprise you with the results.

 

[littletim]

Yes Riot, I am using that yeast under the lid......Any direction there will be followed and appreciated. And I did find some dry malt extract, (light), in town.

 

[Riot]

See if you can get some us-05 or s-04. They are yeast products from lallemande. These yeast pouches are likely to be much fresher, and definitely contain a higher cell count than the coopers packets. Let either of those strains ferment at about 65 and you should be pretty happy with your beer.

 

[jbaysurfer]

Your first mistake was thinking that 65 was too low. Those strains can be very happy and make very good beer at those temps.
-
Live and learn. A much safer way to heat up your beer is a seed mat for seedlings, or a small heating pad, if you need to heat it at all. Good luck to ya, it could still turn out decently if most of the fermentation was done before the temperatures got out of control.

 

[littletim]

Thanks guys,

The guy at the brew shop said they have some Safale yeasts for the Festa kits. I'll see what he has and if he sells it separately. Or order it online I guess. My basement will be at good temps as things warm up here soon, probably between 60 and 65 until October. At that point I'll get a warming pad etc. as it drops into the 50s.

Better get another can of stout, just in case....but this batch seems to smell okay.

Cheers

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

Using dry yeast just sprinkled in its not unreasonable to not see activity upto 72 hrs also so you very well might not have needed the extra pitch but it certainly won't hurt it from having more the extra yeast in it. As depending on your starting gravity one packet may not be enough anyway.


Sent from somewhere to someone

 

[DPBISME]

I maybe have the same problem.... I did three batches yesterday and now think I might have tossed the yeast in when the temp was 90 degrees and not 80... Yes you will have to convert Canuk, HA!

But you may be OK because I have been reading a lot about brewers that have been stretching the temp ranges to speed up the fermentation process... You will know soon enough.

If you have the time and equipment brew it again so you have both of them around to compare.

So yesterday I brew three 11 gallon patches, total time eleven (11 hours)

1. American Summer Ale (all Cascade and my potential problem beer)
2. Hefeweissen
3. Saison. To bad this was not the one I screwed up on as the yeast could have handled it

DPB

 

[rmyurick]

You might have some fusel alcohol production at the higher temp-- Solventy taste, hangover inducing. However, the fact that it's a fairly low gravity beer helps. You'll have to wait & see when you taste it.

 

[littletim]

Fusel Alcohol?. Perhaps that explains what happened to a batch of homemade rhubarb wine we made years ago. I figured we used to much sugar. It boiled away for a long time. at first taste it was very nice, but a weird alcohol taste I could have ignored, except, my face seemed to fell like it was turning red, and it just did not seem quite right.

Kegged it, carbonated it, and left it in the basement for 8 years. Just tried some when I got back into making beer last month and needed the keg. Clear as a bell, lovely bouquet, same strange effect after a half a glass.....I guess it's going down the drain, But this spring I am tempted to try more rhubarb "champagne". I guess another forum would be needed for advice on that one!

Thanks again for the advice. BTW, the stout tastes okay considering what it's been through. Will keg it soon... I'll definitely do another one to compare though.

 

[littletim]

Just wanted to update this old thread of mine:

The Coopers Stout that was overheated severely will not see August for the promised update. I am sad to say it's days on this earth are numbered. I have once again failed to keep a potentially great brew long enough to reach its peak.

It was quite drinkable, I thought, at 4 weeks of age in early May. I am no stout expert, and have only recently acquired a taste for it...but my son (the craft ale snob), concurred. It makes a great fishing brew when taken out in an iced Grolsch style bottle. And a darn good stand around the brew room beer while fiddling with the other brews. I only have one tap (so far) mounted on the basement fridge, and it's hooked up to that stout. and we are down to a few pints at this point.

I had dumped an entire pot of a strong dark roast fresh ground coffee in the primary, (adding to initial heat problems). Perhaps not smart, I have since read on this website, but the final taste is very nice, since the somewhat strong coffee flavor has mellowed in nicely.

To conclude the flavour etc analysis, I will say this, it is as good or better than the can of Guiness Draught I just bought to compare. The mild yeasty taste lessens every week. It is rather thin, I now realize, since brewing and sampling the Festa Double Oatmeal Stout. I would probably do as others have recommended and make a total of maybe 18 litres vs the 21 I brewed. other than that, it is very nice now, at 8 weeks. ( not in the league of the Festa, even at 3 weeks, let alone now, at 6, but that's another thread in itself).

I had intended to let this one age...but was forced to tap into it as it turned out that I had a couple of rather disappointing brews that were coming along for that period. I'll start another thread on those and the Festa if I can figure out the right forum.

Thanks to all who sent ideas and encouragement. Time to go put on three new kits.

T