Undissolved extract. Will fermentation dissolve it?

[kiwipen]

[MERGED DUPLICATE THREADS -Mod]

I made and extract beer, and there is quite a lot of undissolved extract sitting in the bottom of my fermentation bucket.

Will it dissolve during fermentation?

I have to do something about this, it needs to happen soon. I don't have any stainless of plastic equipment long enough to stir along the bottom, so I'll have to cobble something together with zip ties if I have to stir it.

 

[coonmanx]

I take it you used dry extract... Didn't do a boil?

 

[kiwipen]

Liquid. I just dumped it in and poured water on it. Shaking to mix in oxygen didn't do much to dissolve it.

 

[coonmanx]

So was it a hopped kit? My guess is that once the yeast starts working on the sugars it won't matter much. Dissolving it in warm water first would have been a good move however. I always do a boil, even with a kit. More work but better results. When I have made kits in the past I have done a 15 minute boil and then only added finishing hops at the end.

 

[kiwipen]

Yes, it's a hopped kit.

I sure hope it will dissolve. It would be interesting to hear if someone else has been in this situation, and what happened.

 

[coonmanx]

Also how much time has transpired since you did this? It should slowly dissolve over time.

I can't say about your particular predicament since I have never done things this way. I do realize that the instructions that come with the kit may say to do it like that.

 

[kiwipen]

It has been about 6 hours.

The instructions says to mix the extract with boiling water, but my dumb self didn't do that.

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

if it were me i would put it back in the kettle and boil it again. what is your process? and how much is in the bottom? and is it a 5gal batch?

 

[THESULLI]

I am still pretty new to brewing myself but I would guess that it would not dissolve during fermentation. What kind of kit is it? I am guessing it is something like a Coopers? That is probably why the extract was put directly into the fermenter. Your best bet would be to stir it in. Do you have another vessel that you could sanitize and transfer most of the wort into? That would get you around not having equipment long enough to reach the bottom to stir it as you could just reach down and stir it in with whatever tool you have on hand. It is going to need some help. Otherwise you will lose valuable sugars by allowing it to just sit on the bottom.

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

i agree, i havent brewed extract in probably 10 years but i dont see it dissolving during fermentation. so yeah your gonna want to come up with a way to get it dissolved.

 

[kiwipen]

It's a Mangrove Jacks kit. I should have mixed the extract with boiling water, but failed to do so.

The yeast is added so I can't boil it.

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

ok yeah since you have the yeast in already i would just try to stir it as much as possible. so even stirring it once every hour or so to try to get it dissolved as much as possible before fermentation starts. just keep things sanitized and it will be what it is. you will likely end up with a high FG and it will probably be on the sweet side but it should be fine. the only other concern is that the extract wasnt boiled therefore any bacteria wasnt killed that may have been in the extract. i would still let it do its thing and see what happens. but taste it before going the process of bottling.

 

[THESULLI]

The only 2 options I can come up with is just leave it and lose out on some of the fermentable sugars or transfer a good portion of the wort to another sanitized vessel so you can reach deep enough to stir it, then transfer all of the wort back into the original fermenter. That is probably what I would do.

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

yeah, not a bad idea. and in doing this you would also be aerating the wort so that should help your yeast get started a little faster.

 

[IslandLizard]

[EDITS]
You could rack the beer on top of the sludge to another fermenter (or a temporary vessel, e.g., a clean sanitized bucket), leaving the sugar sludge on the bottom.

Pour and rinse the sludge out into a pot/kettle, don't add too much water, you'd be diluting your beer.
Heat until dissolved, chill and add to your fermenter. DO NOT boil!
It should dissolve around 140-150F. Don't heat it too high, you'd lose the hop flavor and make it more bitter!

Use good and proper sanitation during the transfers, heating, etc.

Probably pitch some extra yeast, for all security, most may have ended up in the sludge, and got killed during the re-heating.

 

[IslandLizard]

Also... Relax, you've got some time. Nothing bad is going to happen to it even if left for 24 hours this way.

I'm not sure if the extract will dissolve slowly. I expect it would, it's like honey.

As long as you used clean equipment and good sanitation with everything that touched your ingredients and what's in your bucket fermenter, it should not get infected.
Pre-hopped extracts are never boiled!

 

[kiwipen]

I started to shake it and it seemed to dissolve quite easily this time. I'll have to see how it looks in a few hours.

 

[doug293cz]

I'd just let it ride. I expect the extract would homogenize slowly with the rest of the wort, and the yeast will be working at the interface area, which will help with the homogenization. Your fermentation time might be extended, but this isn't really an issue.

Use your hydrometer to determine when fermentation is complete - identical SG readings two, or more, days apart. Don't base "doneness" on a specific number of days.

Brew on

 

[IslandLizard]

I started to shake it and it seemed to dissolve quite easily this time. I'll have to see how it looks in a few hours.

Ah, good to hear!
You may have to do this a few times, until it has all dissolved.
Any aeration is good at this point, the yeast benefits from it largely. But as soon as fermentation starts, no more shaking or air (oxygen).

 

[coonmanx]

If you do any stirring be sure to sanitize the spoon first. Please update us on how it goes. This will be a learning experience for sure.

 

[S-Met]

the only other concern is that the extract wasnt boiled therefore any bacteria wasnt killed that may have been in the extract.

Fyi: lme and dme in those kits are sterile unless the brewer contaminates it in your process. Its wort that has been boiled then dehydrated/evaporated.

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

Fyi: lme and dme in those kits are sterile unless the brewer contaminates it in your process. Its wort that has been boiled then dehydrated/evaporated.

you are absolutely right, and i knew that but apparently had a brain lapse. thanks for correcting me.

 

[Malstorme]

Relax. Don't worry. And have a homebrew. - Charlie Papazian

 

[PetteriSeppanen]

I concur that there is no serious problem, just let the yeast do its thing.

 

[hcarter004]

Liquid. I just dumped it in and poured water on it. Shaking to mix in oxygen didn't do much to dissolve it.

Doing a boil would help, but shaking may not be enough. Lots of stirring to break that up can help as well.