10 months in the fermenter

[metanoia]

Disclaimer: This is my first post.

I searched through the "did I ruin it" posts and did read a story on here about a brew left in the fermenter for 9 months, but I would love having as much information as possible before bottling this beer.

So here's the story: last Christmas my wife gave me the 2 Hearted clone kit from homebrewing.org (their B&M store is conveniently located five minutes down the road), and I made the beer a few days later. Everything went into the fermenter without any problem, and I dry hopped a few weeks later.

However, due to my laziness and a somewhat busy schedule, I put off bottling for a week, then two weeks, until eventually the fermenter became a permanent fixture in my son's bedroom closet. 10 months later and it's still sitting there.

After spending a week on vacation at my parents' house drinking beers, visiting breweries, and watching Beer Wars, I really want to get back into home brewing, which means I need this fermenter. Do you guys think it is worth trying to bottle? I have a horrible sense of smell, but it does give off a strong odor that doesn't seem all too pleasant. I've attached a couple pictures so you can see what's going on inside (hops bag is floating on left).

Thanks in advance for any and all advice.

 

[b-boy]

I'd give it a taste. That is the only real test. Its probably really oxidized and I have no idea what is floating in there.

 

[metanoia]

Just snuck a taste, and it's hard to say. Doesn't taste too off from what I'd think it should taste like after a month or two in the fermenter, but the odor is somewhat present in the taste as well: almost acidic, kind of like apple cider vinegar.

Right now I'm leaning towards putting it in bottles or a second fermenter tomorrow, and just seeing how it turns out. That at least gives me my primary to experiment with a new AG batch. I'd still love some experienced brewers' advice, though.

 

[djfriesen]

Dollars-to-Doughnuts you picked up some acetobater somewhere. You can make hoppy vinegar out of it, or you can bottle really quickly and try to drink them before they get bad. I'd probably pick up a new bucket and keep that one around for sour experiments later.

If you bottle, store them someplace enclosed and water-proof. I don't have personal experience, but I've read that bacterial infections can be rather unpredictable as far as pressures are concerned.

 

[Disintegr8or]

I'd dump it and throw the bucket away, but that's just me.

 

[F250]

I'd dump it and throw the bucket away, but that's just me.

Me too, but I'm kinda funny about trying something that could be rotten.

Rick

 

[beerman0001]

If it taste great and you want to drink 50 bottles of it you know what to do. If not dump it and save the bucket for some sour brews.

 

[bottlebomber]

I'd be more worried about the hops sitting in there than the beer. Dry hops left in too long can give a weird sour taste to beer. And YOU my friend, definitely left the dry hops in too long. If it tastes ok, then bottle it. The only thing I can promise is that it won't make you sick.

 

[metanoia]

Thanks for the advice guys. I guess it's worth bottling to see what it turns into after a month, though it'd be much more of a hassle to crack open 48 bad bottles to dump (which then need to be cleaned again) than just dumping the entire pail right now. Decisions, decisions...

 

[Onlooker]

And YOU my friend, definitely left the dry hops in too long.

LOL Yeah, that exceeds the normal recommendations; by about 9.5 months or so!

One thing for sure, it's got to have an interesting taste.

 

[45_70sharps]

Me too, but I'm kinda funny about trying something that could be rotten.

Rick

I agree. Why rsk something that nasty that could make you sick.

 

[bottlebomber]

I agree. Why rsk something that nasty that could make you sick.

No it couldn't.

 

[CCericola]

LOL Yeah, that exceeds the normal recommendations; by about 9.5 months or so!

One thing for sure, it's got to have an interesting taste.

In another six months, it'll be a semi-official style of beer - "Excessively dry-hopped IPA".

 

[Doctor_Wily]

my story is basically the same as yours, i left a beer going for 3 months, sorta forgot about it, got busy, etc etc. Mine also have a bit of an apple taste, but I bottled it and figure I'll just let it roll and see what happens. If anyone asks, i'll tell 'em it's a hard apple cider

 

[metanoia]

my story is basically the same as yours, i left a beer going for 3 months, sorta forgot about it, got busy, etc etc. Mine also have a bit of an apple taste, but I bottled it and figure I'll just let it roll and see what happens. If anyone asks, i'll tell 'em it's a hard apple cider

Have you tried a bottle yet? I was thinking about bottling a six-pack just to see, but even that might require too much work for a spoiled beer.

I think I'll just toss out the whole thing and work on building my AG system this week. Since I used bleach as a sanitizer in the past, I'm planning on replacing most of my equipment anyway. A nice fresh start after the this hiccup, eh?

 

[Doctor_Wily]

I have tried and I started a thread regarding it as well, give it a read if you have a spare moment. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/troubleshooting-most-recent-brew-364236/

 

[DrummerBoySeth]

I agree. Why rsk something that nasty that could make you sick.

NOTHING that grows in beer can make you sick. The only way that beer is gonna make anyone sick is if they drink too many of them (as with any other beer)

don't be afraid of the beer, it is safe. Only be afraid of the taste of a 10 month dry-hop!

 

[metanoia]

I have tried and I started a thread regarding it as well, give it a read if you have a spare moment. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/troubleshooting-most-recent-brew-364236/

Glad to see some similar stories out there. I guess I'll bottle and hope for something drinkable in a month! Thanks.

 

[45_70sharps]

NOTHING that grows in beer can make you sick. The only way that beer is gonna make anyone sick is if they drink too many of them (as with any other beer)

don't be afraid of the beer, it is safe. Only be afraid of the taste of a 10 month dry-hop!

Hmm.... Not so sure of that and not really sure that I would still call this beer.


A more important question would be how did a couple of people forget about beer for months??
It's beer for crying out loud!
No beer goes forgotten around my house.
I had some hams that were given to me by my brother in law a long long time ago. I never forgot about those even. I didn't drink them, but didn't forget about them!

 

[bottlebomber]

Hmm.... Not so sure of that and not really sure that I would still call this beer.

A more important question would be how did a couple of people forget about beer for months??
It's beer for crying out loud!
No beer goes forgotten around my house.
I had some hams that were given to me by my brother in law a long long time ago. I never forgot about those even. I didn't drink them, but didn't forget about them!

You can't argue with that logic

 

[cooper]

No it couldn't.

How is it that this couldn't make you sick? I've heard that before but I just don't understand the reasons. That looks like it would wreak havoc on the ole system.

 

[Newbeerguy]

How is it that this couldn't make you sick? I've heard that before but I just don't understand the reasons. That looks like it would wreak havoc on the ole system.

No pathogenic microbes can survive in beer. The low ph of finished beer coupled with the alcohol and even hop oils make beer uninhabital for those microbes.

 

[cooper]

That's amazing to me.

 

[Doctor_Wily]

That's science, lol

 

[metanoia]

You can't argue with that logic

I hang my head in shame.

Hopefully I can find some redemption by building my MLT and immersion chiller this week, along with getting a large brew pot for full boils. I decided that if I want to get serious with brewing, it's AG or go home.

 

[eastoak]

anybody who is going to toss a fermentor because of an infection please contact me and i'll pay for the shipping to my house.

 

[Doctor_Wily]

anybody who is going to toss a fermentor because of an infection please contact me and i'll pay for the shipping to my house.

using it for sours or something?

 

[DrummerBoySeth]

using it for sours or something?

Bleach bomb, rinse well, then set in the sun on the front porch for a day. Guaranteed to kill the baddies, and remove all beer/bleach smell from the plastic.

 

[eastoak]

using it for sours or something?

i do brew sours but i don't have sour only buckets, they all get used for whatever i'm brewing. i've never had a cross contamination and cleaning/sanitizing a fermentor is pretty easy with the likes of star san. if there are bugs that can survive a star san bath i have not met them yet.