12 months in primary

[65C]

I've got 3 x 20L primaries with 8%+ heavy dark porters - I've been super lazy about bottling

They look just fine, but I've not touched them yet

Are they going to be okay to condition if I bottle them after so long?

(I thought they'd only been there a few months, but after looking at my notes it was this time last year)

 

[IslandLizard]

The only thing you need is add some yeast together with your priming sugar. Just to be sure there's live yeast around.
After a year the yeast in your primaries is pretty much dead. Or not... who knows.

 

[65C]

Thanks just found a couple of other threads - looks like half or so sache of champagne yeast in the bottling bucket might be way to go

Maybe I'll try that with one batch first and leave the others until I know I've not got exploding bottles

 

[balrog]

Agreed. And if by "heavy" you mean higher alcohol (8%?) then bottling yeast is doubly indicated.

But if you've kept them cool quiet dark & cozy, with no dried out airlocks, just add some bottling yeast to the bucket and bottle away. I can never remember what yeast is preferred, something like CBC-1?

 

[IslandLizard]

Maybe I'll try that with one batch first and leave the others until I know I've not got exploding bottles

Why would you get bottle bombs? After a year your beer should have fermented out.
When bottling, carbonation mostly comes from your added priming sugar, and a smaller amount from dissolved CO2 in the beer.

As long as the airlocks weren't dried out, beer that sat for a year should still contain its nominal dissolved CO2 content from fermentation, based on the highest temp the beer has been at after fermentation finished.

 

[Gnomebrewer]

Thanks just found a couple of other threads - looks like half or so sache of champagne yeast in the bottling bucket might be way to go

Be careful using different yeasts for bottling. I haven't used champagne yeast, and it may be OK (I don't know what it's attenuation is like), but if your bottling yeast can eat sugars that your primary yeast couldn't eat, you could end up with a disaster (i.e. bottle bombs).

 

[IslandLizard]

Be careful using different yeasts for bottling. I haven't used champagne yeast, and it may be OK (I don't know what it's attenuation is like), but if your bottling yeast can eat sugars that your primary yeast couldn't eat, you could end up with a disaster (i.e. bottle bombs).

Good point!

Champagne yeast cannot digest maltotriose, but yeah, if the beer still contains smaller (fermentable) sugars it might. That's why Diastaticus infections can cause havoc.

I guess a gravity reading can tell.
OP could use a regular beer yeast, whatever he has, or S-04, even US-05. 8% is not that high.

Is one sachet of one of those enough to split over those 3 batches?

 

[Vale71]

Are we talking about plastic buckets? If that's the case your beer will be flat (CO2 won't hold that long in a non pressurized vessel) and quite thoroughly oxidized. The latter might not be an issue considering the style of beer, I would still do a taste test first, even with no carbonation, to find out if the beer is worth bottling after all.

 

[65C]

They're glass demis - I think one of the 3 airlocks might have gone a little dry but not completely (maybe enough to let some air in - but that one batch seems to bubble a few times a day even after 12 months so possible no oxygen got in)

They have been wrapped in towels at room temp - they all smell fine through the locks - and look fine - I've not previously hit any issues with these porters I do, local water is great for them - the yeasts have been reused umpteen times - but I'll have a sample before I start bottling anyway

I think I'll try the beer yeast instead of the champagne one (may have some S-04 around) I had read the champ yeast could work better with the higher alcohol, but I get the risk so I'll leave that

I was going to have them ready for Christmas but it got too late to bottle and be ready - before you know it a year has gone by

Appreciate all the advice

 

[IslandLizard]

but that one batch seems to bubble a few times a day even after 12 months

If it bubbles the airlock is still working!

From what I understand Champagne yeasts generally cannot ferment as 'deep' as beer yeasts do. Deep as in the length or complexity (size) of the various sugar molecules we typically find in beer, but not in wine.

Her much higher alcohol tolerance (some 20% and higher) is preferred for bottling (stronger) beer as the yeast won't simply die from being pitched into a (strong) alcoholic environment. 8% ABV means nothing for champagne yeast. She was selected and cultivated for the sole purpose of making those yummy bubblies.

 

[HTH1975]

I use Safale F2 bottling yeast - it’s great stuff and compacts well at the bottom of the bottle.

1g in 20L is fine. I rehydrate it, then rack my beer on top along with priming sugar.

 

[MaxStout]

CBC-1 is a good yeast for bottling. One sachet split among the 3 vessels should be plenty. You only need enough live yeast to ferment the priming sugar.