Aging a homebrew

[tennmyc21]

So, I'm going home over Christmas, and I wanted to brew something delicious there. The stipulation is that I won't be home for another 6 months at the earliest, 9 at the longest. Is there anything I can brew and put in a secondary fermenter after 2 weeks, then let sit for that long in the secondary. I've heard barleywine, cider, and stouts may work, but I hear a lot of conflicting information. The setting would be in a basement that is kept around 72 degrees year round.

 

[Revvy]

I don't know what conflicting info you've heard, but any strong ale with an og of 1.070 or higher benefits from aging. Barleywine's, Belgian Dubbels and Tripels, old ales, strong ales, wheat wines, imperal stouts...even regular stouts and porters and such can benefit from aging.......

 

[lumpher]

i'd do a russian imperial stout.. but that's just me, since i've never done 1, and the timing is right, and they're great

 

[joety]

I'd do my Belgian Dirty Blonde with an OG around 1080. It's just about perfect after six months.

Will someone be there to refill your airlock for you? You'll probably need to do that once or twice.

 

[Dr_Gordon_Freeman]

Will someone be there to refill your airlock for you? You'll probably need to do that once or twice.

That's what I was thinking.

I say go with a Belgian Strong or a mead/cider if you don't want to boil anything

 

[jmick]

what vessel are you using for a secondary? I never use an airlock on my secondary (a better bottle)- just some plastic wrap with a rubber band/tape or some aluminum foil over the top.

 

[juslod]

what vessel are you using for a secondary? I never use an airlock on my secondary (a better bottle)- just some plastic wrap with a rubber band/tape or some aluminum foil over the top.

Is it safe to age a beer in a better bottle for that length of time or will the plastic cause problems? I've heard of people opting for a glass carboy for long time frames for this reason. Although, isn't that what we use PET food safe containers for?

 

[vicratlhead51]

Is it safe to age a beer in a better bottle for that length of time or will the plastic cause problems? I've heard of people opting for a glass carboy for long time frames for this reason. Although, isn't that what we use PET food safe containers for?

I cut my hand pretty bad on a glass carboy I broke in the fall so I've been looking into safer alternatives for a clutz like me. Plastic comes in different grades and the type they use for better bottles is so close to glass you really would be hard pressed to tell the difference betw it and glass. The bad rap plastics get is from the grade 7 plastic they use to make watercooler bottles. They are gas permeable and a liquid in low ph range (beer for instance) will leach PET from the plastic. Lower grade plastics are only fit for neutral water whereas better bottles are a great lightweight substitute for glass.

 

[juslod]

I cut my hand pretty bad on a glass carboy I broke in the fall so I've been looking into safer alternatives for a clutz like me. Plastic comes in different grades and the type they use for better bottles is so close to glass you really would be hard pressed to tell the difference betw it and glass. The bad rap plastics get is from the grade 7 plastic they use to make watercooler bottles. They are gas permeable and a liquid in low ph range (beer for instance) will leach PET from the plastic. Lower grade plastics are only fit for neutral water whereas better bottles are a great lightweight substitute for glass.

Ouch that sucks! But that sounds good, I've seen people mention they will only age beer in a secondary for 6+ months while in a glass carboy over a plastic better bottle. I wasn't sure if this was more of a preventative worry, or an actual concern! But that is good to know, I'd rather handle better bottles any day.

 

[vicratlhead51]

Ouch that sucks! But that sounds good, I've seen people mention they will only age beer in a secondary for 6+ months while in a glass carboy over a plastic better bottle. I wasn't sure if this was more of a preventative worry, or an actual concern! But that is good to know, I'd rather handle better bottles any day.

Yeah I'd heard the same thing. That's why I had the glass one in the first place. I haven't been brewing long but I'm really starting to notice there's a lot of myths out there and you really have to ask a lot of questions. Then sort through the answers to find the one that makes the most sense.

 

[NorthRiverS]

After sitting in the secondary that long, does the yeast ever have a problem producing CO2 during priming?

NRS

 

[Snowhere]

I would do a IPA for longeviety reasons. IPA's came about to keep beer for the long voyages across the alantic in the old sailing days. Hops are a natural preservative and bacterialcide. So hop in the boil and dry hop your beer heavily, it will easily keep infections away.

Instead of an airlock, just use a blowoff tube into a watercooler bottle 90% full of h2o. I doubt 5 gal of h2o would evaperate out of the small opening of the cooler bottle in that time, unless you are going to the desert arid west!

 

[Brewham]

Yeast seems to live a long time but if you have any concerns about its viability, just add some when you bottle. I have heard of using a champagne yeast but I suppose another packet of the original would work just as well.