Can i ferment a carbonated beer thats too sweet

[hog2up]

Beginners mistake...I forced carbonated my dark wheat beer without tasting it. It's too sweet and I hate it. Figure i didn't have right attenuation. Anyone ever take a carbonated beer and return it too carboy for another round of fermentation?

 

[BigB]

Sure you can do it... It will flatten in no time in the carboy. For the yeast addition, I would make a starter and add it to the wort when it is at high krausen. Actively fermenting yeast are more likely to work than just tossing in yeast out of the package. Obviously check your FG (let it flatten first) before you do it... There might be something else going on. You are not going to get a beer that is close to expected FG to start again in most situations.

 

[menerdari]

before you go that far, it may not be a fermentation issue.
what was the recipe, what hops, boil size and when did you add them?

 

[BigB]

before you go that far, it may not be a fermentation issue.
what was the recipe, what hops, boil size and when did you add them?

Good point on the hops. Also, some adjuncts/misc items could be the culprit.

 

[hog2up]

Well is kegged in a corny. Mix of lme, specialty grains, and 1oz bitter ing hops form60 minutes, 1 oz aroma hops last 5 minutes. It's was my second batch of beer, before I knew about attenuation and yeast starters for higher gravity beers. Just pitched rehydrated Bavarian yeast packet into it, and it was done with active fermentation in 48 hours. No way there could have been enough quality and quantity of yeast to eat up the sugars in a 1.070 sg.

I have another kit, plan to make a 1.3 ltr starter, stepped up to 2.0 ltr. Using wlp320. Think I'm going to get a much better result and better beer....I hope!

 

[hog2up]

Good point on the hops. Also, some adjuncts/misc items could be the culprit.

FYI...FG was 1.020 and stuck there after 3 weeks in secondary.

 

[snaps10]

FYI...FG was 1.020 and stuck there after 3 weeks in secondary.

Sounds like the curse of 1.020. Google it. Often extract beers get stuck at 1.020. You may just want to let it age in the keg for a while

1.020 isn't too high of a FG for an extract 1.070OG beer.

 

[MotorcycleMatt]

Yep, 1.02 sounds right for that. I doubt you'll take it much further

 

[hog2up]

Figured it is what it is at this point. Checked my records, I actually started at sg of 1.072, so looks like I ended up with about a 7% alcohol beer. Actually starting to dry out abot after 3 weeks in the keg in the cooler. Guess I will have to drink it! Thanks for the feedback.

 

[BigB]

Another thing to think of , is that recipe (dark wheat with 1.072 OG) sounds like a Weizenbock. Weizenbocks are nearly always malty and leave a sweet palate. So, I think your beer ended up like it was supposed to. Plus it sounds like you used dry yeast and appropriately rehydrated it. So you likely pitched plenty of yeast (11g dry yest packets typically contain considerably more yeast than a liquid culture), therefore a starter likely wouldn't have helped.

 

[hog2up]

Think your right about it being more like a weizen bock ...supposed to be a dunkle weizen kit, but it's way to dark and malty. Brewing another dunkle weizen and its uses specialty grains, and wheat extract instead of the deep dark 8oz liquid extract. Should produce more of the medium to dark amber and less sweet traits of a true dunkle weizen.

 

[hog2up]

Just did a calibration check on my hydrometer that is supposed to be calibrated at 60f. Reads 1.002 for water. So looks like I need to subtract .002 from all my readings- make sense?

 

[hog2up]

Another thing to think of , is that recipe (dark wheat with 1.072 OG) sounds like a Weizenbock. Weizenbocks are nearly always malty and leave a sweet palate. So, I think your beer ended up like it was supposed to. Plus it sounds like you used dry yeast and appropriately rehydrated it. So you likely pitched plenty of yeast (11g dry yest packets typically contain considerably more yeast than a liquid culture), therefore a starter likely wouldn't have helped.

That would adjust my SG to1.070 and FG to 1.018.. Abv 6.86%

 

[BigB]

That is still in weizenbock range: BJCP category 15C Weizenbock OG; 1.064-1.090, FG: 1.015-1.022, IBU 15-30, SRM 12.0-25.0, ABV: 6.5-8.0. Category 15 B Dunkelweizen OG: 1.044-1.056, FG: 1.010-1.014, IBU: 10-18, SRM: 14.0-23.0, ABV 4.3-5.6.

Also, when you checked your hydrometer, did you use distilled water? Sometimes it can make a difference.... why, I don't know.

 

[hog2up]

That is still in weizenbock range: BJCP category 15C Weizenbock OG; 1.064-1.090, FG: 1.015-1.022, IBU 15-30, SRM 12.0-25.0, ABV: 6.5-8.0. Category 15 B Dunkelweizen OG: 1.044-1.056, FG: 1.010-1.014, IBU: 10-18, SRM: 14.0-23.0, ABV 4.3-5.6.

Also, when you checked your hydrometer, did you use distilled water? Sometimes it can make a difference.... why, I don't know.

Used my well water, bottled and distiller....all just about same at .002