Did I screw up my beer?

[bradp1979]

I'm on my 7th batch. This one was meant to be a high original gravity porter. OG 1.168 (not very high, IMO, but I am a relative newbie. However, my last stout recipe had an OG of about the same.) Porter Recipe below, if anyone's interested.

Here's the potential problem: I brewed on 1/23/16, racked for clarity on 2/15/16, and intended to just leave it be for a couple of months. However, about 2 weeks ago on around the 12th or so, I noticed that my dogs apparently got to the bowl of water where the blow-off tube rested, and it was bone-dry.

Just a quick aside, the reason I use a blow-off tube as opposed to an airlock is that when I rack to a glass carboy, I put it in a large box that I can close up to shut out all light. With the airlock, I can't shut the box completely, with the blow-off tube, I can. So 5 batches ago, I started racking for clarity, and have used a blow-off tube in a bowl of water every time.

Anywho... I have no idea how long that bowl was empty. So I uttered a profanity, glared at the dogs, and refilled the water, and figured that I'd have to bottle pretty soon, pretty much just accepting that the beer is likely ruined by all the oxygen introduced by the blow-off tube sitting in nothing but an air-filled bowl.

Then about 2-3 days later, I started hearing bubbling from the bowl again. I almost never hear activity from the secondary. Today's the 29th, and it hasn't stopped. I'm getting a bubble every 1-2 minutes, and have for the past 2 weeks.

So the main question is this: Why? Is the beer ruined, or does this indicate that the yeast woke back up, and is hungrily devouring the remaining sugar, which will result in an extra-dry beer?

Recipe:
Mash - 45 min @ 155 deg.
1.5 lbs Maris Otter
.25 lbs Roasted Barley
.5 lbs Carafa
.5 lbs Brown malt
.25 lbs Flaked barley

Extract
6.5 lbs malt extract
1.5 lbs dextrose

Hops
1 oz Willamette - bittering (60 min)
1 oz Willamette - finishing (5 min)

Yeast
Dry English Ale

 

[Peyope]

What was the gravity when you racked? What's the gravity now? Did you notice any activity after you racked but before the dogs drank the water? Why do you need a clear imperial porter?

It'll probably be fine. BTW your OG is ridiculously high. Are you sure you don't mean 1.068?

 

[Osborne]

I think you might be fine, CO2 is heavier than air so I'm sure there was a layer covering your beer. Especially if your seeing airlock activity still.

 

[kombat]

I'm on my 7th batch. This one was meant to be a high original gravity porter. OG 1.168 (not very high, IMO, but I am a relative newbie.

I suspect you mean 1.068?

I brewed on 1/23/16, racked for clarity on 2/15/16 [...] 5 batches ago, I started racking for clarity

"Racking for clarity" isn't actually a thing. It's needlessly exposing your beer to the risk of oxidation and infection, and if anything, it's actually detrimental to clarity, rather than actually encouraging it. Leave your beer in primary, then go straight to bottling/kegging.

Then about 2-3 days later, I started hearing bubbling from the bowl again. So the main question is this: Why?

Any number of reasons, such as changes in barometric pressure, changes in the temperature of the beer, a heavy truck rumbling by, an infection taking hold ... but at this point, it's NOT continued fermentation.

Is the beer ruined

Taste it and see. Does it taste OK? Is there any visual indication of an infection taking hold? It's possible that it's become oxidized due to the dried-out blowoff tube (combined with the needless racking to secondary). The only way to know for sure is to taste it. If it's still OK, bottle it right away.

or does this indicate that the yeast woke back up, and is hungrily devouring the remaining sugar

No. Once the yeast are done, they're done. They've already eaten everything they're interested in. A bubbling airlock does not directly indicate ongoing fermentation. There are lots of reasons an airlock will bubble. Fermentation is only one of them.

 

[kh54s10]

I don't think you have much to worry about. Since it is bubbling it is releasing co2. That means that there was probably some positive pressure that would keep oxygen out.

Take a look at the beer. If there is any pellicle on the surface you have an infection and it will ferment further. That could be bad or (slight chance) give you a nice sour. If there is no sign of infection it is probably just co2 off gassing.

BTW I think 1.168 is EXTREMELY high for a Porter. Call it a Super Imperial Porter.... But in looking at your recipe I think I see a typo. 1.068 not 1.168. The recipe doesn't look like you could get anywhere near 1.168. Ran it through Beersmith and yep 1.068

 

[jddevinn]

I noticed that my dogs apparently got to the bowl of water where the blow-off tube rested, and it was bone-dry.

....

the oxygen introduced by the blow-off tube sitting in nothing but an air-filled bowl.

....


Then about 2-3 days later, I started hearing bubbling from the bowl again. I almost never hear activity from the secondary. Today's the 29th, and it hasn't stopped. I'm getting a bubble every 1-2 minutes, and have for the past 2 weeks.

So the main question is this: Why? Is the beer ruined, or does this indicate that the yeast woke back up, and is hungrily devouring the remaining sugar, which will result in an extra-dry beer?

1. You should be placing the blowoff tube in sanitizer not water
2. Racking to a secondary will not affect clarity unless you disturb the trub before kegging/bottling. Unless you are adding fruit or similar or carbonating in the brite I would not use a secondary.
3. IF the CO2 is still being produced by fermentation or off gassing and is creating a positive pressure in the carboy the beer MAY not be oxidized. MOST homebrew is oxidized to a degree due to processes shortcuts/equipment limitations, a porter will hide this better than a light beer and it probably will not be noticeable unless you age the beer.
4. Do not assume that airlock/bubbling is active fermentation. The beer will absorb CO2 as fermentation proceeds. At typical ale temperatures the finished beer will already have a CO2 level of ~1 volumes. If the beer is warmed up or disturbed some of this CO2 will come out of the beer and create airlock activity. Has the gravity level changed? That is the only method of determining if fermentation is done.
5. If the yeast consumed more sugar that means the fermentation wasn't complete to begin with. Attenuation depends on the yeast and the wort/beer it should finish at the same place and can't be pushed further with time.

I think you might be fine, CO2 is heavier than air so I'm sure there was a layer covering your beer. Especially if your seeing airlock activity still.

Sorry, this is 100% wrong. That is not how gasses work. Look at some of the other threads discussing basic chemistry.

 

[PADave]

Easy way to eliminate the blow off tube, especially with a secondary, and the setup you described is to cut a hole in the box for the airlock to stick out. Place a towel in the box over the carboy. No light getting to your beer. No worries about dogs drinking your blow off liquid.

 

[bradp1979]

Haven't gotten through everything yet, but you all are right. I shouldn't have posted this at 6:00 AM before my eyes are fully open. I do mean 1.068, not 1.168.