Green Brewer...Green Beer...

[rraypold]

Post #2

I started the post "Draught Kit - Beginner Issue" just below this thread. Thanks for all the help!

Now, if you read through it, I detailed the issue.

Now, I need to know the best way to mellow green beer. It's been in the primary for 3 weeks or so. Is there anything I can add at this point?

Thanks again everyone!

R

 

[Brownalemikie]

Green beer......seems you missed St. Patrick's day. Maybe next year

 

[dzlater]

If it's done fermenting , bottle it.

 

[rraypold]

Have you guys ever added gelatin to clarify? Cold crash befor racking?

Thanks guys!

 

[rraypold]

Green beer......seems you missed St. Patrick's day. Maybe next year

Just waiting for that one!

 

[SlitheryDee]

Wow you seemed to mess with it an awful lot. I see several instances of moving and stirring, pitching new yeast, etc. I wonder if all that was really necessary.

Anyway, all it probably needs is time in the bottles to mellow. The gravity listed at the bottom is probably close to your final gravity. I would check the gravity for a couple of days in a row to make sure it doesn't change, and then bottle it.

I've never used gelatin or cold crashing, but I understand that the two can be used in conjunction to make a large difference in clarity. It'll probably get nearly as clear in the bottles with no finings though, especially after a week or so in the fridge.

 

[MidAtlanticBrew]

A lager fermentation schedule it seems. My guess is that you may have underpitched. Anyway, if you've reached terminal gravity meaning the beer is still at 1.012 today, two days after your last reading at 1.012, It's time to move to the next step. The thing is, there are multiple possible next steps. You can cold crash in the primary, rack to a secondary and cold crash, rack to a keg and cold crash, and using a fining with any of these options. Once cold, you can lager for 2 to 3 weeks or more to mellow the beer.

You could also bottle/prime with storage at room temp for 2 weeks then cold crash and lager in the bottle.

If you're new to brewing, I would not cold crash in a bucket or secondary. Things can easily go wrong, most having to do with drawing sanitizer and O2 into the beer. If you are new to brewing, I'd recommend once you've reached terminal gravity, bottle and prime then let carbonate, then lager in the bottle or if you keg, lager in the keg. good luck

 

[rraypold]

Thanks for the great advice everyone! Well noted!

 

[Sir-Hops-A-Lot]

You could also bottle/prime with storage at room temp for 2 weeks then cold crash and lager in the bottle.

Do this. Stop monkeying with your beer.
The only cold crash you need is your head in a bucket of ice water. Forget about for a while and start brewing something new to obsess about!

 

[brewcat]

You're way overthinking things. Step away from the fermenter. Bubbles don't mean anything. Why are you stirring? The yeast do the mixing.

Since it is a lager, a good rule of thumb is lagering a week for every 10 gravity points. So in your case 4 weeks and 3 days.

 

[Yooper]

Next time, remember to never stir your beer once fermentation has begun and progressed. It's the quickest way to ruin it, as oxidation will stale the beer as well as cause flavor changes.

Next time, ferment in the primary for 10 days or so. If it's a lager, raise the temperature near the end of fermentation if you would like. Wait a few days, and either lager it (if it's a lager) or bottle it if the SG is not changing after readings at least three days apart.

 

[rraypold]

Next time, remember to never stir your beer once fermentation has begun and progressed. It's the quickest way to ruin it, as oxidation will stale the beer as well as cause flavor changes.

Next time, ferment in the primary for 10 days or so. If it's a lager, raise the temperature near the end of fermentation if you would like. Wait a few days, and either lager it (if it's a lager) or bottle it if the SG is not changing after readings at least three days apart.

Before I stirred, I called a home brew store for advice. The guy told me to get it in a warmer area and stir up the trub.

Rookie mistake.