In Secondary Fermentation for YEARS

[Dynachrome]

So if it tastes OK,

Add Fresh Yeast and priming sugar and bottle or Keg....

Make sure it is a yeast that can handle the high initial alcohol content....

That should do it....

DPB

...my thoughts here also.

 

[XPLSV]

I agree, that's what I meant by "a few grains of yeast". How much did you add to each bottle?

Sorry...haven't been on in awhile. I almost always force carbonate in a keg.

 

[krebs119]

Soooo, I'm in a similar situation as OP here.... I got my cousin into brewing about 5 years ago. He brewed 2 or 3 beers, but then more or less quit. All of his equipment (extract kits, buckets, plastic carboy, bottling wand, capper, etc) has been stored at my house for this entire time. I see him every now and then, but he never mentions any of it, and hasn't had any real inkling to get back into it.

I, on the other hand, have probably brewed 200 batches since then, gone all grain, competitions, blah blah blah...

He brewed a 5 gal extract batch of a Sierra Nevada clone (NB? Midwest? I can't remember) that has been sitting in my brew closet now for about 5 years. At some point (likely before the airlock dried out) I replaced the airlock with a carboy cap. This carboy hasn't seen oxygen or light in those 5 years, nor has it been moved more than an inch or two. I've debated dumping it, I've debated kegging it, and I've feared both.

I haven't opened it. It's still on the yeast cake and the carboy is plastic - so I fear that enough oxygen has made it through the walls at this point and the yeast might have done weird things to it (I think it's called autolysis?). This thread has made me think about checking that carboy out....

 

[pdxal]

Soooo, I'm in a similar situation as OP here.... I got my cousin into brewing about 5 years ago. He brewed 2 or 3 beers, but then more or less quit. All of his equipment (extract kits, buckets, plastic carboy, bottling wand, capper, etc) has been stored at my house for this entire time. I see him every now and then, but he never mentions any of it, and hasn't had any real inkling to get back into it.

I, on the other hand, have probably brewed 200 batches since then, gone all grain, competitions, blah blah blah...

He brewed a 5 gal extract batch of a Sierra Nevada clone (NB? Midwest? I can't remember) that has been sitting in my brew closet now for about 5 years. At some point (likely before the airlock dried out) I replaced the airlock with a carboy cap. This carboy hasn't seen oxygen or light in those 5 years, nor has it been moved more than an inch or two. I've debated dumping it, I've debated kegging it, and I've feared both.

I haven't opened it. It's still on the yeast cake and the carboy is plastic - so I fear that enough oxygen has made it through the walls at this point and the yeast might have done weird things to it (I think it's called autolysis?). This thread has made me think about checking that carboy out....

Try it!
The worst that can happen is it doesn't taste good. Can't make you sick or harm you, so worth a test.

 

[FatDragon]

Soooo, I'm in a similar situation as OP here.... I got my cousin into brewing about 5 years ago. He brewed 2 or 3 beers, but then more or less quit. All of his equipment (extract kits, buckets, plastic carboy, bottling wand, capper, etc) has been stored at my house for this entire time. I see him every now and then, but he never mentions any of it, and hasn't had any real inkling to get back into it.

I, on the other hand, have probably brewed 200 batches since then, gone all grain, competitions, blah blah blah...

He brewed a 5 gal extract batch of a Sierra Nevada clone (NB? Midwest? I can't remember) that has been sitting in my brew closet now for about 5 years. At some point (likely before the airlock dried out) I replaced the airlock with a carboy cap. This carboy hasn't seen oxygen or light in those 5 years, nor has it been moved more than an inch or two. I've debated dumping it, I've debated kegging it, and I've feared both.

I haven't opened it. It's still on the yeast cake and the carboy is plastic - so I fear that enough oxygen has made it through the walls at this point and the yeast might have done weird things to it (I think it's called autolysis?). This thread has made me think about checking that carboy out....

Take out a little bit for a taste. If it's not completely objectionable, give it a dry hop and keg it up. If it's terrible, dump it.

 

[Dynachrome]

As someone mentioned, however, there is no contribution to aroma from hops, which I would have expected on a "normal" brew.

Hops loose their potency in beer over time.

I also uncovered a few cases of old ale (much more recent than the barleywine, however) -- a sweet stout and a nut brown. The former didn't taste great and I dumped it - the latter had a metallic taste and I dumped it.. I mention this because I would dump the barleywine if I thought I should.

Too bad. I had a friend who accidentally mad e a red. It inspired me to start all-grain.

He didn't like it. he was going to pour it out. He gave me a twelver to take home. My wife and I really enjoyed it and asked for another 12.

We finished that off too.

We gave him back the empty bottles, cleaned.

...somebody may have liked them, just sayin'.

 

[cooperbl7]

He brewed a 5 gal extract batch of a Sierra Nevada clone (NB? Midwest? I can't remember) that has been sitting in my brew closet now for about 5 years. At some point (likely before the airlock dried out) I replaced the airlock with a carboy cap. This carboy hasn't seen oxygen or light in those 5 years, nor has it been moved more than an inch or two. I've debated dumping it, I've debated kegging it, and I've feared both.

The Sierra clone surely won't taste that great at this time -- not a good one to age, in any case. Taste it, and if it hasn't gone completely to Malt Vinegar, I suggest you give it new life by SOURING it! Add some dregs of good sour bottles, and/or Roselare. Add some Brett later on, if desired. Keep it airtight, wait several months (it seems you are able to be patient, anyway) and see what develops!