Joe's Beer Repair

[hopdawg]

Does your beer require a tune-up? Major overhaul?
Mine did. Today I didn't make beer, I repaired it. I had two beers sitting here in kegs that I just wasn't happy with. The first, a Pale Ale I brewed back in July was just too sweet. It's like the yeast stalled. In fact I'm certain it did with a OG of 1.050 and an FG of 1.015. I gave up on it and threw it back in the boiling pot. I boiled it for 30 mins with an additional 1LB of DME a generous portion of Goldings, cooled it and fired in a pack of Coopers that has been in my fridge for a year. I'll let you know how it turns out.
The second one I repaired was an IPA that had developed a diacetyl. I've been wanting to try a "de-alcoholization" of one of my beers so this one was a great candidate. I raised the temp to 183-185F for 25 minutes. Cooled it and put her back in the keg. I'll chill it and gas it tomorrow and update you with the results.

 

[HomerJR]

I'm not sure "repair" is the word I'd use. The Pale Ale will now be alcohol-free, except for the extra DME you put in. This will give you an ABV of about 1.3%. I'm not sure what to say about the IPA.

What's the purpose of removing the alcohol? Are you just wanting to tinker with NA beer? I don't get it.

 

[gtpro]

Well it sounds like hes still tasting a lot of sugar in the pale, that along with the extra lb of DME and a good pack of yeast should produce a decent amount of alcohol.

 

[annasdadhockey]

Well it sounds like hes still tasting a lot of sugar in the pale, that along with the extra lb of DME and a good pack of yeast should produce a decent amount of alcohol.

Unfortunately it's probably unfermentable sugars he's tasting, which will not ferment out. He's going to end up with a hoppy, 1% alcohol beer.

 

[weirdboy]

I'm confused. How does heating the IPA up to remove alcohol fix the diacetyl?

When I had a diacetyl lingering in a recent pale ale after a few weeks in primary, I pitched another packet of yeast and let it go for a couple more weeks. Fixed it right up.

 

[sudbuster]

Does your beer require a tune-up? Major overhaul? <clip>

A very unusual proceedure, IMHO...

 

[KayaBrew]

1.050->1.015 sounds pretty good to me. I can't understand why it would taste too sweet.

 

[Handle]

Yeah, you haven't repaired them until you can vouch that they're improved.

But keep us posted nonetheless.

 

[hopvine]

You're going to be astounded by the results, and by astounded I mean very disappointed.

 

[zanemoseley]

Yup the pale ale will be way low ABV. I know all too well that alcohol will evaporate out after making a bad batch of jello shots in college where I boiled the liquor in with the jello.

 

[hopdawg]

What? All the alcohol will be gone? I was told that it would double if brought up to 183F. This is a disappointment.

My initial point being, I had two beers that were not good. One too sweet the other with diacetyl. I could drink them the way they were because they contained alcohol or I could neuter them and experiment with an NA beer. My apologies if I hadn't made that clear.