long ferment

[6footbrewery]

ok so I will be going on deployment in august for 6 months. I want to make a beer that ferments for that long if not longer. Does anyone have a recipe for one? I'm willing to try it. Thanks,

 

[stevem86]

You could try a barley wine.
I currently have a barley wine sitting in the secondary and in total it will be in the secondary for about 6 months, that is after having it in the primary for 1 month.


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

 

[6footbrewery]

Sounds fun. What's your recipe like if you don't mind me asking.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[stevem86]

It was a Northern Brewer extract kit.



Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

 

[6footbrewery]

I'd have to let it sit for at least 7 months in secondary. Think that would hurt it. Sounds like a go ahead.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[stevem86]

It would not hurt it at all.
I read the reviews and there were a ton of people that left it for 12 months and said it was even better.


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

 

[stevem86]

I would make sure that you have it in a glass carboy (less oxygen permeable)
And have as little head space as possible.
Here is mine.



Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

 

[6footbrewery]

I have that same carboy. I'll look it up. If you find something else let me know.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[BadgerBrew3r]

There is a pretty long-lasting debate on here about how long you can leave your beer in primary. Even for a normal gravity beer. According to Revvy, here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/can-beer-left-ferment-long-305460/ some people have kept normal beers in primary for up to a year with no ill effects at all.

Assuming you have a 6 gallon primary and a 5 gallon secondary, you could brew a batch like the Barleywine and transfer to secondary, and brew something else and leave it in primary. You could have two batches ready to go for the homecoming party!

If you're naturally carbonating in the bottles, you might have to wait a bit for the carbonation, like jeburgdo ran into here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/barleywine-carbonation-issues-253166/

 

[6footbrewery]

Interesting. Do you know any beers that you would recommend letting sit for a long time. Maybe a mead? I mean I want it to get better with time. I don't want to just leave it there for no reason.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[k1ngl1ves]

Make sure you have someone to add liquid to your airlock on occasion...

 

[BadgerBrew3r]

I think a mead would be a good idea. You'd need to make sure you got through all the energizer additions before leaving.

I just started this kit: http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/...g-brew-recipes/regal-pale-ale-recipe-kit.html which calls for a long secondary (2-3 months) before dry hop addition. You could leave this is primary the whole time and I'm sure it would improve. If you know someone you trust they could add the dry hop for you a couple weeks before you get back.

 

[6footbrewery]

That's a great idea. My wife could do that not to hard.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew