Not sure what I did

[b33rmonger]

Hi everyone, I usually don't post because I can find most answers by searching but I could really use a little help on this one. This is my 5th batch all the others have come out good (if I let them bottle condition log enough) but this one I'm affraid I may have killed the yeasties. Heres the recipie

3.2 lbs LME
1 LBS DME
1.5 lbs rice syrup
.5 cascade at 15 min
.5 cascade 55 min
1/2 tbs yeast nutrient

I had some Windsor yeast, I know probably not the best match for this beer, but it's what I had. I put it in a starter and pitched it when the wort was about 80 degrees. The next day it was a warm day, probably 85 or so. When I got home from work it was bubbling like mad. Since I knew fermenting at a warm temp can give off flavors I decieded to put it in a air conditioned room. Probably about 65 degrees.

The bubbling had almost stopped after a day in there. I left it for another 2 weeks. Last night I opened it up and it is very cloudy, can smell a kind of acidic smell (no mold or infection that I can see) and a slight sweet smell. But it doesn't seem to be doing much. Very few bubbles maybe some every 2 minutes in the airlock.

I'm wondering should a pitch another yeast into it? I have a packet of Coopers yeast. From previous experience it should be almost done.

 

[b33rmonger]

Sorry maybe a should have posted this in the beginners forum, I'll put it over there

 

[b33rmonger]

Hi everyone, I usually don't post because I can find most answers by searching but I could really use a little help on this one. This is my 5th batch all the others have come out good (if I let them bottle condition log enough) but this one I'm affraid I may have killed the yeasties. Heres the recipie

3.2 lbs LME
1 LBS DME
1.5 lbs rice syrup
.5 cascade at 15 min
.5 cascade 55 min
1/2 tbs yeast nutrient

I had some Windsor yeast, I know probably not the best match for this beer, but it's what I had. I put it in a starter and pitched it when the wort was about 80 degrees. The next day it was a warm day, probably 85 or so. When I got home from work it was bubbling like mad. Since I knew fermenting at a warm temp can give off flavors I decieded to put it in a air conditioned room. Probably about 65 degrees.

The bubbling had almost stopped after a day in there. I left it for another 2 weeks. Last night I opened it up and it is very cloudy, can smell a kind of acidic smell (no mold or infection that I can see) and a slight sweet smell. But it doesn't seem to be doing much. Very few bubbles maybe some every 2 minutes in the airlock.

I'm wondering should a pitch another yeast into it? I have a packet of Coopers yeast. From previous experience it should be almost done.

 

[Yooper]

Don't worry about the correct place to post a question- many of us "oldtimers" use the "new posts" feature and can see all of the questions no matter where they are, so we can answer no matter what forum they start out in.

Can you go check the SG (specific gravity) of your beer, and let us know what it is? That would help us give you the best advice.

 

[KCBrewer]

It doesn't sound like anything out of the ordinary. It probably fermented quicker being at such a warm temp, and that will cause fruitier/sweeter (esters I think they are called) flavors. No activity after two weeks is perfectly normal though. Take a hydro reading, it's probably done fermenting and just needs some more time to clear.

 

[Superkabuto]

Everything sounds normal to me. Typically fermentation goes like crazy for the first 48 hours or so, then slows down dramatically. The best way to know what's going on is to take a gravity reading. After 2 weeks it should be close to your expected FG.

 

[b33rmonger]

Its somewhere between 1.18 and 1.20

Start was around 1.40 and expected FG is 1.10

So just let it sit then?

 

[merddyn2002]

holy crap man. that's a very sugary beer. (not that that's a bad thing)

with that much sugar in your batch it may take a while. i would give it 2 weeks like kabuto says and then take another SG reading.

Make sure you're keeping everything absolutely sanitary that's going into that batch including the cup you're using to dip out for your sample to take a reading from. I also wouldn't put your sample back in the batch after the reading. just dump it.

 

[McFugga]

Is it really that sugary? I think he mistyped. I think he wanted to type 1.040 OG and 1.010 FG as expected values.

 

[merddyn2002]

Is it really that sugary? I think he mistyped, A beer that sugary should have a much lower expected FG. I think he wanted to type 1.040 OG and 1.010 FG as expected values.

yeah if he meant 1.04 to 1.01 then yeah. that's very typical. I kind of thought that's what he meant too but it's a forum so he had ample time to fix it so i figured it wasn't a typo.

I have like super sweet meads that start at 1.2

 

[b33rmonger]

Yea I did mean 1.04 and and 1.01, headed to work after the post and didn't notice. Thank you all for your input, I'm going to leave this another week and check it again. Maybe bring the temp up to high 60's in that room also.

 

[Yooper]

Yea I did mean 1.04 and and 1.01, headed to work after the post and didn't notice. Thank you all for your input, I'm going to leave this another week and check it again. Maybe bring the temp up to high 60's in that room also.

If the temperature is 62-70 degrees, it's fine. I wouldn't increase it. Just give it a little time and it'll be ok. Remember that it's the temperature of the beer, not the room, that is important. If it was 80+ degrees when it started fermenting, putting it in a 65 degree room wouldn't have cooled it much. It probably fermented a bit too hot, that's why it's got some weird flavors now. I'd just leave it alone in the mid 60s for another week or two.