Should I throw this out?

[nuggets]

Another silly newbie post...

About 5 weeks ago I brewed a porter with some Safale K-097 yeast (related post here has more info on brewing parameters)

I made 2.5G of wort but dumbly only had two 2G carboys as FVs. The remaining 0.5G I put into a sanitized swivel-top glass bottle my wife uses to make kombucha. I pitched a volume-adjusted weight of yeast even though I had slightly under the manufacturer's recommended weight in yeast for the amount of volume.

To prevent the bottle from exploding I didn't swivel the top closed, but just put the cap on the bottle and left it there "unswivelled" (or whatever the technical term is, i don't know). TBH I didn't think of swivelling shut after the initial vigorous fermentation phase.

At the recs of the other posters on the linked thread above, I let the fermentation run a little longer than usual.

Now, I am planning on taking an SG measurement from all 3 FVs this weekend, and bottle if I hit the SG for whichever FV meets the SG.

My Q is realy about whether I should just not even bother with the 3rd FV that I didn't swivel shut. I don't see much carbonation moving around when i gently lift up the bottle making sure to not disturb the trub. Waste of time?

thanks all

 

[seatazzz]

IMHO, the only true test of 'to dump, or not to dump' (barring any obvious infections) is smell/taste. Does the 'unswivelled' batch smell off? How does it taste? If you think it's good, your final gravity is hit or close, by all means package. There are no hard and fast rules for when a beer is 'ready'. Yeast do what they will do, on their own schedule most of the time.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

To prevent the bottle from exploding I didn't swivel the top closed, but just put the cap on the bottle and left it there "unswivelled"

Air locks (vs loose bottle lids) are better at keeping things out (e.g. fruit flies).

A loose cap may not be 'ideal', but it's probably 'good enough' for an extra 0.5 gal.

Should I throw this [3rd FV] out?

A: Not yet (and probably not at all).

 

[T Murph]

It has not carbonation because the top was not sealed. The beer is most likely fine. Like others stated, if it smells and taste ok, then it is fine. Just be careful if you carbonate in the bottle because the yeast will wake up hungry.

 

[mac_1103]

In the worst case scenario you can still make a big batch of brats with it.

 

[RM-MN]

My Q is realy about whether I should just not even bother with the 3rd FV that I didn't swivel shut. I don't see much carbonation moving around when i gently lift up the bottle making sure to not disturb the trub. Waste of time?

Why would there be anything wrong with that beer? Once the fermentation starts there is CO2 being pushed out, either through an airlock or around the top of the fermentation vessel. Bucket fermenters are notorious for leaking around the lid and they still make good beer. I even have one bucket that has no airlock, simply a piece of Saran wrap taped over a hole in the lid.

 

[Rish]

Check the sg of each and record it. Wait a couple of days and check again. If it's the same, smell and taste. If they smell and taste okay, package. I think you're probably good.

 

[Komodo]

I’ve brewed for 35 years and have never dumped a batch.

 

[Saunassa]

In the worst case scenario you can still make a big batch of brats with it.

Or a nice corned beef brisket using an instant pot or slow cooker.

 

[Nixter]

The open bottle fermentation reminds me of my first Mr Beer Kit. That plastic brown barrel with a wide mouth on top. No airlock, just a wide threaded plastic lid on that and everything came out fine. Relatively fine. Drinkably fine. I got a feeling it's going to be okay.

 

[nuggets]

Thanks all.

Different question:

I just measured the FG of one of the fermenters (I only have budget 1G carboys x 2.5 for the batch) and read 1.0141 - yes, I adjusted for wort temperature and the baseline calibration of the hydrometer.

The recipe says 1.015. Tastes OK, kinda sweet.

Bottle?

 

[Hoochin'Fool]

I just measured the FG of one of the fermenters (I only have budget 1G carboys x 2.5 for the batch) and read 1.0141 - yes, I adjusted for wort temperature and the baseline calibration of the hydrometer.

The recipe says 1.015. Tastes OK, kinda sweet.

Bottle?

I'm going to assume the gravity you measured actually read 1.014 ...

So, PROBABLY it's all done. But the true test of "done" or not, is whether the gravity STAYS at that reading over 2 or 3 days.

You're probably thinking, dang, that's going to waste a lot of beer, taking multiple samples! But fear not! You can keep that sample in the hydrometer test jar, just put a plastic bag over the top to keep things from landing in it (like insects, or bacteria, etc).

 

[Jack_0106]

I'm going to assume the gravity you measured actually read 1.014 ...

So, PROBABLY it's all done. But the true test of "done" or not, is whether the gravity STAYS at that reading over 2 or 3 days.

You're probably thinking, dang, that's going to waste a lot of beer, taking multiple samples! But fear not! You can keep that sample in the hydrometer test jar, just put a plastic bag over the top to keep things from landing in it (like insects, or bacteria, etc).

If its all been sanitized, could the OP not just pour it right back in?

 

[nuggets]

If its all been sanitized, could the OP not just pour it right back in?

Yeah I guess... But it has already been consumed

@Hoochin'Fool the original reading was 1.012. I got that number by adjusting for the temperature of the wort which was 77F given that the hydrometer was calibrated at 59F. (+0.0021)

This has been fermenting for 2 months at this point. I think it is done and will bottle.

Thanks all.

 

[mac_1103]

But it has already been consumed

So is it a hydrometer sample that you happened to taste or a taste sample that you happened to take a hydrometer reading of? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[Hoochin'Fool]

If its all been sanitized, could the OP not just pour it right back in?

It would probably be okay to do that (if it hasn't already been consumed!), but even if you're completely confident in your cleanliness/sanitization process, pouring the beer back into the fermenter is still going to add a good dose of oxygen.

 

[Jack_0106]

It would probably be okay to do that (if it hasn't already been consumed!), but even if you're completely confident in your cleanliness/sanitization process, pouring the beer back into the fermenter is still going to add a good dose of oxygen.

Interesting - I'm a complete novice at this, brewed a mead and 3 ciders so far and I've always poured it back in from the sanitized graduated cylinder with no ill affects

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

I'm a complete novice at this [beer]

"One Gallon Brewers Unite" has covered "hydrometer samples waste beer" a number of times over its long history.

tl;dr?

• A 1 gal carboy typically yields a six pack + a one or two "bonus" bottles.
• If hydrometer samples "waste a lot of beer", look into a using a refractometer for FG measurements.

eta: As an alternative: rather than focusing on the hydrometer sample size, focus on how many bottles you want from the brew day; then adjust the recipe, the process, and the equipment to account for the size of two or three hydrometer samples.

 

[tracer bullet]

Anytime I've used a hydrometer to check gravity, I drank the sample afterwards. Good time to see how the beer tastes, I actually find it useful. Waste no beer!

 

[BlastOffBeers]

You can 100% bottle that beer. It's unlikely to have been contaminated if initially sanitized. Of course it's not carbonated yet, as it has only finished fermenting without pressure building up. Kombucha has it's own yeast and bacteria so I'm sure you went nuts on cleaning it. If it's the metal two-piece caps the acidity of the beer or something like that can cause it to rust if it touches it, it can cause problems. If you happened to leave it on the counter, maybe it fermented at a different temperature, which would be a nice bonus when it comes tasting time. 2 months is nice and long and it's 99% surely done. If it got actual 1.014 compared to 1.015 expected, that is. 99% sure is good enough for me.

If your fermenters are see-through, co2 activity is just as reliable as taking multiple hydrometer samples at different times, given you have a good flashlight and beer that is clear enough to see co2 bubbles rise.