Still chuggin along

[DrewsBrews]

Okay, I need some opinions here. My Holiday Christmas Ale has been in the primary for nine days now. The air lock is as busy now as it was the day after I pitched (burps about every 5-7 seconds). Of the first three batches, this one took off the best. https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/gallery/data/1/2/0/2/2/GreatHead.jpg

The trub hasn't noticeably increased since the third day. When I shine a light on the side of the carboy I can see the yeast flying around in there, although not as much as the first few days. I'm going to brew again Saturday and I was planning on pitching the new batch on the yeast cake.

The question is: should I leave it alone until it shows obvious signs of slowing down a bunch, or get it off the yeast and into the secondary? I'm not overly concerned about it being in there over the "golden rule" of one week. My thought now is that there are enough yeast still in suspension that they'll travel into the secondary and keep going until the sugar is all gone. My fear is that I'll be wrong and racking it will stop the fermentation before it's ready.

 

[El Pistolero]

Take an SG reading if you can...if it's fairly close to being done then go ahead and rack it...if not, leave it be.

 

[david_42]

It's a little like opera, it ain't over until is stops outgassing. If you're like most of us your holiday ale was a bit on the high gravity side. The high sugar content slows the ferment at the beginning (or results in blow-offs) and the high ABV slows it at the end. Makes for long ferments.

Racking won't stop the fermentation, but unless you are pushed for time, I'd follow EP's recommendation and monitor the SG for a few days.

 

[DrewsBrews]

Thanks, guys. I figured these would be the sort of responses I'd get. The OG was 1060, but I was so impressed by the kraeusen that I figured it would be pretty much done by now. This thing is like a freight train... just keeps on rolling with no signs of slowing.

Since I wasn't planning on starting the new batch for another day or so, I'll leave it and check the SG then. I can't wait to taste the sample.

 

[homebrewer_99]

Depending on your ingredients, you should have brewed a Christmas beer in July or August.

Spices like cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice take months to mellow out. Young Christmas beer has a bitter bite due to these spices.

 

[DrewsBrews]

Oh sure... NOW you tell me. It has an ounce and a half of freshly grated ginger in it. Oh well, it'll just have to have a little bite. I ain't waitin' that long to drink it. I'll have to ask the buddy who gave me the recipe when he brewed it and if it needed that much conditioning time. I like ginger cookies with a little zing to them, so maybe it won't bother me much.

At least I've got a porter going this weekend as a backup.

Just curious - for long conditioning beers like that, is it better to leave it in the secondary with the air lock the whole time, or put it in the keg/bottle for the bulk of it?

 

[homebrewer_99]

It's good you like the bite of ginger...I actually eat whole cloves of garlic (when eating Korean food, etc.). Talk about bitter.

This sounds like one of those "you're not going to believe this" stories, but I just opened a bottle of a "Light Belgium Wit" I brewed on 5 Mar 05 and bottled on 14 Apr 05.

I used 2# of Wheat DME and 5# of Light DME, with 1 oz of Ginger, 2 tsp crushed coriander and 1/2 oz of sweet orange peel. Because it is light on the wheat I called it a "Dim Wit".

I have to tell you (I break a lot of the general brewing rules) that this batch (like many of mine) has NEVER been in the fridge! It's been sitting in a cardboard case for 7 months now. It is as clear as any beer you can buy (except for that extra-clear commercial stuff that looks like water - Bud, Miller, etc.).

It has a nice body, exceptionally well balanced. Not sweet or bitter Very tasty. I will make definitely make this again. The "trick" is in the aging (...if you can keep your hands off of the bottles and sampling).

You can smell the ginger. You can taste the ginger. But there is no bite at all. This would be a really good beer for competition. The yeast used is a WLP300 Hefe Weizen and was used twice before. This was the 3rd time I used this yeast (I wash and reuse my yeast).

According to my notes at 5 days prior to bottling the ginger still had a bite and the orange was evident. I would up the orange a tad as I find it dificcult to pull out the flavor.

OG: 1048
FG: 1007
41 X 129 = 5.2% ABV

I let the brew reach its FG range in the secondary. After that I condition in the bottle. So my "Dim Wit" has been in the bottle since 14 Apr and today is 25 Nov... so that's over 7 months conditioning. Man was it ever worth the wait!

Where are you in Tacoma? I was in Tacoma in Aug. I stayed at one of the hotels at the Port of Tacoma. And my wife has a cousin in Bremerton as well as more in Yakima.

 

[God Emporer BillyBrew]

Depending on your ingredients, you should have brewed a Christmas beer in July or August.

Spices like cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice take months to mellow out. Young Christmas beer has a bitter bite due to these spices.

My christmas beer was done about a month ago and had vanilla, nutmeg and Anise in it. It tastes pretty good, but the Anise is a bit strong. I think/hope it will be just right by Christmas, though.

 

[homebrewer_99]

My christmas beer was done about a month ago and had vanilla, nutmeg and Anise in it. It tastes pretty good, but the Anise is a bit strong. I think/hope it will be just right by Christmas, though.

I know what you mean...I had a couple shots of Ouzo yesterday. WHOA!!

You still have about 4 weeks for aging. Many times a week will work wonders. I hope you'll be VERY satisfied on Christmas!

I noticed that Bethany is right outside of OK City. Wanna trade a couple bottles (12 oz) of your Christmas brew for my "Dim Wit" (ginger)?

I may be going to Ft. Hood, TX in another week. If so, I can come MO/OK-way instead of going Memphis-way. Either way gets me to Killeen.

 

[DrewsBrews]

I let the brew reach its FG range in the secondary. After that I condition in the bottle. So my "Dim Wit" has been in the bottle since 14 Apr and today is 25 Nov... so that's over 7 months conditioning. Man was it ever worth the wait!

I want to put this in one of my kegs. If I do, I was planning on force-carbonating it. Will the beer age well this way (for a month or more)? Or can one only age primed beer in a bottle? I'm just thinking that if I try it and the ginger bite is a bit too strong, I'd hate to let it sit and mellow in the keg and end up with funky beer I don't want to drink at all.

Where are you in Tacoma? I was in Tacoma in Aug. I stayed at one of the hotels at the Port of Tacoma. And my wife has a cousin in Bremerton as well as more in Yakima.

West side, near the Narrows Bridge (structural engineering disaster buffs will know its predecessor as "Galloping Gertie"). You drove over it to get to Bremerton, if you went that way during your visit.

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

This sounds like one of those "you're not going to believe this" stories, but I just opened a bottle of a "Light Belgium Wit" I brewed on 5 Mar 05 and bottled on 14 Apr 05.

Hey You bottled on my birthday! Hmm if you still have a bottle around on the next April 14th, could you send me one? I'm sure I could find something by then to send back in trade. Not quite sure how this works cross border, but I know people have done it before. I believe the term "Yeast Culture" not "beer" was used for customs.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I want to put this in one of my kegs. If I do, I was planning on force-carbonating it. Will the beer age well this way (for a month or more)? Or can one only age primed beer in a bottle? I'm just thinking that if I try it and the ginger bite is a bit too strong, I'd hate to let it sit and mellow in the keg and end up with funky beer I don't want to drink at all.

West side, near the Narrows Bridge (structural engineering disaster buffs will know its predecessor as "Galloping Gertie"). You drove over it to get to Bremerton, if you went that way during your visit.

I only use mini-kegs. I don't know how to answer your question except to say that aging is a natural process and one that should not be rushed...you can't fool Mother Nature...as the saying goes.

I may be totally wrong here, but I would never put a spiced brew in a keg. I know it's all metal, but wouldn't that transfer some of the flavors into the next batch?

Yeah, I remember all that "destruction" near the bridge. Way too much traffic for me.

 

[Dragonfly]

Couldn't you just put it in the keg - not carbonate it yet - and treat it like a tertiary fermentation? Then force carbonate it like a week before christmas? There's a good chance I'm wrong about this but I think it might make it age better than just carbonating it now...

but then again Christmas is only a month away, and this beer is still in primary! I bet it'll be fine though

 

[homebrewer_99]

Hey You bottled on my birthday! Hmm if you still have a bottle around on the next April 14th, could you send me one? I'm sure I could find something by then to send back in trade. Not quite sure how this works cross border, but I know people have done it before. I believe the term "Yeast Culture" not "beer" was used for customs.

I know where you live. I've been to your town! You related to Ogopogo?

I did some camping up at Indian Head (east of Regina) and at Golden. While there I climbed up to the glacier at Glacier Nat'l Park. That was a long hike. Then we stopped in your town for a meal and supplies. We passed Ogopogo's lake, but I guess you've already been there a million times.

After returning to the US we went through the Colville Indian Res and Chief Joseph's (Nez Perce) gravesite to give my respects (I like history) before hitting Coulee Dam.

I'm not sure how to do the shipping either. I'm certain it will be several more times the price of the beer.

 

[david_42]

The ginger ales I've made were both aged in the keg and did nicely. I'll probably make another once the Poor Richard's is done. Used fresh root the first time and candied ginger the second. Going back to fresh, I liked it much better.

 

[DrewsBrews]

The ginger ales I've made were both aged in the keg and did nicely.

How did you go about this? Dragonfly's idea seems to make the most sense, but I'd appreciate a first-hand description.

Also, how long did you age?

 

[david_42]

Nothing special, just put the ale in the keg from the secondary. No different than bottling. I very lightly force carbonated, 10 psi at 50F, before tapping.