Think I may have messed up ... help please

[Flyer]

I bottled a Double Choclate Stout yesterday. I pitched some Champagne yeast in it since I racked it a third time and let it sit for a long while. I think I messed up when I pitched the yeast though. I boiled some cocoa powder, put in the bottom of the priming bucket, poured the priming sugar in on top of it, and threw the yeast over that. I did stir it up to help rehydrate the yeast.

Here's the problem, I see a rim around the top of the bottles now at the fluid level. I'm guessing it's from the yeast. I noticed also an oily film on top of the beer when I was bottling. I think that was from the cocoa though.

Do I have reason to worry or am I being paranoid?

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

You probably killed most of the chamapgne yeast by hydrating it that way. Hydrate your yeast in Water for 15 minutes, stir, then pitch. You should also add your sugar to boiling water to sanitze and disolve the sugar.

The oily look was probably from the cocoa powder. So was the ring in the bottle. Was it pure cocoa?

Wait a few days then try one bottle to see if it's a conatmination problem. If it doesn't taste like Hawkeye's socks or a bottle of vineger, then you're probably ok. Just let it age for several weeks.

 

[Flyer]

Phew ... thanks. I soon realized that I didn't do the yeast right. I was trying to rush things. The water the yeast and priming sugar went into had been boiled in the microwave.

 

[Mikey]

There's also no need to add yeast at bottling time, what's already there will do just fine irrespective of how long it's been sitting in a carboy.

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

Yeah, though it will probably carbonate faster. But if you are going to be aging it for 2-3 weeks anyway, then I wouldn't bother adding any yeast, you'll end up with more sediment if you do.

One thing I have been doing lately is racking to a bottling bucket then adding clean water to the trub, so the carboy is about a third full, I stir that up and then leave it for a few minutes. Basically like yeast washing but I siphon some of the yeast layer into the bottling bucket.
Just have to make sure you have the middle layer. Much easier with glass carboys.

 

[Flyer]

Reason I used the champagne yeast is because I've heard some say on here they used it with good reults, being a nice creamy head. When I racked the 3rd time, it sat for a good while. I never saw any more yeast collecting at the bottom, so I was concerned there wasn't any in there left. When I racked to the bottling bucket, it looked equivelant to what would be left in a bottle once poured, there was that little.

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

There's always some yeast in there. It will just take time for it to populate to enough numbers to carbonate fully.
You should have something drinkable in 3 weeks.

 

[rewster451]

I don't know what this means, but my Ginger Chocolate Porters have always had a ring around the top of the bottles. When you swirl them around it goes away, but I don't know if it comes from the ginger or the cocoa. Either way the beer is delicious.

 

[usmcruz]

I don't know what this means, but my Ginger Chocolate Porters have always had a ring around the top of the bottles. When you swirl them around it goes away, but I don't know if it comes from the ginger or the cocoa. Either way the beer is delicious.

I used cocoa in my chocolate porter and the oils from the cocoa will leave a oily residue no matter when you add the cocoa. The ring is also from cocoa. I now use cocoa extract (liquid), and it give's that cocoa flavor without the oilyness.

 

[Flyer]

I opened a bottle last night. It didn't taste bad, but it wasn't good yet either. I could taste a very faint chocolate taste and a crude coffee taste in it. I think it's gonna be good.

Thanks for the help guys!

 

[david_42]

a nice creamy head

That's exactly right and I'll say it again, champagne yeast in the keg or bottle produces a head on stout much like nitro.

 

[Flyer]

Then explain to me please how you used it. I dunno if I did it right or not.

 

[Flyer]

Gonna give this a bump ... maybe David will come back and answer???