Would You?

[Ize]

OK gang, what do you think...

Not having boiled, fermented, or bottled anything since my first batch in 1997, I consider this starting all over. The first good thing is I have my equipment, the second I have kept all my records from that first batch.... 9 years ago...

I named it "Triple F Pale Ale"
6 Lbs. Gold Northern Malt Extract
1 Oz. Fuggles Boiling Hops (boiled for 60 minutes)
1 Oz. Fuggles Finishing Hops
1 6 g. package of Munton's Active Brewing Yeast
3/4 cup of corn sugar
OG of 1.008
FG of 1.012

From primary (plastic) to secondary (glass) 12 days. From secondary to bottling 18 days.

It turned out well, totally drinkable. So now comes the questions... Anything in the above I maybe should have done differently? Something I may need to consider as I get ready to resume brewing?

And now the biggie... I actually have a bottle of that first brew left. It's been refrigerated since bottling. Quite the amount of sludge at the bottom. Every bottle had "some" but this one over 9 years has developed between a quarter and almost half an inch of debris nestled at the bottom of the bottle. A small amount of agitation results in bubbles in the neck so it appears to be carbonated to a degree still.... I've been saving it for a special occasion, and I think when that first boil occurs, it might be the time to crack it open... What do you think? Drinkable? Drainable? MY gut tells me to go for it...

Thanks!

Ize

 

[budbo]

9 year old beer? I'll bet your gut will be telling you something after drinking it.

 

[Ivan Lendl]

thats a solid recipe...i would steep some crystal (1/2-1lbs.)

I suggest with patients like yours you should make wine or mead...A 9 year old red wine sounds like perfection...the beer is potable if not good after 9 years, drink up!

 

[Ize]

You're probably right BudBo, but I keep eyeballin' that bottle... :cross: The temptation is going to be too much, I know it!



Ivan, Mead is DEFINITELY something I want to try, always have. I kept the bottle out of nostalgia, (quit brewing due to a change of wife and a couple of moves) but yeah, I could definitely wait out a mead if it came down to it... I'm more partial to beer than wine tho, but I've always wanted to try my hand at a mead....

Ize

PS: thanks for the tip on the crystal!

 

[Chairman Cheyco]

Crack it open and take a swig. To quote the abiding Dude "If it tastes like a$$ turn it over."

 

[Mr_Turtlehead]

I say go for it (hell, what do I have to lose?). And name the next batch "Rip Van Winkle Ale"

 

[Dude]

Crack it open and take a swig. To quote the abiding Dude "If it tastes like a$$ turn it over."

The Dude said that?

 

[Ize]

Crack it open and take a swig. To quote the abiding Dude "If it tastes like a$$ turn it over."

Lebowski WOULD have said something like that... And 100% dead on....

As for the next batch Turtle... Yet to be named, but that's damn appropriate... It's gonna be an IPA but it has it's own issues... gonna be a diff thread too...


Ize

 

[cowain]

Drink it. It's fine as long as it doesn't taste like vinegar.

 

[El Pistolero]

The Dude said that?

I think Cheyco's getting his movie quotes mixed up with old jokes...it was a really funny joke tho.

 

[sonvolt]

OG of 1.008
FG of 1.012

What? Are those accurate #'s? What am I missing . . . your gravity will not increase during fermenation . . .

 

[Ize]

It's very very possible I wrote those down wrong... I did notice that I had re-written the OG on the log... I'll double check it when I get home this evening because yeah, that makes sense, it wouldn't increase would it?

 

[Walker]

well.. if it DOES increase, then I certainly wouldn't drink it! Nothing good could have made the beer get thicker.

 

[Ize]

Beer with a fork... definitely something to avoid....

Ize

 

[Jens-Kristian]

Sounds good.

And you really have to taste that beer!!

How many homebrewers get a chance to taste nine year old homebrew??

And let us know how it is

Cheers,

Jens-Kristian

 

[Lost]

Beer with a fork... definitely something to avoid....

Ize

mmmm.. guinness :rockin:

yeah.. you wrote those numbers down wrong. Steep some crystal malt this time around.

 

[Ize]

First and foremost, when I said "Beer with a fork..." my minds eye had constructed something more gelatinous... Something that the fx guys in 1958 that made "The Blob" wouold have gazed at in awe.... Less than appetizing as I imagined it....

Guinness.... OMG Guinness... a perfect compliment or a meal all it's own... It's all in how you use it, but by all means do! And yeah Lost, you are 100% correct :rockin:

Thanks Jens-Kristian, I'll definitely keep you guys updated. I'm quite intrigued...

As far as the gravity was concerned, it looks like I changed the OG on the log, and it should read like this...

OG 1.080
FG 1.012

Why I changed it I have no idea... Could have been I didn't know what the hell I was doing... Could have been drunk...

Honestly, probably both...

Ize

 

[BrewBrothaRick]

As far as the gravity was concerned, it looks like I changed the OG on the log, and it should read like this...

OG 1.080
FG 1.012

Why I changed it I have no idea... Could have been I didn't know what the hell I was doing... Could have been drunk...

Honestly, probably both...

Ize

That sounds much more correct.

 

[Beer Snob]

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger you know Well at least it will be a good party joke (You'll never believe how I ended up in the hospital last month!)

 

[budbo]

The Dude said that?

Maybe the Evil Un-Dude said it?

 

[Ivan Lendl]

are you sure it was 1.080? that doesnt make sense...6 lbs. liquid extract will get you about 1.043 and 6 lbs of dry will get you about 1.054.
since you only used 1 ounce of fuggle for bittering i would guess its a way lower og than 1.080...i would guess that your gravity was either 1.038 or 1.048 or something like that. (1 oz. fuggles @ 6 aa is about 20 ibu's, which is low even for a low gravity beer IMHO)

 

[Ize]

Honestly, no I'm not sure it was right... I may not have adjusted for temperature...

I've also consumed more than a few beers since then and the brain cells just won't recall....

Ize

 

[chillHayze]

So have you drank the old brew yet?

 

[Ize]

Not yet, I'm saving it for when I start my next batch. I first have to replace my carboy, and now my wishlist at morebeer is getting longer. I also have to replace my fermentation locks as well (SOMETHING was growing in one of them....) and figured what the heck... So since I have to buy some new ingredients anyway, might as well do it at all one shot... I'll be ordering at the beginning of next week, so when I do crack it I'll let everyone know...

Unless it kills me, then we'll all know it wasn't any good.

Ize

 

[Bernie Brewer]

Drink it while brewing your next batch. Having a homebrew while brewing a homebrew is always good luck.

 

[Ize]

Drink it while brewing your next batch. Having a homebrew while brewing a homebrew is always good luck.

exactly what i was thinking....

Ize

 

[Walker]

Drink it while brewing your next batch. Having a homebrew while brewing a homebrew is always good luck.

there is a point of diminishing returns here. if you get a dozen HBs in you while brewing, you might forget to add hops or yeast or water in the airlock or...

 

[Ize]

there is a point of diminishing returns here. if you get a dozen HBs in you while brewing, you might forget to add hops or yeast or water in the airlock or...

Ah this is true. However since I have just the one HB I'll have to go with something else once it's gone. And I'll have to do that for the second batch as well due to the first batch not being quite ready... I will prevail tho!!!!!

Ize

 

[Bernie Brewer]

there is a point of diminishing returns here. if you get a dozen HBs in you while brewing, you might forget to add hops or yeast or water in the airlock or...

You have a point. The guy at the LHBS told how once he mistook his sanitation solution for cold water and dumped his hot wort in it. I believe he must have had a few by that time........

BTW he has since switched to Iodophor so that the color is a tipoff........