So, while cleaning out my cellar, I found my missing fermentor, filled with, (according to my note), an Altbier made back in september 2022, made of pilsner, munich dark, cara munich dark and roasted barley malt, with 70g Northern Brewer hops. OG was supposed to be 1.049. When i peeked inside, there was no sign of mold, there was no weird smell coming out of it. Is it still drinkable? My cellar is at a constant 15°c (58/59°f) Or should I dump it?
Drink it, Until you disturbed it, it was likely just maturing under it's blanket of CO2. I'd move pretty quickly with it though and if bottling, you'll need to add more yeast to it.
I agree, as long as it doesn't taste sour or stanky, drink it. I just finished off my Octoberfest that I brewed in aug.
Drink it! My first brews were with baker's yeast and that bottle I forgot (back of fridge) tasted great. Definitely loads better than his underaged brethren
I think you should definitely package it, condition it and drink it. And like @The Brew Mentor said, I would do it quickly now that you peeked in. I've always heard tale that leaving a beer on a spent yeast cake for some extended period of time is a potential for picking up off flavors from the dead yeast cells rupturing and "spewing their guts". This autolysis of the yeast could lead to burnt rubber or meaty characteristics. However, "an extended period of time" is never actually defined. Yours would be ≈ 4 months and would be a nice data point. Very interested in hearing how this beer tastes once ready.
I was thinking the same thing! When new (and not so new) brewers ask now long you can leave your beer in primary, very few brewers have empirical evidence to backup their opinion. And if you're going to leave your beer on the yeast for four months; undisturbed in a cool environment is the way to do it!
I like the idea of getting it ready for drinking, whether you bottle or keg. Hopefully none of my beers will ever be put to this “accidental” test, but I am interested in how your forgotten beer turns out.
What everyone else said. It is likely to be excellent. Few of us have the means to properly age an Altbier as you have done, albeit inadvertently.
How on earth could you possibly forget beer!!!!!! Kidding of course, package it and let us know if it works out!
Hm, so bottling with carbon. pills is out of the question then? It's better to dissolve the sugar in the water, chill it, add yeast and then add to the bottling bucket?
It was hiding behind the empty cardboard boxes of the baby stroller and the baby car seat. I'm honestly surprised there wasn't two of them.
Yup, the way I do it is to add the yeast to the priming solution in the bottling bucket. Then transfer the beer so it all swirls together and is evenly distributed. You could use carbonation drops and then adding yeast to each bottle. I've never done this but theoretically, whether you add a little yeast or a lot, the refermentation in the bottle sould stop when the sugar in the priming solution is all consumed.
I don't think the reproductive cycle of the stainless steel fermenters work that way. I ain't a rocket surgeon tho, so what do I know.
I wish it did I'm still trying to bury money, water & fertilise in the hope I get a money tree... Okay, that's now properly off topic
I make a simple syrup by taking 5 oz corn sugar for 5 gallons (if you use table sugar, convert with a calculator), combining it with 2 cups of water, and bringing it to a boil for 5 minutes. I stir constantly. Let it cool for a few minutes and add it to the bottling bucket before the beer. The high heat in that small quantity should not hurt your beer. Don't splash when you siphon your beer and sanitize the sh** out of the siphon. It usually mixes fairly evenly for me, but I just found out that kegging is a hell of a lot easier once you get used to it.
