What is too much fermentation?

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by Schexybeard, Dec 19, 2014.

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  1. Schexybeard

    Schexybeard Initiate (0) Jul 9, 2014 North Carolina

    I am exceptionally new to home brewing. I've only brewed one beer ever, it is a chocolate maple porter. I threw some toasted bourbon soaked oak chips in the carboy with it and left it alone. I got really busy and now it's been at least two months since I brewed it and it's still in the carboy. Is there a chance it's still good and can be bottled? If so, how do I keep the three inches of sediment in the bottom of the carboy from getting into my bottles? I'm sure these are dumb questions, but I figured this was the best place to ask
     
  2. hoptualBrew

    hoptualBrew Initiate (0) May 29, 2011 Florida

    How are you bottling? Bottling bucket?

    Best way is to cold condition the carboy at ~34 F for a few days in a chest freezer or kegerator, then transfer out of carboy via auto siphon racking cane to a bottling bucket or keg.
     
  3. NeroFiddled

    NeroFiddled Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,276) Jul 8, 2002 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    It should be fine if it was initially brewed properly. The extra time wouldn't have hurt it. In fact, if you've got all those lees at the bottom that's great because you'll get a nice clear beer. So, as hoptualBrew says, use a racking cane; and simply try not to move it too much before you rack it. Also, I'd leave a little behind rather than trying to get as much as you can and sucking up that old yeast, protein, and hop residue.
     
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  4. ronobvious2

    ronobvious2 Initiate (0) Aug 24, 2010 Tennessee

    You can't have too much fermentation because the yeast do their job and when there's no more work, they 'quit'. I wonder what John Palmer would have to say about your beer sitting on the trub for two months though. I'd give your beer a taste via wine thief and see what you think. Sounds like you've gotten ahead of yourself if you don't know how to rack your beer out of the carboy without picking up the sediment. Do you have an auto-siphon?

    You first effort sounds amazingly ambitious. Hope it turns out well.
     
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  5. bgjohnston

    bgjohnston Initiate (0) Jan 14, 2009 Connecticut

    I wouldn't fear 8-10 weeks in the carboy. If anything, I think you will get a better result for having let it sit for a nice long period of time. Most new brewers are too anxious and barely wait long enough before bottling and subsequently opening the bottles too soon, too.
     
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  6. wspscott

    wspscott Pooh-Bah (1,958) May 25, 2006 Kentucky
    Pooh-Bah

    The only thing I would be concerned about is oak chips for 2 months. You might be looking at a tannic mess, but hopefully not.

    To bottle, racking cane/autosiphon to a bottling bucket being careful to stay above the trub when you rack. Determine your priming sugar after you see how much is actually in the bottling bucket. This prevents overpriming if you end up with significantly less than expected. Use a calculator to determine the proper amount of sugar given the volume (something like this http://www.northernbrewer.com/priming-sugar-calculator/) You might also check out How to Brew (http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter11-4.html)
     
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  7. PapaGoose03

    PapaGoose03 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,057) May 30, 2005 Michigan
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    Besides the extended time on the oak per the post above, if you really have 3" of trub at the bottom, there is a chance that your beer might have picked up a slight vegetative taste, but you're at a point that you need to package it to find out. Keep the bottom of your racking cane or auto siphon above that trub so that you leave it behind. You can monitor it by watching the clear tubing to see how clear the beer is when it passes into your bottling bucket or the bottles. But for only two months I doubt that either issue is justification to dump the beer.
     
  8. FATC1TY

    FATC1TY Pooh-Bah (2,564) Feb 12, 2012 Georgia
    Pooh-Bah

    You are fine other than using oak chips for 2 months.. Might be a bit over oaked depending on how much you added.
     
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