5 Weeks in FV

[MikeK117]

I brewed a Wilko Golden just before Christmas and after 3 weeks in FV it had hit 1018. I didn't take original gravity but knew it should drop a few points.

I pitched an extra hit of Wilko yeast to encourage fermentation with no effect.

I've been working away quite a bit so this has just been forgotten about. The poor FV is just sat there with a dud brew.

Should I bottle and hope for the best or accept that this is likely to be a load of rubbish and chuck it? It's only half a kit (1-can 11.5L).

I think my problem is that the FV got down to about 14 degrees during fermentation (my bad) and the yeast just lost interest.

Thoughts?

 

[Frogbrew]

Give it a stirr and warm it up a bit.. I've done the golden ale kit and loved it, especially after a month or so in the bottle.

 

[TartanSpecial]

if it tastes OK (or even OKish) I'd bottle it. 14 deg C Probably did switch the yeast off....but I'd bottle it now to get it off the yeast.

 

[TheRedDarren]

What is the expected fg? If it's more than a few points lower than 1.018 I wouldn't risk it, you could end up with explosive beer!
Warm it and rouse it to get it going again.

 

[MikeK117]

Just checked again and it's dropped to 1014, my previous 'no effect' comment referred to visible activity, so the extra yeast must have done something!

It tastes ok, although I'm no expert.

Might as well bottle it! Relocated the FV For bottling tomorrow.

 

[TheRedDarren]

What's the expected fg mate?

 

[Hoppyland]

It tastes ok, although I'm no expert.

If it tastes OK to you, then it is OK. Unless, of course, you don't intend actually drinking it yourself, but offering it instead to "experts" :lol:
Bottle it. But heed the advice of TheRedDarren. Even at 1014, this beer could have a way to go to ferment out. From what you say, it's fermenting very slowly - imperceptibly - at the moment. It will continue to do this in the bottle, if you keep it in the same conditions. If I were you, I would not prime the bottles - at 1014 I'm sure that there has to be a lot of fermentable sugars still lurking in any "Golden" kit beer, and you don't want "bombs"!!. But, it might take a few weeks to come into condition, and then gradually get fizzier. And fizzier........

 

[MikeK117]

What's the expected fg mate?

I'm not sure, I ditched the box ages ago! I've had a nightmare on this one :whistle:

I presume it's 1010 but I think I've only ever had 1 beer get this low, with most settling at 1012/1014 which I attribute to my poor temperature control.

But I've never had bottle bombs, I've never really had over carbonation, so I'll prime with the usual 1/2 teaspoon of dextrose and see how it goes.

 

[keat64]

A safe bet would be a keg with a pressure release, then if it did fire up again, at least it won't be explosive.

 

[MikeK117]

A safe bet would be a keg with a pressure release, then if it did fire up again, at least it won't be explosive.

We'll see what happens, it's in the bottle now :grin:

 

[Sandimas]

In 5 weeks the yeast has probably all dropped out - was the beer clear as you were bottling? In which case it's probably OK, I've bottled stuck 1020 beers before that just wouldn't shift any lower.