Well, this is embarassing...

Fri Jan 07, 2011 1:36 pm

So I made a Belgian Strong Dark that finished about 12 points higher than my anticipated FG of 1.019. It's been so cold lately, I'm guessing the yeast went to sleep on me before completing their job.

I went ahead and kegged and carbonated the beer hoping it would get better with some bubbles, but I hate it. It tastes sweet and worty.

I do not want to dump this beer, but in it's current condition I don't want to drink it either. What are my options besides using it to marinate chicken?
Drinking:
1.071 version of Tasty APA
Russian Imp Stout
Oak aged Porter w/Tart Cherries
Fermenting:
Double Chocolate Oatmeal Stout - 1.093 OG
Aging:
Belgian Dark Strong with Brett
Next up 04/17/2011
Saison
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Holt
 
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Re: Well, this is embarassing...

Fri Jan 07, 2011 1:56 pm

I actaully had the same thing happen recently with a big barleywine. What I do is blend it with a highly attenuated beer. I have both a American Brown Ale and a American Pale Ale that I blend it with.

It works rather well the Brown Ale mixes to give me a nice English Barleywine style beer and mixing with the Pale Ae renders it more towards a American Barleywine. With yours being a Belgain style ale, you should try to blend with something on the clean and maltier side maybe a Cream Ale, Blonde Ale, Amber ale, Brown ale, or something similar to one of these styles.
CRBrewHound
 
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Location: Warrenton, Virgina

Re: Well, this is embarassing...

Fri Jan 07, 2011 2:23 pm

Besides blending, your best bet would probably be warm the beer back up to fermenting temps and get some yeast active in a small starter. When the starter is actively fermenting, add it to the stuck beer. I would do this right in the keg it's already in and once or twice a day pull the pressure release valve which will tell you if it's fermenting again if there's pressure to be released. This isn't guaranteed to work and it certainly isn't ideal, but it's worth a shot especially if you already don't like the beer as it is anyway.
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Travisty
 
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Re: Well, this is embarassing...

Fri Jan 07, 2011 3:22 pm

What about the carbonation that's already in the beer--is this going to be a problem for the new yeast?

Do you recommend using the Belgian yeast strain I previously used or something like champagne yeast?
Drinking:
1.071 version of Tasty APA
Russian Imp Stout
Oak aged Porter w/Tart Cherries
Fermenting:
Double Chocolate Oatmeal Stout - 1.093 OG
Aging:
Belgian Dark Strong with Brett
Next up 04/17/2011
Saison
User avatar
Holt
 
Posts: 89
Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2010 6:38 am
Location: Long Beach, CA

Re: Well, this is embarassing...

Fri Jan 07, 2011 3:27 pm

Holt wrote:What about the carbonation that's already in the beer--is this going to be a problem for the new yeast?

Do you recommend using the Belgian yeast strain I previously used or something like champagne yeast?


When you warm it back up...the CO2 would come out of solution, so when you have to open it to add the new yeast you will let out all the CO2
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Stinkfist
 
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Location: Northern Kentucky

Re: Well, this is embarassing...

Fri Jan 07, 2011 4:32 pm

If it were me I would pick a neutral ale yeast like Cal Ale. As for the carbonation I think that as long as you vent the keg a few times as it warms up there shouldn't be enough CO2 left in the beer to cause problems.
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Travisty
 
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Location: Omaha, NE

Re: Well, this is embarassing...

Fri Jan 07, 2011 4:55 pm

Warm it back up, remove the pressure-relief from a keg lid and...

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"If God had intended us to drink beer, He would have given us stomachs."
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Elbone
 
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Location: Birmingham, AL

Re: Well, this is embarassing...

Fri Jan 07, 2011 6:38 pm

I have never tried it but i would try adding wyeast french saison yeast to the keg. That yeast is an over attenuating monster. If it cant do it nothing can.
On Deck: Bier de Garde, Northern German Pils
In Fermenters: Homegrown Pale Ale
in keg: Octoberweizen, Dusseldorf Alt
edisonst
 
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