Lagered a little too long!

[Sinbad]

Hello everyone,

I am looking for a little advice, I have brewed a lager, which I started the lagering process, taking the temp down to 2.5 C. I intended to bottle it after a few weeks but work commitments got in the way and it has now been stored at that temp for about 3 months. I am guessing that the yeast left in the brew will not be healthy enough to condition in the bottles. I am thinking I could siphon it off into a new barrel, adding sugar and then pitch some more yeast (once temp raised back up to room temp) then bottling the following day.

so the question is, does this sound like a good approach or would there be a better method. Also any tips or advice would be appreciated.

thank you in advance.

Phil

 

[Josh Hughes]

3 months probably not going to carbonate. BUT you hear of people culturing from bottles so what do I know? But yeah adding yeast to your bottling bucket may work? Or dose each bottle?

 

[GFHomebrew]

Man it would suck to ruin that kinda patience. Pity you can't bottle straight off the Fermenter.

O2 pickup would be my biggest concern.

I don't bottle so what I've said is irrelevant I just hope your beer turns out for you.

 

[MaxStout]

Re-yeasting would be a good idea. Bring the fermenter to about room temp first (you don't want your bottling yeast going dormant), then rack to the barrel you mentioned or bottling bucket, whatever. If this is a standard 5 gal (19L) batch, you'll only need about 1/4 - 1/3 pack of any neutral dry yeast. In fact, a $1 packet of wine or champagne yeast works fine, as that won't attenuate the beer any farther--it'll only eat the sugar you add for carbing. Just sprinkle it in during racking, maybe give it a very gentle stir. Then bottle away.

 

[Sinbad]

Thanks for the replies, I hadn’t heard about people culturing from bottles so that’s something new to look into.

it’s a good point about the quantity of yeast quantity. I am in the UK so 5 gallons here is just over 22 litres I believe. Another thought along that line of thought…. Adding yeast to a beer that already has an alcohol content, is that likely to reduce the yeasts effectiveness and therefore mean extra is needed or maybe even do a starter?

or am I over thinking this?

 

[Yooper]

Thanks for the replies, I hadn’t heard about people culturing from bottles so that’s something new to look into.

it’s a good point about the quantity of yeast quantity. I am in the UK so 5 gallons here is just over 22 litres I believe. Another thought along that line of thought…. Adding yeast to a beer that already has an alcohol content, is that likely to reduce the yeasts effectiveness and therefore mean extra is needed or maybe even do a starter?

or am I over thinking this?

You're overthinking it, unless you have a 12% beer or something like that. A tiny bit of champagne yeast (it's really cheap, and neutral) would be fine.

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

You might be ok with a 3 month lager, but why risk it? When I re-yeast prior to bottling I use Lallemond Cask & Conditioning yeast (CBC-1). I have read (on the internet so it must be true ) that champagne yeast can ferment some of the existing sugars that beer yeasts can't. So that might give you more carbonation than you expected. But not bottle bomb territory so either yeast would be fine.

 

[Sandy Feet]

I was on another thread making a plan so I would not have to worry about that. In my research, I listened to a podcast that suggested pitching a neutral yeast (S-05 comes to mind). I read something else about making a slurry and putting it in with your priming sugar.
I'm still in the planning stages for my first lager, but I did run across those suggestions, and they did make some sense.

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

I was on another thread making a plan so I would not have to worry about that. In my research, I listened to a podcast that suggested pitching a neutral yeast (S-05 comes to mind). I read something else about making a slurry and putting it in with your priming sugar.
I'm still in the planning stages for my first lager, but I did run across those suggestions, and they did make some sense.

I should have thought to mention that when I re-yeast at bottling, it's for higher alcohol beers (9-12%) which is at the higher end of alcohol tolerance for most yeasts. So for any normal strength beer, you could use the yeast you fermented with or any neutral yeast.

 

[Sinbad]

Really appreciate all the suggestions and advice, based on these I have amended my plan slightly as my biggest fear of adding more yeast is bottle bombs, which no body want’s, least of all my wife….

So the revised plan is to add the yeast as suggested but to leave it in the pressure barrel instead of bottling, I have some of the same yeast I used for the initial fermentation so will use that. With Christmas just a few weeks away I don’ t think it will be long till the barrel is empty and no chance of explosions in the night. . I will update this thread after .

once again, thank you all for your help

 

[Sandy Feet]

Really appreciate all the suggestions and advice, based on these I have amended my plan slightly as my biggest fear of adding more yeast is bottle bombs, which no body want’s, least of all my wife….

So the revised plan is to add the yeast as suggested but to leave it in the pressure barrel instead of bottling, I have some of the same yeast I used for the initial fermentation so will use that. With Christmas just a few weeks away I don’ t think it will be long till the barrel is empty and no chance of explosions in the night. . I will update this thread after .

once again, thank you all for your help

It depends on what you have left for fermentables. If nothing is left to ferment, the yeast can only eat your priming sugar.