Can you leave a beer in the fermentation vat too long?

endagibson

I started a Munton's Oaked Ale on Saturday 11th. Nothing happened for 2 days. Not one bubble out of the airlock. I changed nothing, just left it there. I had to travel for work on Monday evening. The missus called me that evening and said that it was bubbling away constantly.

It has been bubbling away every day since. Now it's Friday 24th and it appears to be slowing down. Is there any downside to me leaving it in the vat for another few days to make sure before bottling? Or is it recommended that I do that anyway?

BeerNut

It should be about ready, but don't rush it. You'll be fine leaving it where it is for another four or five weeks without running any risks.

But: do not rely on the bubbler, it doesn't tell you anything useful. Check your gravity every couple of days. Once you have two or three stable readings you can bottle.

endagibson

Thanks. I'll leave it where it is until next weekend, maybe even the weekend after that.

um7y1h83ge06nx

As BeerNut said. Just yesterday I bottled a Blackberry wine that I had left lying around for probably 5-6 months at least.

Better to bottle later than earlier, you can be sure the fermentation is done and any suspended sediment has dropped resulting in a clearer end product (provided you're careful when racking/bottling not to drag up the sediment off the bottom).

um7y1h83ge06nx

Looked through my notes, that Blackberry wine was started on the 4th of October last year, 9 months!

I knew I was getting lazy about the brewing but that takes the p*ss!

Carawaystick

The thought of where you got blackberries 5 months ago had crossed my mind!

endagibson

Finally racked this up last night, so it got 6 weeks in the vat in the end. 40 bottles. Could have gotten another 1 or 2 maybe, but my assistant (missus) wasn't well.

Question: Muntons said this this was a 5% ABV beer, but my calculations have it as 5.7% ABV. It's a 3.6kg kit, comes in 2 tins. I haven't added anything but water and time. Is this normal?

BeerNut

It's possible. Did you calibrate your gravity readings for temperature? What where your starting and finishing gravities?

endagibson

BeerNut wrote: »

It's possible. Did you calibrate your gravity readings for temperature? What where your starting and finishing gravities?

SG was 1.0048 and FG was 1.002. Didn't think to take the temperatures at the time.

Carawaystick

The FG is very low, so possibly a correct abv reading.
Did you taste the beer at bottling? maybe an infection of bacteria could eat the remaining malt to increase the abv and reduce the fg.

What do you get for a gravity reading for water? should be very close to 1, if it's much different the hydrometer is out of whack a little.

endagibson

Carawaystick wrote: »

The FG is very low, so possibly a correct abv reading.
Did you taste the beer at bottling? maybe an infection of bacteria could eat the remaining malt to increase the abv and reduce the fg.

What do you get for a gravity reading for water? should be very close to 1, if it's much different the hydrometer is out of whack a little.

I don't need it to increase, but I will test the hydrometer as you suggest.

I'm going to leave the bottles for 2 months until the end of September. In another 3 weeks I'll start another kit in the vat. By the time I've started drinking the first batch, the second batch should be ready to rack. I don't think I have quite enough bottles to cover 2 batches entirely.

Edit, when I crack open the first bottle at the end of September, is there any reason why I can't pour myself a sample and test it before drinking? Apart from waste of course.

Carawaystick

Test it for what?
I test beers by drinking them...

endagibson

Cracked open my first bottle this evening. It tastes grand and I'll have no problem disposing of it all.

Have a batch of Amber ale in the vat for almost four weeks now. I'll rack that in the next fortnight.

Thanks all.