I “found” a bucket full of beer I had labeled as “meatloaf”. This beer is a stout that I threw together with leftover grains and hops just to keep the beer flowing. I had forgotten about this beer. It was in the basement in a corner I don’t usually use for my brewing. Went down there today to check on a batch I brewed 2 weekends ago and spotted it. I pulled out my brew notes, and It was brewed and put in the fermenter on 12-8-14. So,… it’s been setting on the yeast cake (us04) for a little over 9 weeks now. I can’t bottle until this weekend, so my questions are:
What off flavors does autolysis produce?
Do you think it’s salvageable?
I think I should at least wrack it over to another ferm…thoughts? or just leave it till this weekend when I can bottle it and hope it turns out
Taste it. If autolysis has occurred, it might taste like meatloaf! Or like rubber or burning matches. My guess is that it is probably just fine. But yes, you should rack it now if you want to save it.
Never experienced autolysis, I’ve heard it smells like rotten meat. The only problem I’ve had with forgotten beer is the airlock went dry.
I would leave it until packaging, maybe take a sample to see if its worth saving.
Just asking, why did you label it ‘meatloaf’?
Edit: What Dave said. I don’t know if another week will be detrimental.
I’ve never experienced autolysis in beer, though I did one time keep a beer in the primary about as long as you did. Actually, I’ve kept beer in the primary longer. I’ve got a lambic that has been sitting in primary in a corner of my basement since Nov 2013. Another few months and I’ll bottle it. But that has active Brett in it to eat anything else that dies before it can go nasty.
I have had beer on that year for 16 weeks before. I would not be worried about autopsy is yet. In fact for a stout the extra time probably fully developed the darker flavors better.
Well, now that I’ve “found” it…that’s what I’m hoping for. The extra time should really help the malt character of the beer. If it’s not too late, which it sounds like it isn’t, I’m excited to try this one. It’s the first beer I’ve not used a kit for, and with it’s advanced age, it should be delectable!
Thanks…I’ll keep you guys posted…If I can remember where I left this thread (hahaha)
I believe I have experienced autolysis once. I brewed 15 gallons of a Double IPA. I bottled the first 5 gallons (there were three 5 gallon carboys), and then just got involved in the rest of my life. After procrastinating for 4 to 6 months, I finally bottled the other 10 gallons, which had been sitting on their yeast cakes. Since the first 5 gallons were quite good, but the other 2 carboys weren’t, I’m assuming it was autolysis that killed the rest of the beer.
The off flavor is hard to describe, but it is definitely yeasty. But not in a nice way. Like yeasty with a bad attitude.
Anyways, just taste a sample. You’ll know immediately if it is worth keeping.
I just kegged an ale I brewed in October. It had been in primary since then. It’s very good. Nine weeks? I wouldn’t be at all concerned unless it smelled bad or had an ugly pellicle on it.
[quote=“Oblivius”]I believe I have experienced autolysis once. I brewed 15 gallons of a Double IPA. I bottled the first 5 gallons (there were three 5 gallon carboys), and then just got involved in the rest of my life. After procrastinating for 4 to 6 months, I finally bottled the other 10 gallons, which had been sitting on their yeast cakes. Since the first 5 gallons were quite good, but the other 2 carboys weren’t, I’m assuming it was autolysis that killed the rest of the beer.
The off flavor is hard to describe, but it is definitely yeasty. But not in a nice way. Like yeasty with a bad attitude.
Anyways, just taste a sample. You’ll know immediately if it is worth keeping.[/quote]
Could what you had tasted been from a dry hop that just went on for to long? Beyond a grassy flavor, maybe more like silage?
You really get burning matches (ie sulfur) from autolysis? It tastes like meat gravy to me. While gravy is good on mashed potatoes and pot roast, it’s gross in beer. Since 12/8/14…I bet it’ll be fine. Definitely taste it and see how you feel about it, OP.
I tasted a beer at my homebrew club meeting the other night that reminded me A LOT of that sulfur smell right after you fire off a bottle rocket. Wonder if that was it? don’t know
Was it a lager? Sometimes yeast (esp lagers) can produce stinky sulfur compounds during fermentation. If allowed to complete fermentation and left in contact with the yeast long enough at a temperature that they can deal with it, they process the compounds into something else and the sulfur nose goes away.
