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Stupid Mistake! NEED HELP PLEASE

Northern Brewer General
#1

Hi all,

I need some help with a really dumb A%$ mistake.

I made a batch of Irish blonde ale and due to my work schedule, it sat in the primary for 3 weeks. No problem, I get it. So I figure, no need to secondary now… right.

Well somehow I managed to suck up a ton of yeast while racking into the bottling bucket, and of course I already added the sugar. OK, no sweat, let it sit overnite and bottle tomorrow.

I could see in the bottling tube that the beer was VERY cloudy. When I was done, there was a quarter inch of yeast in the bottom of the bucket! 48 beers, bottled, and already very slightly carbonated.

Now, what do I do?

A - leave it alone and hope for the best.

B - un-cap it all and carefully pour into a secondary with an air lock, let it sit for another week in my basement, and re-prime and re-bottle.

Thanks,

Scott

#2

They’ll be fine.

#3

Option A. You’ll have more yeast sediment than normal in the bottle, but otherwise should be no other adverse effects.

#4

I personally think if you try option B there is way to many chances to introduce bacteria, a lot more oxygen, or otherwise find ways to mess it up in general.

#5

I would concur. In addition, if you place those bottles in the fridge AFTER they condition the yeast will settle out and stick to the bottom of the bottle.

One question. Did you restir the day after you let it set to mix the priming sugar back into suspension?

#6

You should have gone ahead and bottled when you added the priming sugar. Hopefully you didn’t have significant fermentation overnight. Since its bottled I would leave it alone. If you have low carbonation this is going to be why.

Don’t worry about the yeast though, it really doesn’t matter if theres 1/16" of sediment or 1/4". Either way you’ll let it settle for some weeks and cake up, then pour carefully and avoid getting it in your final product.

Oh and as far as mistakes go, that doesn’t even rank in the top ten.

#7

[quote=“tom sawyer”]You should have gone ahead and bottled when you added the priming sugar. Hopefully you didn’t have significant fermentation overnight. Since its bottled I would leave it alone. If you have low carbonation this is going to be why.

Don’t worry about the yeast though, it really doesn’t matter if theres 1/16" of sediment or 1/4". Either way you’ll let it settle for some weeks and cake up, then pour carefully and avoid getting it in your final product.

Oh and as far as mistakes go, that doesn’t even rank in the top ten.[/quote]

^ +1 RDWHAHB

Also agree with Loopie that priming sugar should be stirred to ensure equal dispersal to all bottles. IF not stirred some will be flat and others gushers…

#8

Thanks to all.

I thought letting it alone was the right course to take.

No, I did not re-stir the next day. I could see most of the yeast had settled out, and was too afraid to resuspend it all, so I gambled on unequal carbonation.
What got into the bottles was sucked from the bottom through the spigot.

I’ll just leave it alone for a week or two, check a bottle or two and when it’s fully carbed put it all in the spare fridge and drink it fast.

But then I’ll have to make more…

Thank you all again for the advice.

Scott

#9

You’ll be fine just like others have said. If you were to pour it into another fermenter no mater how carefully you pour it you would introduce oxygen to it which is bad at this stage.

#10

If, after a month, you find it undrinkably flat, I would add sugar to each bottle and recap rather than trying to rebottle.

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