When will the yeast start to autolyze?

I’ve got a Chainbreaker-ish clone that’s been sitting for almost three months now. I’m going to bottle today. I’m going to bottle today. I’m going to bottle today. I’ve just gotta keep telling myself that. It tastes great, but I’m worried the off flavors from autolysis might sneak in there. Anyone care to chime in on this one?

Ugh, i feel the same way. Been way too busy to keg my beer that has been in primary for 5 weeks now. I also don’t have any co2 and haven’t had time to get that either. I think i’m safe, but i assume you are really pushing your luck.

I think at this point you would be fine. I think I have read where this can take almost 18 months to start happening. The pressure exerted from the beer sitting on top also causes this to speed up. On a homebrew scale this isn’t an issue.

In my experience, autolysis will indeed set in after 2.5-3 months. You need to get that stuff bottled right away.

As far as I know I’ve never experienced autolysis, Palmer describes it as a burnt rubber taste and smell, at best undrinkable and at worst unapproachable. So you’re presumably fine for now, if it was starting to happen, I think you’d know.

I’ve gone longer than that with no obvious ill effects, but there’s no sense pushing it, its time to bottle or at least rack it.

Thanks guys. I’ll try to work up the gumption tonight

You’re fine. It takes much longer for that to develop on a home brew scale. Professional breweries need to watch for it because of the amount and the pressure in the large tanks they use

Do it man, i finally filled my co2 tank today. Tomorrow i keg (would have today but the had plans for me).

Considering I had a mead sitting on the original yeast for 6 months, then added another packet, six month later added a packet of champagne. Then bottles about six months later. Totaling over 2 years. I could not tell there was an issue.

I have had normal strength beers sit for 6 months in the primary and never noticed off flavors.

I have and I have. Luck of the draw. I’d rather not rely on luck.

One other consideration with long primaries is the beer sitting on hop trub. Given enough time and hops you can get grassiness in your beer.

I’m not too worried about keeping stuff out of my fermenter and a one particularly hoppy batch brought a lot of hops over from the kettle. I didn’t get around to kegging it for 8 weeks and it was very grassy. I had made the recipe before and know what it should have tasted like and there were no dry hops to blame the flavor on.

[quote=“Belpaire”]One other consideration with long primaries is the beer sitting on hop trub. Given enough time and hops you can get grassiness in your beer.

I’m not too worried about keeping stuff out of my fermenter and a one particularly hoppy batch brought a lot of hops over from the kettle. I didn’t get around to kegging it for 8 weeks and it was very grassy. I had made the recipe before and know what it should have tasted like and there were no dry hops to blame the flavor on.[/quote]

that could be a few other factors not just the time it spent.

[quote=“grainbelt”][quote=“Belpaire”]One other consideration with long primaries is the beer sitting on hop trub. Given enough time and hops you can get grassiness in your beer.

I’m not too worried about keeping stuff out of my fermenter and a one particularly hoppy batch brought a lot of hops over from the kettle. I didn’t get around to kegging it for 8 weeks and it was very grassy. I had made the recipe before and know what it should have tasted like and there were no dry hops to blame the flavor on.[/quote]

that could be a few other factors not just the time it spent.[/quote]

Please elaborate. Temperature could be a factor but it was sitting in the high 50’s so I wouldn’t imagine that would be it. The two batches were made almost exactly a year apart so the hops were likely the same age. Of course since hop packaging doesn’t have dates on it is impossible to know for sure.

Come to think of it, temperature could play a significant factor in the likelihood of autolyzation.

[quote=“Belpaire”][quote=“grainbelt”][quote=“Belpaire”]One other consideration with long primaries is the beer sitting on hop trub. Given enough time and hops you can get grassiness in your beer.

I’m not too worried about keeping stuff out of my fermenter and a one particularly hoppy batch brought a lot of hops over from the kettle. I didn’t get around to kegging it for 8 weeks and it was very grassy. I had made the recipe before and know what it should have tasted like and there were no dry hops to blame the flavor on.[/quote]

that could be a few other factors not just the time it spent.[/quote]

Please elaborate. Temperature could be a factor but it was sitting in the high 50’s so I wouldn’t imagine that would be it. The two batches were made almost exactly a year apart so the hops were likely the same age. Of course since hop packaging doesn’t have dates on it is impossible to know for sure.

Come to think of it, temperature could play a significant factor in the likelihood of autolyzation.[/quote]

Poor ingredients, hop/grain issues, combination of other common off flavors