"Re-fermenting" some homebrew... can it be done?!
Discussing it over with a friend we thought we might just go ahead and pour it back into a fermentation bucket and let it have another go with some yeast to try and save this batch. My question is whether this will really help at all or will having bottled it already mean it’s already too late. Thanks.
Answers: I recently brewed some beer that came out to about 2.5% alcohol level... fermentation really didn't do its magic (yeast was of poor quality I think), but being somewhat absent-minded about it, we already bottled it thinking the syrupy flavor would go away (which it probably won't, but we're still letting it settle)
Discussing it over with a friend we thought we might just go ahead and pour it back into a fermentation bucket and let it have another go with some yeast to try and save this batch. My question is whether this will really help at all or will having bottled it already mean it’s already too late. Thanks.
First off, was this extract brew or all grain brew? What was the original gravity and what is the current gravity? I'm guessing extract brew, and in that case, you should be able to pour it out into fermenter and add yeast. This might affect the flavor because of reintroducing it to oxygen, but that will help the new yeast also grow and take off, so any oxygen will probably be worked out. As long as the remaining sugars are fermentable. If its extract, then that is likely, if its allgrain, depending on your mash temp, then it may or may not be likely. Make sure to keep things really sanitized, and try to keep things rather covered while you pour out your beers into a fermenter. The worst thing that can happen is to try to referment them only to have a contamination in the process.
It's worth a try. Pitch some yeast and add yeast nutrient.
I've heard it can be done, but I wouldn't know how. Hopefully Mayor Adam West will come across this and tell you how? I know he suggested it for someone else's answer.
The biggest problem you have to worry about now that it's in the bottle is that the yeast already in there may become active again and start eating. If the little critters do, you won't just end up with carbonated beer, you could end up with glass grenades. That's dangerous.
If this was supposed to be a beer with much more alcohol than 4 percent, there's a lot of sugar in there left to be eaten, and a lot of gas to be produced inside the bottles.
Be careful with them, whatever you do.