Is my Stout beer ruined?!
I'm about done with my homebrewed Stout, but I'm a little concerned I may have ruined it!. It's a double chocolate raspberry stout so I needed to add powdered cocoa to the secondary fermentor!. I usually don't use a secondary because I don't have a glass carboy!. With so much extra airspace in my extra 6!.5 gallon bucket, I'm a little worried when I racked to secondary that I may have oxidized the beer!. I had no splashing and no oxidization from racking, I'm just worried about the secondary fermentor!. This beer needs to condition for 3 months, so if I did oxidize, it will probably be very evident!. Have I possibly ruined my beer, or can I maybe pitch another batch of yeast and hope it takes care of it!? Any help would be great!. Thanks!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Answers:
Double Chocolate Raspberry Stout
Good luck!. As for me these fruit and other flavored beers have no appeal!. I hope you use real fruit!.
There is no way for us to know if your beer has or will oxidize!. But the size of your fermentor should only make for a little risk!. It is nice to use an aging vessel that seals the environment out and allows for a CO2 blanket to form over your beer!. In this way it helps reduce bacteria infections to your beer!. (the CO2 environment is not favored by many bacterial strains) Since you have used care in racking the risks remain low as well!.
More good news is that the dark beer and added flavors will mask the papery-like flavor of any oxidation!.
No, do not pitch any yeast it will just cloud your beer and waste your $$!.
Oh, your beer is not ruined!. But in the future plan to purchase a 5 gal keg for aging your beer!. In it you can sanitize it and flush it of air leaving a CO2 environment!. This will greatly reduce both oxidation and bacterial infection risks!.
Poj?me na pivo!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Good luck!. As for me these fruit and other flavored beers have no appeal!. I hope you use real fruit!.
There is no way for us to know if your beer has or will oxidize!. But the size of your fermentor should only make for a little risk!. It is nice to use an aging vessel that seals the environment out and allows for a CO2 blanket to form over your beer!. In this way it helps reduce bacteria infections to your beer!. (the CO2 environment is not favored by many bacterial strains) Since you have used care in racking the risks remain low as well!.
More good news is that the dark beer and added flavors will mask the papery-like flavor of any oxidation!.
No, do not pitch any yeast it will just cloud your beer and waste your $$!.
Oh, your beer is not ruined!. But in the future plan to purchase a 5 gal keg for aging your beer!. In it you can sanitize it and flush it of air leaving a CO2 environment!. This will greatly reduce both oxidation and bacterial infection risks!.
Poj?me na pivo!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
"Chocolate raspberry stout"!? Good God, man, you call that beer!? That wouldn't be fit to flush down the sanitary sewer! I don't know what you plan to do with it, but for heaven's sake, keep it far from here!Www@FoodAQ@Com
You can always just go to the store and get a 5 gallon food grade plastic bucket, you 6!.5 gal bucket lid will fit on it just fine!.
Other than that, I don't think you should have any problem, as long as you keep a good air locked seal, you should get a nice blanket of CO2 from the beer pushing out the oxygen!. I've aged beers with a fair amount of head space and never noticed oxidation!. Though I usually didn't go for 3 months, 1 month should be just fine!. There is no need to pitch any more yeast, because your gravity is probably too low for it to have anything to even feed on!. It would just be a waste!. You could also get some that aerosol brew gas, that you spray on top of the wine or beer carboys/fermenters to leave a blanket of CO2 and nitrogen gas!. Although at this point, I'd touch the beer as little as possible, everytime you open the lid gives more chance for contamination!. Www@FoodAQ@Com
Other than that, I don't think you should have any problem, as long as you keep a good air locked seal, you should get a nice blanket of CO2 from the beer pushing out the oxygen!. I've aged beers with a fair amount of head space and never noticed oxidation!. Though I usually didn't go for 3 months, 1 month should be just fine!. There is no need to pitch any more yeast, because your gravity is probably too low for it to have anything to even feed on!. It would just be a waste!. You could also get some that aerosol brew gas, that you spray on top of the wine or beer carboys/fermenters to leave a blanket of CO2 and nitrogen gas!. Although at this point, I'd touch the beer as little as possible, everytime you open the lid gives more chance for contamination!. Www@FoodAQ@Com