Leave alone or Ponce About?.....Neebie Yeast bite question

[whiteshadow]

When I can came to rack(?) my brew, after I transferred it to a king keg (top tap), I thought I better check the gravity (1022).

I realised via this forum that it was stuck and after taking on board the various advice, I decided that the easier option was to fling in some more rehydrated yeast and see what happens!.......Nothing did.

So my question is this, as I'm prepared to give it a few weeks and then drink it should I:-

a) Move it somewhere cooler and leave well alone
b) Transfer to a sterilised bucket and back to remove sediment/dead yeast

if I do A would I get yeast bite, and what is it anyway??

At the mo the brew smells and tastes like beer, but with a bit of tart aftertaste.......How might this change?

[tubby_shaw]

IMO I would leave it where it is for another week, it may be that the yeast is still working slowly although unlikely.
Then move it into the cool for another two weeks if you can resist temptation
During this time the beer will "mature" and the bitterness will tone down
Once the beer is barrelled it is best not to disturb due to the increased chance of infection
Yeast bite is a strange term, but if the yeast slurry is clean then you will have drunk the beer before the yeast decomposes and gives off flavours

[mysterio]

Yeah, i'm not too sure about this term 'yeast bite'. Immature beer has a bit of a bite (when the yeast is in suspension) and some yeasts give a bit of a sharp acidic aftertaste, but I don't think you do any harm leaving the beer on the yeast for a few weeks. The only danger is the yeast autolysing (sp?), which basically means it's decomposing and gives the beer a noticeably awful flavour. This only happens after a fairly long time (months), I gather.

Your beer is stuck, though... how long have you given the new yeast to work? And what kind of yeast did you pitch? It's going to be a bit cloying sweet at that gravity.

[The Cardinal]

I never realised yeast would decompose. Most of my bottles have a bit of sediment at the bottom - how long will a bottle conditioned ale keep for before it goes off? The longest I've ever been able to resist them is about 3 months, and at that point it tasted a lot better than it did after 3 weeks. Is there a recommended 'best before date'?

[whiteshadow]

I gave the new yeast about a week. It was a new packet from a decent HB shop, but can't remember the name.

I made sure that it was rehyrated and fed with a bit of the wort before chucking it in.......but nothing.

[Garth]

I never realised yeast would decompose. Most of my bottles have a bit of sediment at the bottom - how long will a bottle conditioned ale keep for before it goes off? The longest I've ever been able to resist them is about 3 months, and at that point it tasted a lot better than it did after 3 weeks. Is there a recommended 'best before date'?

IIRC the stronger the beer, the longer you can can be kept, eg barley wines, strong stouts and heavily hopped IPAs. How strict your sterilising regime was with your equipment and bottles will also have some bearing on how long they will last. I reckon a reasonable strength beer will be nice at about six months, it should have dropped perfectly clear and the hop flavour will have mellowed and developed.

3 months is about my maximum also, and that's because I forgot about them and they did taste the best of the batch by far.

[whiteshadow]

I realise this is probably a stupid question.....what's IIRC?

[bitter_dave]

I realise this is probably a stupid question.....what's IIRC?

'If I recall correctly'

[mysterio]

I never realised yeast would decompose. Most of my bottles have a bit of sediment at the bottom - how long will a bottle conditioned ale keep for before it goes off? The longest I've ever been able to resist them is about 3 months, and at that point it tasted a lot better than it did after 3 weeks. Is there a recommended 'best before date'?

It doesn't seem to happen in the bottle. The other day I found a bottle of porter under my bed that I made last year an it tasted great. Beer lasts for quite a while in the bottle...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... beer09.xml

[Garth]

The other day I found a bottle of porter under my bed that I made last year an it tasted great. Beer lasts for quite a while in the bottle...

it's amazing where they crop up when you've squirrelled them away, but a nice surprise

[The Cardinal]

Looking at that article it doesn't seem i've got any worries about my beer going off then! Might even lay a few down for future generations

Thanks!