Brewing Master

Question:

I’ve just come back to rcb after a hiatus, and I have got a problem.  I brew a grain/extract stout that is a mainstay of my repertoire.  This time, however, I decided to experiment by adding more chocolate malt.  To make a long story less long, when I put the wort together in the primary, it was a bit less than 5 gallons.  When I went to put it in the carboy for secondary, it looked so good and had such body that I decided to take a cnace on not topping it off with water (as my Beer Store Guy advises).  It was about 2 or 3 inches from the top. It started out bubbling okay, but died relatively quickly. It just sat there, so I cehcked the gravity – it was about 1.018-1.020.  Two weeks later, it very slowly bubbles, and there are "floaties" (little dots of lighter colored stuff) on the surface.  I pulled the stopper and it still smells good. Is this batch a goner, or should I go ahead and bottle?  Ill take any and all suggestions and experience. Thanks in advance, Phil

Response:

I’ve had those too. They were kind of hard and like grains of sand. I checked with my homebrew guy and he determined they were yeast chunks. I bottled and a few got into the bottles. As they conditioned, they dissolved and went away. Cliff

Response:

My suggestion is to make sure the gravity is stable. If so and as long as it tastes alright, bottle it up, invite some friends over and drink it up. If you do have an infection, it will not get any better, just worse. — Phil Mathis/Homebrew Adventures www.homebrewadventures.com – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’ve just come back to rcb after a hiatus, and I have got a problem.  I brew a grain/extract stout that is a mainstay of my repertoire.  This time, however, I decided to experiment by adding more chocolate malt.  To make a long story less long, when I put the wort together in the primary, it was a bit less than 5 gallons.  When I went to put it in the carboy for secondary, it looked so good and had such body that I decided to take a cnace on not topping it off with water (as my Beer Store Guy advises).  It was about 2 or 3 inches from the top. It started out bubbling okay, but died relatively quickly. It just sat there, so I cehcked the gravity – it was about 1.018-1.020.  Two weeks later, it very slowly bubbles, and there are "floaties" (little dots of lighter colored stuff) on the surface.  I pulled the stopper and it still smells good. Is this batch a goner, or should I go ahead and bottle?  Ill take any and all suggestions and experience. Thanks in advance, Phil

Response:

What yeast did you use? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’ve just come back to rcb after a hiatus, and I have got a problem.  I brew a grain/extract stout that is a mainstay of my repertoire.  This time, however, I decided to experiment by adding more chocolate malt.  To make a long story less long, when I put the wort together in the primary, it was a bit less than 5 gallons.  When I went to put it in the carboy for secondary, it looked so good and had such body that I decided to take a cnace on not topping it off with water (as my Beer Store Guy advises).  It was about 2 or 3 inches from the top. It started out bubbling okay, but died relatively quickly. It just sat there, so I cehcked the gravity – it was about 1.018-1.020.  Two weeks later, it very slowly bubbles, and there are "floaties" (little dots of lighter colored stuff) on the surface.  I pulled the stopper and it still smells good. Is this batch a goner, or should I go ahead and bottle?  Ill take any and all suggestions and experience. Thanks in advance, Phil

Response: