I put the sugar in too late for the secondary

[markw]

Hi,
I have just done my firs kit beer for a while. It was all going so well, until I forgot to put add the sugar for the secondary fermentation! After about five days, I realised my mistake, when I drew a little off the tap - it smelled and tasted good and was already clear, but flat. So I added some sugar and gave it a stir. When I tried again today (about five days later) it was cloudy and still flat. I am assuming the yeast had already all died out, so there was nothing to work on the sugar, and my stirring it had caused all the sediment to mix in with the liquid.
Is there anything I can do now apart from chuck it all out and start again? The only thing I can think of its buying some brewing yeast and add it, to see if will do the job for me this late in the day.
Can anyone help me or do I put this down as a lesson learned and move on?

 

[CreweBrewer]

All you've done is transfer to a secondary vessel to clear, which is what loads of people, including myself, do to get a clearer en result. You'll have to start the secondary fermentation process again, and five days isn't going to do it. I'd put it in the warm for a week and then move it to a cold place for a further two then give it a go. I wouldn't chuck it away if it tasted good to be honest. I'd probably inject some CO2 if it continued to not play ball so you could at least enjoy it with a bit of a head.

Dave

 

[mrobinson]

The yeast should still work, maybe it would take a bit longer than if you'd done it straight away, I'm not sure.

Does your beer taste sweet? If so, your yeast hasn't got going. If it's not very sweet then your barrel has a leak.

The sediment will settle again, I assume faster than the first time as it's clumped together.

 

[Fil]

Not quite sure what stage your at, if your using a secondary fermenting bucket to clear the beer before racking off into bottles or a PB, you dont want to add any extra sugar just yet.

If however your in the pressure barrel and added the sugar late, check the seal by injecting some co2, if the barrel isnt containing pressure you will just loose the condition as the yeast make it.

if the seal is ok, let it sit for a few weeks to do its stuff, next time you forget the priming charge disolve it in a small amount of boiled water and let it cool covered before adding, stirring at this stage can introduce o2 from the air and now thats a bad thing and it can oxidise the beer..

if the seal wasnt tight sort that and just re-prime.

 

[markw]

OK thanks all, that's very helpful. Just to clarify, I transferred it to a pressure barrel, I'm not using bottles. It sounds like my stirring it might have introduced O2 (presumably risking unwanted bacteria?), but otherwise I might be okay. I take it from everyone's reply though that there should still be plenty of active yeast to work on the sugar I added, so no need to introduce more.
I've given it a squirt of CO2. The barrel seems airtight. I've also moved it somewhere a bit warmer and will give it another week before taking a bit off to see how it is. Hopefully it'll have some gas back by then and the sediment will have gone to the bottom again. I'll also use the hydrometer to check it's back where it should be before transferring it somewhere cooler again for another week or so... fingers crossed.

 

[markw]

ps. I might not have had the cap on tightly enough, so that might have been the problem. Anyway, it's nice and tight now.

 

[Fil]

sounds like a solid plan, too cool below the minimum temperature of the range your yeast will thrive in will send the yeast dormant so warming up should bring them back to life and activity..