Really sweet bitter

scrollmonger · Jun 4, 2011

Hi guys, I've been reading posts on the forum for a few months since I re-started brewing from kits.
I say restarted because I used to brew my own back in the 1980's, before I had kids.
I've just registered on the forum because I have a specific problem.
My usual recipe is:-
a 1.5kg kit of youngs 'Harvest Yorkshire Bitter'
a 1.5kg tin of 'Brupaks Pale malt extract'
and 1kg of caster sugar.
This usually comes down to an FG of 1.006

With this particular brew I didn't take an FG reading. Because of time pressures I just bottled it in the usual way in 1 ltr bottles.
Now it time to drink it but I tried a bottle last night and it tastes very much like sweet treacle. Not very nice at all!
I left a bit to go flattish and took a hydrometer reading of 1.012.

I wondered, if I stick it back in the fermenter with some yeast nutrient will get down a bit further - so it's not so unpleasantly sweet?

Hope you can help. I dont want to waste it by tipping it away.
Many thanks in advance.

evanvine · Jun 4, 2011

Try making a yeast starter with a couple of your bottles.
If that is sucessful, then add the rest and ferment out.

unclepumble · Jun 5, 2011

You could also add Pilsner powder (get some from your local HBS) and stir in gently to rouse the yeast up, it might help to bring it down a little.

UP

scrollmonger · Jun 6, 2011

Thanks guys,
What I've did is take evanvines advise and made a starter.

First I made 25 ltrs of new wort. I put 1 ltr of my beer (sediment as well) in a half gallon jug with 500ml of the new wort and some yeast nutrient.
Poured the rest of the beer into the FV leaving out the sediment from the bottles, this lost about 3 ltrs of the original 23 ltrs.
I divided this in half between 2 FV's and added half the new wort to each FV.

The starter has done well (a good foamy yeast head on top) so I split it between the two FV's.

Now, I suppose all I can do is wait and hope I haven't wasted another wort.

Thanks for the advise guys. - If the topic stays open for a few days I'll let you know how I get on.
:pray: