Rescue flat boring beer...

[Favershambrewer]

Hi. My saltaire blonde clone is disastrous. Flat, and tasteless.

Can I pop the bottles open, lob in a single hop pellet (saaz, low alpha) and a smidgen of sugar and recap?

 

[glynb]

I'd say it depends on whether there was any yeast left in the bottles. If there is, I'd probably bring them up to just below room temp, add say 3 or 4g of sugar and leave them for a couple of weeks before cooling and cracking one open. Lobbing in a single pellet to each bottle would surely give you a messy beer in the glass? Maybe you could tip it all back into an fv with priming sugar but I'd think the risk of spoiling would be high due to the amount of oxygen getting into the already fermented brew. Even at this point I'm not sure if I'd add hops though as you'd get an earthy/grassy taste if they are left in there too long. Worth experimenting if the only other option is pouring the lot away! You never know.
Whatever you decide, sanitise everything if you do decide to experiment. :thumb:

Cheers!

 

[McMullan]

Blend it with an over carbed, highly hopped beer?

 

[Favershambrewer]

Thank you both. Think I will make it an experiment. Little to lose at the moment. Perhaps divide the batch into thee: leave one third, top up sugar in second, sugar and hop the third (with low expectations). This way I can pretend I am a scientist.

While i see the logic of the mix suggestion I'm not inclined to risk another potentially good brew in the process.

Thanks for helping me consider the options.

 

[keat64]

id also say mix it in the same glass with another beer, or worse still......... shandy.

at least the kids will enjoy it.

 

[MyQul]

Not sure about adding extra sugar to 're-prime' but dry hopping bottles is definantely doable. Have a look here

http://www.bertusbrewery.com/2013/03/dry-hopped-bud-light.html?m=1

 

[McMullan]

Thank you both. Think I will make it an experiment. Little to lose at the moment. Perhaps divide the batch into thee: leave one third, top up sugar in second, sugar and hop the third (with low expectations). This way I can pretend I am a scientist.

While i see the logic of the mix suggestion I'm not inclined to risk another potentially good brew in the process.

Thanks for helping me consider the options.

A scientist, IME, would drink it flat :lol:

 

[H0PM0NSTER]

How long has it been in the bottle? There's a chance it may improve a little with more conditioning. (Although I made a brewpaks Bavarian Pilsner which even after 9 months is pretty flat and still tastes like a musty old rag!)

 

[Favershambrewer]

Well Hop,it hasn't been in the bottle long, so you're right it may fizz up a bit yet. But my experience is that my AG brews condition quickly. Nine months seems impossibly far in the future. I could be dead by then, and if not, I'm bound to want reuse those bottles.

Mm McM, your scientist chums seem like an undescerning bunch. But even they wouldn't want this stuff.

 

[Leon103]

What did you prime it with originally? How long did you leave it in the warm after priming?

 

[Favershambrewer]

It's a 10l brew and I used 60 of brewers sugar - actually a bit more than I usually use. It was three weeks n primary and now two weeks in the bottle at room temperature. Normally (ie every other time) by now I'd have very clear, well carbonated beer. In fact my beer is sully quite clear at bottling. This stuff however is cloudy. Sediment is about the same, maybe a smidgen less.

Changes from previous brews. Well, it's a very light coloured beer (I used ashbeck) and I used a new (to me) hop, not that I can see that making a difference.

Perplexing innit?

 

[Leon103]

Room temperature changes at different stages of the year. I would aim for at least 19c to prime.

 

[Favershambrewer]

Update.. with an admission that I didn't follow through with my plan to reprime as an experiment. I just left the beer longer.

It cleared, carbonated and became drinkable, subtle tasting/slightly underwhelming beer.

Lesson: not all beer behaves the same way. Time helps. I've found my light beers take a lot longer to condition.

 

[BeerCat]

Not sure about adding extra sugar to 're-prime' but dry hopping bottles is definantely doable. Have a look here

http://www.bertusbrewery.com/2013/03/dry-hopped-bud-light.html?m=1

Most interesting!