AG#3 - XXXX Porter (split brewday) PICS ADDED

[seymour]

Sorry to hear about your frustrations, but I don't think your porter is infected nor the spawn of the devil. Ringwood yeast is just very, very high attenuating. It'll certainly take the FG lower than 1013 over time. Next time you use this yeast, try racking the "finished beer" into a secondary fermentor with an airlock, then let that bulk-age for several more weeks before bottling.

Also, I presume your garage is uncooled? If you have space indoors at lower temperatures, that's where I would recommend storing them. Ringwood yeast is useful at cold-conditioning too, if you can chill it down, the yeast metabolism will slow down like you want.

[orlando]

I'm with Seymour on this, it is highly likely that the yeast were (very) slowly still chewing through the long chain sugars. It would be interesting to know if you recorded the temps during fermentation and after bottling.

[oz11]

I've had something similar with a porter earlier in the year. I found cracking the lids daily over a two week period sorted it out. You may need to do the same on a regular basis

[zgoda]

Some yeast are just like this, it's best to avoid them if you bottle your beer. Of Wyast range: Scottish, European, 1028 London, all lager strains, that's from my own experience. Recently had this problem with WLP Essex too.

[Monkeybrew]

Cheers for all of the replies.

Just for reference, I bottled this brew at 1.010.

Looks like I'll be de-gassing over the weekend again

MB

[Monkeybrew]

Cheers for all of the replies.

Just for reference, I bottled this brew at 1.010.

Looks like I'll be de-gassing over the weekend again

MB

Thought that I should add, that this brew actually measures 1.006 from the bottle!

[timothy]

I feel your pain. I've had this problem with my last couple batches with Nottingham. Nothing like bottling the same batch over and over again.

[seymour]

I feel your pain. I've had this problem with my last couple batches with Nottingham. Nothing like bottling the same batch over and over again.

Hey Tim, it's funny you should join this thread, because Monkeybrew has mailed me a bottle of this to review. I'll share some Ringwood yeast with you if it works out. Adventures in transcontinental brewing!

[WishboneBrewery]

a note on keeping that yeast...
The best was to keep top cropped yeast is in a fridge at 4c, re-brew with it every week to 10 days and re-crop, if your sanitation is top notch you can keep that up for years.

[Pinto]

Sounds to me like someone got the priming sugar seriously wrong

Very reminiscent of my explosive turbo cider - still happily under glass at 9 volumes of CO2 (bullet proof, Newcastle Brooon bottles).... Im very careful handling them, and they get chilled to 1 degree before being slowly and carefully cracked open over about 10 minutes to prevent an explosion. Cider is superb tho (if a tad acidic)

[Monkeybrew]

Sounds to me like someone got the priming sugar seriously wrong

Very reminiscent of my explosive turbo cider - still happily under glass at 9 volumes of CO2 (bullet proof, Newcastle Brooon bottles).... Im very careful handling them, and they get chilled to 1 degree before being slowly and carefully cracked open over about 10 minutes to prevent an explosion. Cider is superb tho (if a tad acidic)

I initially thought that I had overprimed it, but as time went on it was clear that the yeast was still slowly fermenting in the bottle!

I have vented all of the bottles, but they are still a little bit lively upon opening. I then pour the beer very gently and let it sit for 10mins before drinking so the fizz has gone.

I just think that this brew has lost alot of its complexity due to a really low FG.

It's all part of the learning curve.

MB

[spanspoon]

I used your recipe and did this about a month ago. I used safale 04 though and bottled at 1.010, it's a tasty brew! Will do this again and recommend you do the same.

[Monkeybrew]

I used your recipe and did this about a month ago. I used safale 04 though and bottled at 1.010, it's a tasty brew! Will do this again and recommend you do the same.

That's nice to hear.

Currently brewing a similar strength porter (different recipe) with S-33 yeast, which is supposed to attenuate around 70%, so may brew the XXXX with that yeast if this one goes well.

My early tastings were really tasty, it just hasn't faired quite so well after dropping 4 points in the bottle!

Another brew to add to my list

MB

[seymour]

I finally got around to tasting this beer which Monkeybrew generously mailed me. Oh god yes!

He warned me the final gravity went lower than expected, which was detectable, but it was still fantastic beer. At a bar last weekend I paid $7 for a single bottle of Samuel Smith Taddy Porter. Monkeybrew's Ringwood XXXX clone was similar, a perfectly true-to-style historic English porter with that slightly cidery, plum skin tartness and bright coffee-like acidity which I love. His was perhaps even better overall because it had more hoppy flavour and spice. Delicious.





Monkeybrew, thank you so much for sharing. After that, if I get a Ringwood yeast culture, it's just icing on the cake!

[seymour]

Bump. Just thought you might be interested to know the yeast you sent me is up-and-running. I made a tiny Ringwood Boondoggle clone kinda thing, basically as a yeast starter to build up the population for a Ringwood Old Thumper kinda thing I'm planning. Thanks again Monkeybrew!



I also experimented with using Vanilla Sugar as my priming solution, which is normally used for baking Nordic desserts and stuff. It turns any bland golden ale into a memorable Vanilla Cream Ale, in case anyone else is interested in trying it.