Project 'Save My XXX Old Ale': Help Me or Else!

[Evan!]

No matter how much you brew, you can still get screwed by lazy-ass English yeast. :p

I brewed this face-rockingly awesome Old Ale awhile back, and because I'll be aging it, I naturally carbed it in bottles rather than going to the keg. I went from 1.074 to 1.020 or so...figured that it was done because I had high mash temps and good amount of specialty grains, since I wanted it to finish high.

Now, I have over 2 cases of slightly overcarbed Old Ale. It's not enough to make it a real problem like some overcarbed beers I've had, but it's enough to take it out of the style range. There must have been a few points of fermentable sugar left in there that the essex strain just didn't feel like eating. Douchebag Brits are good fer nuthin!

Now, I know that with ale that you age for extended periods, you actually usually get a slow increase in carbonation---I even get this with most aged commercial brews too. So after a few years, this will probably get worse, not better, and the base beer is way too awesome to just let sleeping dogs lie.

So, what I'm trying to do is uncap them, offgas some of the co2, then recap them. I'll probably do several test bottles...one where I just let a little gas off, one where I take the cap off and replace it after 5 seconds, and another where I take it off and let it sit for 30 seconds or more. This is really the only way to figure out the very best method to get the desired carb level...

But I've never done this before, so, is there anyone out there with experience offgassing to decarb an overcarbed beer? It's not bad enough to foam up out of the bottle when I open them...any advice?

[Ó Flannagáin]

No advice, I think your testing method is perfect. I would put my money on the 5 second one though.

My 888 decided it had another 7 or 8 points to eat after 3 or 4 months in the fermenter and I added priming sugar and bottled it. I've had about 8 or 9 explode and the rest, when I open, spew a found about 3 feet in the air. You're lucky it's not doing that.

[Evan!]

No advice, I think your testing method is perfect. I would put my money on the 5 second one though.

My 888 decided it had another 7 or 8 points to eat after 3 or 4 months in the fermenter and I added priming sugar and bottled it. I've had about 8 or 9 explode and the rest, when I open, spew a found about 3 feet in the air. You're lucky it's not doing that.

Been There, Done That. Gave a bunch of overcarbed imperial coffee chocolate stout to a coworker because he liked it and said the overcarbing didn't matter. I told him to put it in the fridge. he didn't. Ended up with a stout-covered pantry. He put the rest out on the curb, they all kasploded too. Luckily nobody was hurt...but I told him to put it in the fridge!!!

[Evan!]

Oh, another question: can I just pry back the caps, let it offgass, then recap with the same one? Or should I use new caps?

[Lerxst]

I've not bothered in similar situations...my 888 was over carb'd (because I didn't accurately guess my salvaged volume) and thus out of style but since I have no plans on entering it in a comp, I just look at it like a "next time" situation. Fortunately, not to the point of bottle bombs.

What you are planning sounds reasonable...

[Ó Flannagáin]

I would bet if you were carful you could just slightly lift the cap then reseal

[MrMarbleHead]

Your plan is pretty sound. Using the different times for offgassing sounds like a good way to determine how long to keep them uncapped.

The only way i would use the same caps is if you 1) don't take it off all the way, just crack it to relieve pressure, and 2) don't bend/crease the old cap. If you crease it i think that you would never get a proper seal again and then end up with really good, flat beer, instead of really good overcarbed beer.

I would do this when they are warm, that way they don't absorb all the excess co2 first, but you probably know that anyway, and be careful if any of them ar TOO overcarbed, don't want them exploding in your hands.

[Ó Flannagáin]

I would do this when they are warm, that way they don't absorb all the excess co2 first, but you probably know that anyway, and be careful if any of them ar TOO overcarbed, don't want them exploding in your hands.

Yea, I use an oven mit and a towel to open my 888's and I put a 1 liter mug about 2 feet away and aim for it with my fountain that pours out.

[NWernBrewer]

The idea of doing tests to find the proper timeing sounds pretty good.

I wouldn't even mess with using the same caps, they are cheap and carbonated beer is good.

[Evan!]

Well, I tried a few experimental bottles this morning. One was just lifting the cap slightly a few times, then pressing it back down with my capper. Two was pulling the cap off entirely, then waiting 15 seconds and recapping with another cap. Three was waiting a minute before recapping.

Any thoughts on how long I should wait to test the results?

[MrMarbleHead]

Stick them in the fridge and try them out tomorow or the next day. More than likely the beer has already absorbed enough co2, so you should be good to try one or two out now.

[Ó Flannagáin]

I'd give it a week.. if it doesn't have a good seal it will go flat quick. I had a keg that my roommates and I almost finished off but then it quick serving (didn't have my co2 tank with me)... so I let it sit for a week before bringing my co2 down and it went flat. I tested it and the co2 I was pumping in was leaking very slightly.

[DrunkenSatyr]

I would go buy a kegging setup and pour them all in then enjoy ;) Sounds like you have a sound plan going there. I second the using new caps though, what are you out? .25 cents on the batch?

[Evan!]

I would go buy a kegging setup and pour them all in then enjoy ;) Sounds like you have a sound plan going there. I second the using new caps though, what are you out? .25 cents on the batch?

You know damn well that I have 6 taps, fool! I just still bottle some stuff. And no, I'm not willing to risk the oxidation of pouring them back...

It's not the cost of the caps, it's that with aged beer I like to use oxygen absorbers, and my LHBS doesn't carry them, so I'd have to place an online order, but I don't need anything else. I'll probably just end up using the regular ones I have.