Expert: John Snyder - 8/11/2008

Question
should I be adding a priming ingredient to the secondary fermentation?  This is my first batch ever, so I don't really know what is supposed to happen, but the recipe called for a 2 week primary and a 3 week secondary.  I used a generic ale yeast (11g) instead of the irish ale yeast called for in the recipe, i also cut everything down for a 2 gallon batch (except the yeast I used it all).  The primary started heavy, but after 24 hours slowed to (a bubble in the air lock) about every 5 minutes.  Stayed steady for about 4 days, then on the fifth day it came to almost a stand still, so i racked it to secondary.  It went completely dormant for a few hours then very very slow (15 min).  I bottled after 2 days in the secondary (it had gone completely dormant again) and primed it with DME (amber).  Am I going to have stale brew.  If so, what did I do wrong?  I plan on letting the bottle age for at least another week, but I don't know what to anticipate.

Answer
  Listed below are things you should not have done:

1--pitching yeast for 5 gallons,in a 2&1/2 gallon batch
  fermentation is too rapid,and flavors and aromas are produced,that
  detract from the good flavor of the finished beer

2--fermentation should have been allowed to continue for 2 weeks
  during that period,maturation of flavors take place,and aromas
  released that can be objectionable to final taste.

3--bottling too early,before fermentation is completed,can cause too
 high a pressure build up in the bottles,and they will explode

4--priming sugar,or DME should never be added directly to the bottle,it is not precise,and can increase the chance of infection,and also uneven carbonation


Primed bottles need at least 2 weeks for carbonation to fully develop
at room temperature

Having a stale brew will depend on how well you kept air from being entrained in your beer,during your processing.

Since you used DME for priming,you should notice a krausen/protein
ring form around the liquid line in the bottle.



no more than 2/3 cup of DME should have been used,as only 1/2 batch was made.

Be aware of possibility of your bottles exploding,based on what you described,as your processing method.