Holiday Brewing

[Reviled]

Hey guys - I know this question comes up a hell of alot so I apologise for that, but just wanted to get a general consensus on the best way to do this...

 

Im going away for 4 weeks in March, and im planning on brewing my Imperial Cream ale just before I go to give it a good amount of conditioning time...

 

Now here is my question - What would you do?

 

Would you brew the beer, let it ferment out, dry hop, keg and leave the keg in the fridge for 4 weeks? This will obviously leave me a bit tight for time as im leaving in 3 weeks and wont be able to brew this weekend...

 

Or - Would you brew the beer, leave it on the yeast for 4-6 weeks, then dry hop it when you get back?? The beer is gonna be about 7-8% and there will be nothing for any off flavours to hide behind in this beer, im a bit scared of autolosis, sorta...

 

Thoughts?

[MrC]

I'd brew it next weekend, ferment it for two weeks with dry hops added after one week. Then keg it and let it cold condition while you're away.

[Martin Bridges]

I'd be surprised if you got much autolysis within 4-6 weeks, so I'd go for leaving it on the yeast until you get back.

But more importantly - Imperial Cream Ale??? Why, WHY???!

[Reviled]

"But more importantly - Imperial Cream Ale??? Why, WHY???!"

Its a bit of a piss take to be honest for Mikes "Imperial Hybrid" style for the welly WBC ;o) Couldnt just brew an Imperial IPA now, wheres the fun in that :oP lol

But hey, it could be the next big thing in beer?? lol

[Ally Mcg]

Cream Ales are all the rage these days it seems :)

Maybe Imperial Cream Ales are nexts week big thing. I'd be keen to try a bot. Interesting exbeeriment IMO

Oh, and my 2c - I'd brew, ferment it and dry hop, then into the keg to condition whilst you're away.

[Reviled]

"Cream Ales are all the rage these days it seems :)"

Hahaha, not being biast or anything there Ally? ;o)

Itll def be an interesting exbeeriment, but like Stu said there will be minimal room for error, so I best not stuff it up... Weighed out my hops in the weekend, and took a page from Stus book with a 30 min addition of Chinook and Columbus for some mega resins, my bittering addition @ 60 is only 3gms of Columbus as a result haha

[denimglen]

Time permitting I would ferment it out, transfer to secondary or corny, let it set until you get back, then dry hop it.

Reason being is that over that 4 - 6 weeks you'll loose a lot of that dry-hop-good-ness.

As much as I'm an advocate of primary only beers I'm still a bit sketchy of leaving big beers on the cake too long. Those are some stressed little yeasties living in heaps of their own waste - sounds like an accident waiting to happen for me. If you were around to keep an eye on it (or taste on it) then different story...

[Reviled]

"As much as I'm an advocate of primary only beers I'm still a bit sketchy of leaving big beers on the cake too long."

I normally wouldnt be worried if it was a big dark beer for example where a bit of autolysis is somewhat desired, but if I get even a smidge in this beer its gonna stick out like dogs balls I reckon... And yeah, didnt want to lose all the dry hoppy goodness...

Hmm, so transfer to secondary just before I go, thats sounding like it might be the go...

[warra48]

Autolysis is something that's talked about in theory, but I've yet to come across more than one or two brewers who have experience it.

My last APA was in primary for 4 weeks, the last 2½ weeks with 1 gr/litre dry hopped Chinook. Absolutely tasted clean as from the hydro sample at bottling.

I think the worry about autolysis is a bit overdone. OK, if you leave it in primary for say 2 months or more, but 4 to 6 weeks, unlikely.

[Stu McKinlay]

here here... if you have the patience to let autolysis develop, you should buy the rights to brew Thomas Hardy's.
It is easily THE most overblown figment of the imaginative minds of homebrewers.

[Stu McKinlay]

I'm with Mr Cherry...

Hey! I see a "like Stu said" in Rev's last post but I can't see my post. Where's it gone? Someone deleting my posts while I'm not looking?

[MrC]

I think he's referring to this on another thread.

[Stu McKinlay]

I thought I'd posted something here yesterday... maybe I just fantasised about it ;-)