finally fermenting.

Report from Skeptical Brewing's Southern location (aka my brother's basement) is that after weeks of the Oktoberfest yeast sitting around like Teamsters on strike, the beer is now happily fermenting after we brought in scab yeast in the form of Bavairan Lager.  I don't know if this MP4 file will work, but here's proof:

It sort of looks like the Alien Autopsy, but what do you expect from us?

Of course, I know everyone here was worried, but it isn't time to breathe a collective sigh of releif yet.  In the 3 or 4 weeks the beer has been "sitting" out in the cold, we can only hope that our sanitation practices, combined with the cold temperatures subdued any bacteria as much as or more than our yeast.  With the temperature warm up, the bacteria could have gotten a head start or a foothold before our Bavarians (barbarians?).

We will have beer, but it may not be the award winner we are used to, nor will it be the same.  Could it be better?  Yes, sure, anything's possible, but we need to take good care of it from here on out.

Lager yeast (as we have now been painfully reminded) are tempermental beasts, and need pretty precise temperature control, and then a lengthy cold storage for them to condition the beer the way they need to.

I know my brother was planning to get this into the keg and let it sit to wait for an opening in his fridge.  I am planning on getting this keg and keeping it extremely cold until fall.  I am especially worried about any bacteria that may have been present.  We may be able to tell on kegging if it is okay (or okay for now), but only time will tell.