Beer turned from Grey to Golden to Brown

OrangeCatBrewery · 07-07-2008, 05:16 PM

Went out of town for 5 days. When I left, the beer was fermenting along and it was a nice golden color. When I returned the beer had changed to a brownish color. I had a wet towel and fan on the carboy and it was at about 68 degrees (approx). I asked for a friend to wet the towel for me twice a day (it should have not been an inconvenience to them). When I returned the carboy was showing 74 degrees and the towel was dry. I dont think they followed thru on wetting the towel.

I used Nottingham Yeast 58-70 degrees, 3# DME, 4#LME both were pilsner, and 1oz of Spalt added at 60, 15 and 0 minutes.

Is my beer infested with all kinds of nasty tasting stuff? Is it going to taste as bad as I think it will? All bad news is welcomed.

Thanks, Paul

FlyGuy · 07-07-2008, 05:23 PM

It sounds to me like it is going to be downright nasty. Just bottle it up, send it to me, and I will dispose of it for you -- no charge!

Seriously, relax. Have a taste. Don't be too quick to judge. It is surprisingly hard to ruin beer.

McKBrew · 07-07-2008, 05:23 PM

If your looking for bad news, you won't get it here. While 74 degrees might not be optimum your beer will be fine. Follow through, bottle and drink. If your beer tastes like sweaty balls when you drink it, then you'll know (there is a 99.9% chance it will be just fine). RDWHAHB!

z987k · 07-07-2008, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OrangeCatBrewery

Went out of town for 5 days. When I left, the beer was fermenting along and it was a nice golden color. When I returned the beer had changed to a brownish color. I had a wet towel and fan on the carboy and it was at about 68 degrees (approx). I asked for a friend to wet the towel for me twice a day (it should have not been an inconvenience to them). When I returned the carboy was showing 74 degrees and the towel was dry. I dont think they followed thru on wetting the towel.

I used Nottingham Yeast 58-70 degrees, 3# DME, 4#LME both were pilsner, and 1oz of Spalt added at 60, 15 and 0 minutes.

Is my beer infested with all kinds of nasty tasting stuff? Is it going to taste as bad as I think it will? All bad news is welcomed.

Thanks, Paul

temperature really has nothing to do with other things getting into the beer.

ohiobrewtus · 07-07-2008, 05:44 PM

I'm guessing that it's fine. Bottle it and give it a try!

**Revvy** · 07-07-2008, 05:54 PM

If you're fermenting in a carboy, as the yeast flocculates the color is going to appear to change as the yeasties and other floaties fall out of suspension. Additionally the mere shape and thickness of the glass of the carboy alters the appearance of the beer (remember the old pencil in a glass of water refraction illusion?) It will look much different at bottling and when it's in your beer glass....

RDWHAHB!

OrangeCatBrewery · 07-07-2008, 06:15 PM

Thanks!!! I was definatley going to bottle and drink it. But the color change from dark to light to dark concerned me.

This page is the best.....It's like my beermaking has gone from the Dark Ages to the Renaissance since I started reading and posting. If anyone wants to take a slug of my beer just stop by Frederick, MD.

Cheers, Paul

**Revvy** · 07-07-2008, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OrangeCatBrewery

Thanks!!! I was definatley going to bottle and drink it. But the color change from dark to light to dark concerned me.

This page is the best.....It's like my beermaking has gone from the Dark Ages to the Renaissance since I started reading and posting. If anyone wants to take a slug of my beer just stop by Frederick, MD.

Cheers, Paul

We had a poster on here not too long ago who was convinced he had a pellicule (a type of infection) growing on the top of his beer in the carboy...It turned out it was just the way the light was bent at the top curve of the carboy, which was just where the top of the beer lay. Everything looks different through thick glass...that's one of the reasons window glass is so thin, things don't quite look the same through thicker glass.

OrangeCatBrewery · 07-07-2008, 07:53 PM

Point Noted.....if I remember I will update what the beer looks like after it is bottled and carbed.

MN_Jay · 07-07-2008, 09:48 PM

When you take an hydrometer sample, hold it up next to the carboy and notice the difference in color, my hefeweizen had me thinking it was way too dark too, just the carboy playing tricks on me.