Getting discouraged

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newbiegirl33

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WEll my first batch taste like hops water and second batch is in secondary and is smelling strongly like alcohol and is almost a green color. Grrrrr I just want a good beer. In the mean time I will continue supporting some rogues.
 
Ehhh. Two batches. I am of the opinion that my first two batches were crap. Others seemed to be able to drink them, but they just made me angry.
 
Included Ingredients
Briess Bavarian Wheat Dry Extract 5 lbs, 0 oz
Briess 2 Row Caramel 40 0 lbs, 8 oz
Caramel Pils 0 lbs, 4 oz
Fuggles Pellets, UK 1 oz @ 60 mins
Danstar Nottingham Ale Yeast 1 ea
Here was my first. It was a kit from brew masters warehouse, I messed up and steeped grains at 170 on this one.
 
WEll my first batch taste like hops water and second batch is in secondary and is smelling strongly like alcohol and is almost a green color. Grrrrr I just want a good beer. In the mean time I will continue supporting some rogues.

Don't worry about what it looks or smells like in the secondary. It's not even ready yet. Also, there's not really any need to transfer to a secondary on most beers.
 
I used this recipe, was in primary for about a week, I had to transfer to secondary since I was going out of town. I transferred on top of 5 lbs of strawberries, and it was in secondary for a week. I then bottled. I guess the tastes isn't that hoppy as I described. It's very strawberry at first but then you taste water and hops.
It's been in bottles for over a month now.
 
Shooter said:
Don't worry about what it looks or smells like in the secondary. It's not even ready yet. Also, there's not really any need to transfer to a secondary on most beers.

Thanks, I added fruit so that's why. I'll leave it for sure and maybe it will clean up some.
 
Don't be discouraged! We can definitely help you out. First, as I am sure you have hopefully read here before, 1 week in primary is not enough even though the enclosed directions always tell you it is. Most of us recommend at least 3 weeks primary, no secondary. In your case you wanted to use strawberries so you racked to secondary, which is good, but done just too early.

The one thing I will say is when starting a new hobby, especially brewing, it is always good to start with a basic kit and brew it without wanting to get fancy. It is more important to learn and understand the process before starting to manipulate proven recipes. Once you have a few successful beers to enjoy, then start researching what it is you want to add or tweak.

I read a lot of posts from people that jump in feet first and then get upset and frustrated because what they intended did not work out.

As for your second batch, as stated above, do not worry about look and smell. The initial fermentation is not really pretty and attractive. Since you already went ahead and put it in the secondary I would recommend you leave it there for at least 2 weeks in case it really wasn't done fermenting in the primary. After 2 weeks take a gravity reading TWICE over 2-3 days. If the gravity is unchanged it will be ready to bottle and if you are unsure of that process there is a bottling process sticky that is awesome!

Stick with it! Good things will be coming your way ! :)
 
Briess Bavarian Wheat Liquid Extract 4 lbs, 4.8 oz
Briess Bavarian Wheat Dry Extract 2 lbs, 0 oz
Briess Unmalted Wheat 1 lbs, 0 oz
Briess 2 Row Carapils 0 lbs, 8 oz
Magnum Pellets, GR .5 oz @ 60 mins
Magnum Pellets, GR .5 oz @ 10 mins
Magnum Pellets, GR 1 oz @ 2 mins
Brewer's Garden Dried Wintergreen 2 oz @ 60 mins
White Labs Hefeweizen
Here is this second recipe I used, I just added 4 lbs of watermelon today with the rest of the wintergreen ( I only added a oz to the boil) . I followed this to the tee. Beer is extremely thick and green. I'm starting to think I transferred to secondary to fast.
 
Don't get discouraged right away. I would get another batch or two and keep trying.

Let's face it. A lot of what makes someone's homebrew "sooooo good" in the beginning batches is the pure satisfaction in that you made it. As you have more control and insight in important factors and alter your procedure, little changes add up to make a big difference in quality in subsequent batches.
 
Don't get discouraged right away. I would get another batch or two and keep trying.

Let's face it. A lot of what makes someone's homebrew "sooooo good" in the beginning batches is the pure satisfaction in that you made it.

+1 internetz to you
 
I agree with GoldMiner, try something more straightforward and it will be easier to tell if you're being successful. Be patient in primary.
 
GoldMiner said:
I would hold off on fruit until you have a successful batch.

Adding fruit, especially something like watermelon will increase the volume of water in the wort and often not make up the difference with added sugars or mouthfeel. Could be a reason for it drying out or being low fg wise.
 
Ehhh. Two batches. I am of the opinion that my first two batches were crap. Others seemed to be able to drink them, but they just made me angry.

Ha ha, I just cracked my first bottle of my first batch. You have described my situation perfectly. :) I have very sweet friends, and I am angry.

BTW, they all deserve gold medals for their ability to mask the gag reflex and give compliments through the pain.

I promised them, with sincere confidence, that the four batches I've made since then will turn out better and better. I'm learning a lot as I go along. Every time I screw up, it's frustrating, but it's also a chance to dissect the screwup and learn from it. I think I'm getting it.

(I say that now, having not tasted the final product of the other four batches ... but they tasted better when I sampled them pre-priming, so that's good ...)
 
Ugh, my first two beers were just terrible. It wasn't until my 3rd that I let anyone but my wife try it :)
 
I think you indicate that you are new to brewing & this was your first batch.
Like all things it pays IMHO to start conservatively & keep things simple.
So I'd recommend that you leave this brew to see if it will improve & that may take up to 12 months, you can try it every month or so.
Then buy one of the good beer kits (of a beer type you like) & follow the instructions to the letter. Start with a popular reliable kit which moves quickly, ask at your LHBS or here (say where you live) if you need guidance with selection.
As brewing success becomes a way of life you can start experimenting, but keep reading forums such as this.
Good luck.
 
I think you indicate that you are new to brewing & this was your first batch.
Like all things it pays IMHO to start conservatively & keep things simple.
So I'd recommend that you leave this brew to see if it will improve & that may take up to 12 months, you can try it every month or so.
Then buy one of the good beer kits (of a beer type you like) & follow the instructions to the letter. Start with a popular reliable kit which moves quickly, ask at your LHBS or here (say where you live) if you need guidance with selection.
As brewing success becomes a way of life you can start experimenting, but keep reading forums such as this.
Good luck.

This. Start with a kit, and follow the directions exactly - you'll have good beer.

Once you get the processed figured out, experiment a bit. Fruit seems to be a challenge even for brewers that have gotten things right - do a straight beer or three before you start tinkering with fruit.

If you come in with zero knowledge and start kind of making it up as you go, odds are against you being happy with the results.
 
Briess Bavarian Wheat Liquid Extract 4 lbs, 4.8 oz
Briess Bavarian Wheat Dry Extract 2 lbs, 0 oz
Briess Unmalted Wheat 1 lbs, 0 oz
Briess 2 Row Carapils 0 lbs, 8 oz
Magnum Pellets, GR .5 oz @ 60 mins
Magnum Pellets, GR .5 oz @ 10 mins
Magnum Pellets, GR 1 oz @ 2 mins
Brewer's Garden Dried Wintergreen 2 oz @ 60 mins
White Labs Hefeweizen
Here is this second recipe I used, I just added 4 lbs of watermelon today with the rest of the wintergreen ( I only added a oz to the boil) . I followed this to the tee. Beer is extremely thick and green. I'm starting to think I transferred to secondary to fast.

Hi Newbiegirl,
Is this your own recipe? I've never brewed with wintergreen, but 2 oz.'s sounds like a lot. Imagine a watermelon rootbeer. It doesn't strike me as a good combination.

Also, unmalted wheat (as well as malted wheat) requires a mash with grains containing diastatic enzymes in order to convert the starches. You will likely have starch in your beer which will make it cloudy.

The carapils is OK as a steeping grain.
 
Are you using steeping bags for your hops? If not, that could be why your beer is green colored.

Also, unmalted wheat (as well as malted wheat) requires a mash with grains containing diastatic enzymes in order to convert the starches. You will likely have starch in your beer which will make it cloudy.

The protein in the wheat will probably have more effect on the cloudiness, which is acceptable. Hefeweizens should use Noble hops and American Wheat beers shouldn't have the clove and banana flavors of Hefeweizen yeast.
 
my first homebrew i opened the first bottle and it exploded all over my over and was a milky white. it was infected. now im making all grain and really great beer. dont get discouraged. this is a great place to have people help you!!! just ask questions!! i just got on this site about a week ago and already have 20 threads. you will make great beer, but you should maybe start with a kit. that is where i started.
 
The protein in the wheat will probably have more effect on the cloudiness, which is acceptable. Hefeweizens should use Noble hops and American Wheat beers shouldn't have the clove and banana flavors of Hefeweizen yeast.

It could be that the protein would cause more cloudiness, and a little protein haze is acceptable in a hefeweizen, but I was commenting on the use of wheat as a steeping grain. It will not convert without a mash. I thought it might be a good idea to make newbiegirl aware of the fact that there are grains that may be steeped, and there are grains that should be mashed.

Starch is NOT acceptable in beer.
 
I bought this book before I started brewing. I read most of it — to the point where I was comfortable to give it a go — and now thumb through it when I need to. This book literally has everything you need to know about brewing. It's the perfect place to start.

I also bought this book, which seems to be a little less complex, but still has a ton of great information in it. Read both, understand both and you should be ready to go.
 
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