Thanks Revvy! Perhaps I'll BMBF a few bottles and see if any of my friends enjoy it. If so I can bottle up the rest for them, better than letting it go to waste.
Too late, but: I was going to suggest doing just this. Better yet, bottle them all and tuck them away in a cool basement corner, even if your friends don't want the free beer (unlikely!) - it's not like it'll cost you anything but a few bottles and an hour or so of your time. You might be glad of them one dry day ... and who knows, another couple years might work wonders on them.
__________________ Nattouche Abbey Picobrewery
Primary: Calgary Common Primary: Two-Timer IPA (2565 version) Primary: Brandon O's Graff Keg conditioning:Two-Timer IPA (1056 version) Drinking (keg): Chipsygew Orange Kölsch Drinking (bottles): Simon Porter Drinking (bottles): Saison de la Maison (hallertauer & saaz versions) Drinking (bottles): Dögschnaut Graff Drinking (keg): Dog's Balls Cider On Deck: Bam Biere clone
I've read 1/2 the posts without seeing my specific error addressed, but I'll assume for the sake of argument, the advice holds?
I'm a prerequisite noob, as this forum section attracts. I did an American Ale, simple-recipie, 6lbs or LME, 2oz 4.9% hops, 1 lb 20L steeping grain.
I secondaried (word?) in a six gallon carboy, thinking it was a five gallon, and thus when I topped-off, I diluted the beer by 20%. Granted, I bottled about 15 more bottles, but after three weeks in bottle, the beer is just nasty ... tastes like a regular pitcher of beer I'd get at a banquet hall.
Do I simply reserve this for guests and family I don't really like?
I've read 1/2 the posts without seeing my specific error addressed, but I'll assume for the sake of argument, the advice holds?
I'm a prerequisite noob, as this forum section attracts. I did an American Ale, simple-recipie, 6lbs or LME, 2oz 4.9% hops, 1 lb 20L steeping grain.
I secondaried (word?) in a six gallon carboy, thinking it was a five gallon, and thus when I topped-off, I diluted the beer by 20%. Granted, I bottled about 15 more bottles, but after three weeks in bottle, the beer is just nasty ... tastes like a regular pitcher of beer I'd get at a banquet hall.
Do I simply reserve this for guests and family I don't really like?
I wouldn't bother topping off when you secondary unless you plan on aging it for months. You should get enough off gassing to blanket the beer just by transferring it.
__________________
Conical 1 - Through a Mild Darkly
Conical 2 - Empty
Carboys - Schwarzbier
Secondary 1 - Empty
Secondary 2 - Empty
Secondary 3 - Empty
Kegged: Nutty Man Brown Ale, Kolsch, Kal's 20 min APA (US-05), Kal's 20 min APA (S-04), L'Ambree D'Esquelbecq, Gulden Draak, Alpha King, EdWort's Haus Pale, BLC
Bottled: Oaked Bourbon Porter
Planned: English Mild
Now Open: My new 10 gallon Kal inspired RIMS brewery
I found a bottle of my first homebrewed batch of beer - an extract IPA about 7 months old and decided to pop it. Not that I would have ever considered dumping it, but it was a challenge to want to drink it. The ridiculous amount of hops settled down a bit and it turned itself into a pretty good beer! Time wins again!
I just dumped the better part of my first ever home brew today. I created this disaster on new years eve. A Fat Tire clone extract and grain kit that ended up tasting like a copper pipe. After almost three months it tastes worse than ever. I only saved one bottle, mostly for sentimental reasons. My second batch is tasting pretty horrible too. Same overwhelming metallic bite. I'll be dumping most of that next month I expect. I sure hope I can create something drinkable soon. A hobby isn't much fun when it's all work and no reward.
I'm a totaly newb and this thread and others has really helped calm me down and enjoy the process.
I'm bottling my first ever batch next weekend and I declare for all the world:
1. I will not open a bottle until 3 weeks of bottle conditioning (to give the carbonation time to absorb into the liquid).
2. If I don't like the taste after cracking my first bottle I will put the others aside and sample again in a month or so.
When taking gravity samples my Stout has tasted consistently like a slightly fruity Guiness. I found it enjoyable. So I'm actually feeling ok about this batch.
I made my second batch last night and pitched the yeast into a 86F wort... dumb. But it has been fermenting at a temp range of 64-71 since then and is actively bubbling away. Do I need to add about ten degrees for the wort's actual temp? I don't want to risk contamination just to take a temp reading.
Thanks Revvy for the great advice on this thread and others!
__________________
"Warning: consumption of this alcoholic beverage may make individual appearances and dumb ideas (glug glug glug) more better!"
Thanks for the condolences. My understanding is that the temperature of your fermenting beer will be 5-10 degrees warmer than the ambient temp. Best of luck!
Keep at it... It will be all the more rewarding when you finally get a drinkable beer.
If you haven't already, I think you should start a new thread describing the "Cooper pipe" taste and your other observations on your Fat Tire clone. Maybe some of the pros on this forum will know exactly what is happening and how to fix it.
Best of luck to you too! Happy Brewing!
__________________
"Warning: consumption of this alcoholic beverage may make individual appearances and dumb ideas (glug glug glug) more better!"
Fat Tire is mediocre at best...I think adding a little copper pipe flavor would be an improvement.
I personally think there is nothing wrong with dumping a beer that isn't up to your standards. If it's not what you want, don't waste the calories. I agree with Revvy to give it some time, but if you need room, take out the trash.
Metallic flavors are usually caused by unprotected metals dissolving into the wort but can also be caused by the hydrolysis of lipids in poorly stored malts. Iron and aluminum can cause metallic flavors leaching into the wort during the boil. The small amount could be considered to be nutritional if it weren't for the bad taste. Nicks and cracks ceramic coated steel pots are a common cause as are high iron levels in well water. Stainless steel pots will not contribute any metallic flavors. Aluminum pots usually won't cause metallic flavors unless the brewing water is alkaline with a pH level greater than 9. Shiny new aluminum pots will sometimes turn black when boiling water due to chlorine and carbonates in the water.
If none of this seems to apply, check your water. Are you using tap or distilled?
A hobby isn't much fun when it's all work and no reward.
From one noobie to another, my M.O. has been to be aggressive in quantity while I grow into the hobby, and later I'll be aggressive with quality. I've been pretty good (missed a few) about brewing a batch a week since New Year. The batches are "standard" batches, and after a warm-up recipe kit, I started with a 6lb extract ale recipe w/ 2oz Kent Golding (4.5%) hops, and have tweaked one thing at a time from there.
My second batch, which I blew because I added water (my entrée into this thread), is okay after 2 months of sitting around (my non-home brewing friends and MGD drinkers like it). But I know what I did wrong. If I played with too many variables at a time, I wouldn't know what I did.
) - it's not like it'll cost you anything but a few bottles and an hour or so of your time. You might be glad of them one dry day ... and who knows, another couple years might work wonders on them.
So I'm actually feeling ok about this batch.
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