Opened a bottle early

So I've brewed my first batch... Bottled 5 days ago and primed with corn sugar. Tasted the beer before priming/bottling and was stoked on how good it was. Couldn't resist the temptation so 5 days later chilled a bottle and opened. Has a skunky just plain bad aroma and flavor. I'm seriously hoping its just that I opened way too early and that in a couple weeks it will be back to the fine first batch I tasted before bottling. Thoughts/advice appreciated.

what kind of beer? Was it exposed to much light since you brewed it?

Pale ale and it was in a dark closet the whole time. Would the yeast not done eating the priming sugar have anything to do with it?

How long did it ferment?

lstewartff said:

How long did it ferment?

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14 days in a primary. No secondary. Bottled on 14th day which was 5 days ago. OG was 1.060 and FG at bottling was just under 1.010 so thought I was defintely good to bottle. Cleaned and sanitized bottles with BEST iodine sanitizer. Any chance I just need more time than 5 days for finish eating priming sugar or should that not matter at all with the flavor, only the carbonation.

when you say skunky just plain bad, what exactly do you mean? hopefully it's just green, but it sounds like an altogether different process could be taking place. how else would you describe the taste - like rancid, acidic, bitter, etc? also, did you taste it before you bottled it?

escalante88 said:

when you say skunky just plain bad, what exactly do you mean? hopefully it's just green, but it sounds like an altogether different process could be taking place. how else would you describe the taste - like rancid, acidic, bitter, etc? also, did you taste it before you bottled it?

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Tasted great at bottling. No off flavor at all. Acidic is a good adjective to describe it. Not quite rancid, at least not yet...

Tasted great when bottled. Was really stoked on how well it came out. Acidic is a good word to describe. Not quite rancid. I guess I have no real choice but to wait a couple of weeks and see how it tastes. Only way to be sure right?

I literally screamed "NOOOOOOOOOOOO" as i read this thread title....
Im one to many deep. Actually laughed at myself afterwards.

I find that after a certain amount of batches you find that sweet spot to where your beer is in its prime during a selective period. This is one hobby you cannot stress and be finicky over.
Keep your pipeline going and let each batch "rest" as i say.
Personally i cant drink any batch i brew before 4 weeks if not more. (4 weeks from time of bottling or siphon to keg.)

Theres a "prime" for each batch. Learn to grab that palate and not to waste it on subpar samples.

CHeers!

Johnnyhitch1 - sounds like good advice to me. Really appreciate it and 2nd batch is already in the primary so I'm already following it. Thanks!

I thought my first batch was skunked from light but I think it just tasted funny because all of my ingredients were over a year old. I still drank every bottle. I've made tons of beer since then and never made anything undrinkable and 95% of it is really good. It will probably be good tasting in a couple of weeks is my guess.

Most definitely needs more time and remember to keep them around 70ish(cooler temps will mean longer time needed(ususally)).

Thanks for all the advice. I'll wait another couple of weeks before sampling again.

Your beer, your rules. Drink one whenever you want
I just violated all the good rules and opened one that's been carbonating for 12 days. I know it's going to taste better in two weeks, but I wanted one right now!

when i saw the title of the thread, i was going to ask if you opened it before noon

skw said:

Your beer, your rules. Drink one whenever you want
I just violated all the good rules and opened one that's been carbonating for 12 days. I know it's going to taste better in two weeks, but I wanted one right now!

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^ that

I haven't been doing this very long. Only 4 extract batches under my belt so far. But I have learned enough from those much more experienced on this forum that for most brews you need at least 3 weeks of bottle conditioning before trying your beer and expecting it to taste the way it's supposed to. My humble advice is to let it finish and try it after 3 weeks bottle conditioning and try it. You'll probably be very pleased.

pellis007 said:

My humble advice is to let it finish and try it after 3 weeks bottle conditioning and try it.

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Exactly! 3 weeks minimum in bottles. Higher ABV more time. Maybe LOTS more time!

**UPDATE**. It's been 2 weeks and the beer tastes great! Can't believe the difference a week makes and I'm now enjoying the fruit of my labor.

Congrats!! I cracked my first beer from my first brew last night. 9 days since bottling then 3 more days in the fridge. Tasted good. Now I'm having a hard time waiting the last few weeks for them to finish... Cheers!

I think it was Yooper that threw up a reference about bottle aging/carbing that 3 weeks is the bare-minimum for carbonation to take place. I too have popped bottles after only a week and THOUGHT they were carbed, only to read the info and find that true carbonation takes at least 3 weeks. I know it's hard, but you will learn as I have that 3 weeks minimum only means better beer.

Keep brewing and keep focusing on improving your technique. The more you brew the more you will find room for improvement. Good luck and enjoy the brew!