Spoiled batch?

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This is my first batch... Was instructed to transfer to secondary after three days of initial fermentation ( hesitant to do so but I did) i am scheduled to bottle tomorrow and I am comparing pics of starting point to current and wondering if I should even bottle. Given the difference in color contrast, I think I have a spoiled batch? It is a Bavarian weizen (northwestern extract kit). Again, I am still wet behind the ears... Tell me where I went wrong!

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Hi dirtymonkey i'm waiting on my first batch to see how bad it's screwed up been Two weeks in Primary all posts i've read and been told keep in primary for at least 3 weeks and no real need for secondary cept in dry hopping & certain beers i think switching to secondary after 3 days might be your problem
 
I let all of my brews sit in primary for at least 2 weeks (some more) when in primary. Active fermentation is still going on within 3 days of pitching yeast. Rack when your hydrometer says it is time to rack, not the durations given in the recipe. When did you brew this batch? What is your recipe?
 
I would say that at 3 days it was at least 7 and closer to 11 days to early to go into secondary. This would be the earliest to transfer. As stated above you don't need to secondary at all unless you have a beer that takes more than a month of aging, or you are going to put it on dry hops or fruit.

Wait at least 3 weeks from brew date before bottling. If you don't have a hydrometer, get one asap and read up on how to use it.

Don't listen to ANYTHING more from the person who is telling you how to brew!!!!!

This will be beer, but nowhere near a Bavarian Weizen!!!! Don't necessarily give up on it, but don't expect too much either.
 
Taste it. If good, bottle and repeat (if final gravity is stable and near expected). As stated above, give it more time next time (but you still made beer! :) )
 
skyebrewing said:
Taste it. If good, bottle and repeat (if final gravity is stable and near expected). As stated above, give it more time next time (but you still made beer! :) )

This. If it tastes good, bottle it up. In the future, use a hydrometer to know how the beer is progressing

Don't worry about the color difference, it is most likely from settling out of trub and yeast. Those are both lighter in color and make the beer look much lighter when in suspension. As they settle out, the beer clears up and will look darker (or lighter, if you have a very pale colored beer).
 
Thanks for all the input! I should have went with my gut... even though I am new to the game, transfer after three days just didn't seem right!

So I pulled a sample today and got a reading around 1.02 (if I am reading it right). I am amazed with the misconception of color when viewed in large volume! The smell is familiar, the taste is new... Sweet, flat and a bitter all at once.

So it is now bottled, I'm gonna store in basement for the next two weeks then fridge for one before sampling?

Getting ready to start a new batch of pale ale.... I think I can, I think I can!

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1.020 seems pretty high for a wiezen depending on the OG. Not to alarm or anything, but I'd say open one each of the next few weeks to see how much pressure has built since it may not have been done with the primary ferm after only 3 days there could be quite a bit left for the yeast to chew up.

On the color, I'll agree it's perfectly normal. Active fermentation looks a lot more cloudy than when it's settled. A 'spoiled' batch will usually look more like a film on top from what I've seen (first hand unfortunately) and it's really noticeable in the taste.
 
Be very careful with those bottles. I suspect at "1.02 or so", to use your words it was not finished unless it had been working for several weeks. You may have bottled with a lot of residual sugar still in solution and they will be over carbonated to the point of bursting. Put them in a plastic tub or spare bathtub and cover with a towel so if they start to explode on you, you won't have a mess to clean. (Well, you'll still have a mess but at least it will be a contained mess).

Handle them very carefully until you know just how carbonated they are. I had a bottle explode in my hand one time when I banged two together and needed stitches. Stored close together like that, one bottle can set off a chain reaction and you end up with a sticky smelly mess. I've seen the glass fly ten feet.

Check one bottle in a week to ten days and see if it is a gusher. If so, you may be able to salvage by very carefully opening to let off the pressure and recapping. Wear gloves and eye protection if you suspect you've got bottle bombs.
 
i think you just made some bombs... 1.020 is WAY too high for that beer to have been finished. put bottles in tubs for storage so if they start popping, you don't have a huge mess on your hands. And in the future, bring some patience and let the beer finish each stage before moving to the next one.
 
Good grief....... well thanks for giving me the heads up. I took your advice and put it in a container to contain the fireworks!

Here I thought th estress was over with this batch....

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learning is fun, isn't it! Check one each week by putting it in the fridge to chill for a day. If a test beer shows any signs of over-carbing, chill them all and keep them chilled to halt fermentation; and when you open one... do it over the sink ;)
 
Well I think "the proof is in the puddin".... No explosions... Gradual increase in carbonation and mellowing of flavor. Here is a pic of the first beer that sat for the duration... I have to say I am quite pleased with the final product -considering this is my first batch!


This weekend I will be bottling a pale ale that has been in primary for 3 weeks and next weekend I will be bottling a blue moon clone (will also be @3 week mark)

Needless to say.... I now know how to properly read a hydrometer and I respect the process! In this game, patience is key!

Thanks to all for your input!

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Looks a little dark for a Bavarian Weizen,maybe you boiled all the Malts from the beginning? Late extract malt additions will greatly aid this. Otherwise it looks like it came out pretty darn good. Congrats!:mug:
 
You are correct Sir- all LME was added at the beginning of the boil. As I delve into the broad range of do's and don'ts, I see the benefit of staggering this addition!

Let me open this up for debate:

LME vs. DME - pros/cons -input/suggestion
 
LME for relative cleanliness and ease of addition without boil over, DME for ease of measurement. I can take 5LB of DME and cut it down to 2LB pretty easy compared to LME, but when you toss it into a boil be prepared for a possible eruption!

Also DME is more concentrated per LB, 1lb Grain = .8lb LME = .6lb DME if I recall.
 
I have been using LME out of convenience, but there was something about the taste that I was not pleased with, not bad just I don't know, amateur tasting. At the suggestion of the forum members here, I started adding only 1/3 of the LME in the beginning, after steeping my specialty grains. Adding the remainder at the end and making sure all the LME gets dissolved. The difference in color, taste and smell is striking.
 
One thing to take into account with late additions is that it will affect your hops utilization, the lower the boil gravity the higher the IBU, so you may need some adjustments to keep the balance.
 
I use half the DME in the boil for hop additions,then add the remaining DME & LME at the end. Lighter colors,cleaner flavors.
 
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