what did i do wrong?

I brewed a dead guy ale clone that tastes like vodka? Is it some sort of infection?

Not if you're in Russia or Finland:fro:

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Need more info.

How high were your fermentation temperatures??
How long did you let it sit and clean up after initial fermentation in primary?
How long had it been bottle/keg conditioning until tasting?

Fermentation around 65-68. I only did a primary fermentation. And it has been bottled for 2 weeks

So 65-68 was ambient air, fermometer on outside of fermenter or actual wort temp??

Also, what yeast did you use, how did you use it and did you have enough?


How long total, from pitching 'til bottling, in primary??

I don't know how high an ABV a dead guy clone is supposed to be but two weeks isn't even enough for most average ABV beer to get carbed up properly, let alone condition to perfection something that needs more time due to complexity of ingredients and high alcohol content.

I reckon you need to give it at least another week, and probably more.

A lot of beers start to become really good in that 4-6 weeks after bottling period.

It was my first brew. I clearly need to take it more seriously. But yeah I'll let it sit a while longer. I probably screwed it up.

Hang in there. I've tasted more than a couple first brews and none of them were anything to write home about.

moellerhomebrew said:

It was my first brew. I clearly need to take it more seriously. But yeah I'll let it sit a while longer. I probably screwed it up.

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Not necessarily. Beer is actually pretty forgiving stuff. It's harder to fcuk it up than one tends to think.

Do you think there's a chance you might have let the fermentation temperature of the wort get away from you??

My first time was a nut brown ale, brewed in September of last year. The outside ambient temps were around 35 degC and I didn't have a clue about how to keep fermentation temps at around 18C. My only recourse for the first few days of that beer was to put it in a metal filing cabinet in my garage Was about as useful as a fart at a methane plant Anyway, I reckon my wort must have hit temps of 30 to 32 degrees C, at least, and I was dreading a fusel bomb, ester laden pile of liquid poo that would be utterly fowl. It wasn't all that bad, really. Nothing to invite Michael Jackson over for but it was an acceptable beer for my first. Practically everything else since, with a small number of exceptions, has been pretty damn good.

Patience with this one might reward you with surprisingly good beer. Even if it doesn't, the next one you make you'll have an idea or two about how to do a better job than with the first one.

By the way, if you feel like expanding on the info you've given so far, it might be possible to help you pin point what, if anything, might have gone wrong or might lead to the discovery that, in fact, nothing has gone wrong and it's just a question of patience.

Tasting like vodka suggests, to me, hot, high alcohol content and would lead me to assume the presence of fusels but that might not necessarily be the case. Are there any other flavours or aromas, good or bad? Did you get a splitting headache directly after drinking, whatever amount you drank.

Thanks for the advice . And it smells a little fruity and I had about two gulps and I haven't hand a headache or upset stomach.

moellerhomebrew said:

Thanks for the advice . And it smells a little fruity and I had about two gulps and I haven't hand a headache or upset stomach.

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Fruity can be good, that might be an aroma or flavour the beer, you're trying to clone, has. No headache is definitely a positive sign.

Maybe it just needs some more time.