I am new to brewing and have read many threads on this wonderful site after finding it a week ago. I am having a problem with cidery, harsh flavor, you might call it green apple.
I brewed my first beer and went by the advice of the local homebrew shop. It was cream ale and I was told one week in primary, one week in secondary and bottle. I waited two weeks it was horrible. Very cidery to say the leaset. This was about 8 months ago. They told me leave it in the bottles it will get better I poured it all out, never got better.
I decided to try again after a freind of mine gave me all of his equipment. So now having three primary fermentors and four carboys I decided to try again. The second beer I did the same way, one week primary, one week secondary and bottled. Two weeks later it tasted like the same beer as I had done before but this was a wheat beer. The locals guys convinced me that I had a bacteria is why the first one was bad but there is no way this has one. I boiled every drop of water that touched anything. I used starsan to sanitize and everything was sanitized.
While I was waiting on the wheat in the bottle I brewed two more and was unaware of the off flavor of the wheat in the bottle. After tasting the second beer I went to the store and bought some books.
I did check the actuall fermenting temperature of the two ales that I am doing now and it was 74degrees for both of them and that has been very steady (stout and a Wit beer). I racked them both into secondary fermentors after one week and they have been there for two weeks. I am know thinking that becouse of my high temperature that maybe the extra time in the secondary will help with the Acetaldehyde or off flavors I am tasting?
Sorry this so Long>> Now for my question?
Is my temperature to high for Ale?
Will leaving it for three weeks in secondary help?
I have been considering getting a chest freezer to ferment in because I live in West Texas where it is 90 degrees in December!
And by the way I am done with bottles I bought four kegs and have my keggerator built and ready to go. But I have to get some beer made that is worth putting in there first. I thought that maybe by only cleaning and sanitizing one container it might cut down on my chances of infection or what not.
Any comments, ideas would greatly be appreciated.
Thanks
I brewed my first beer and went by the advice of the local homebrew shop. It was cream ale and I was told one week in primary, one week in secondary and bottle. I waited two weeks it was horrible. Very cidery to say the leaset. This was about 8 months ago. They told me leave it in the bottles it will get better I poured it all out, never got better.
I decided to try again after a freind of mine gave me all of his equipment. So now having three primary fermentors and four carboys I decided to try again. The second beer I did the same way, one week primary, one week secondary and bottled. Two weeks later it tasted like the same beer as I had done before but this was a wheat beer. The locals guys convinced me that I had a bacteria is why the first one was bad but there is no way this has one. I boiled every drop of water that touched anything. I used starsan to sanitize and everything was sanitized.
While I was waiting on the wheat in the bottle I brewed two more and was unaware of the off flavor of the wheat in the bottle. After tasting the second beer I went to the store and bought some books.
I did check the actuall fermenting temperature of the two ales that I am doing now and it was 74degrees for both of them and that has been very steady (stout and a Wit beer). I racked them both into secondary fermentors after one week and they have been there for two weeks. I am know thinking that becouse of my high temperature that maybe the extra time in the secondary will help with the Acetaldehyde or off flavors I am tasting?
Sorry this so Long>> Now for my question?
Is my temperature to high for Ale?
Will leaving it for three weeks in secondary help?
I have been considering getting a chest freezer to ferment in because I live in West Texas where it is 90 degrees in December!
And by the way I am done with bottles I bought four kegs and have my keggerator built and ready to go. But I have to get some beer made that is worth putting in there first. I thought that maybe by only cleaning and sanitizing one container it might cut down on my chances of infection or what not.
Any comments, ideas would greatly be appreciated.
Thanks