First batch finished (I think), should it look like this?

Well, my first batch has been in the fermenter a couple weeks now and I'm not seeing any bubbling in the airlock. I popped the top and took a sample and it measured 1.012 so I am pretty sure it's finished. I'll bottle tomorrow. Anyways, what I am not sure about is the top of the beer and smell. It's kinda sulfur like and the top looks nasty. Then again, maybe it's supposed to look this way. Anywho...I included a pic so if someone can let me know yay or nay on whether this is normal or not, I'd really appreciate it...

Looks normal! Nice work!

Also did it taste/ smell ok?

Well, like I said, had a slight sulfur smell in the bucket. The sample smell like beer. Taste was mah...strong alcohol taste and not a lot of flavor. Certainly not anything I'd consider drinking as is. I'm just hoping 2-3 weeks of bottle conditioning will help.

Looks like normal krausen and yeast rafts. The smell was most likely CO2. Totally normal. Now close it back up and give it a few more weeks. Then bottle. Congrats, you made beer!

After two weeks, it's probably finished, but don't take a chance on bottle bombs. Check gravity twice, two days apart. Don't bottle unless the gravity is stable.

ncbrewer said:

After two weeks, it's probably finished, but don't take a chance on bottle bombs. Check gravity twice, two days apart. Don't bottle unless the gravity is stable.

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Will do. Thanks for the advice.

Nubster said:

Well, like I said, had a slight sulfur smell in the bucket. The sample smell like beer. Taste was mah...strong alcohol taste and not a lot of flavor. Certainly not anything I'd consider drinking as is. I'm just hoping 2-3 weeks of bottle conditioning will help.

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Without knowing the yeast, some strains kick of sulphury smells. That'll fade. Not uncommon for it to taste a little strong at first, especially on your first batch, where I doubt you were using too much temperature control.

It looks perfectly normal, but may not be finished yet. I'd definitely give it another two weeks or so (and as mentioned above stable gravity readings) before you bottle to let it mellow a bit, and then at least a full 3 weeks in the bottle. Depending on the recipe, it might need some time to mellow beyond that, especially if it was a bigger beer fermented at a warmer temperature with a less than ideal yeast pitching rate (the last two being very common for a first brew).

Congrats. Looks like beer to me.

What did you make for your first?

That's beer for sure! Good advice on here, let it sit another few days then bottle. Put a few bottles in the fridge for 3-5 days then enjoy!

Yeast was White Labs Belgian Wit yeast (WLP400) and the beer is supposed to be a Belgian White. Temps weren't strictly controlled but they did stay mid to high 60's the whole time, so there wasn't a huge variation and never got too warm.

Nubster said:

Yeast was White Labs Belgian Wit yeast (WLP400) and the beer is supposed to be a Belgian White. Temps weren't strictly controlled but they did stay mid to high 60's the whole time, so there wasn't a huge variation and never got too warm.

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You might have already read it in HBT, but during active fermentation, beer temperature is higher than ambient - assuming it is not submerged in a bucket of water. I've read several posts here about the beer being 5 - 10 degrees higher than the room temperature. I can't say from my experience because mine stays in a tub of water.

Wow...no...I actually never knew that. I guess that's more reason to think about building a fermenting cooler

I'll definitely keep that in mind with the next batch which I am getting ready to decide on. Thinking something along a brown ale or cream ale...not sure yet.