Dying to try my first brew.....from the primary !!!

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TRainH2o

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It's me again.

I have my first brew in the primary for 2 1/2 weeks now. I have been very patient and have left it in the primary with the intent to keg it. My problem is that I forgot to order the socket and new o-rings for my kegs. They will be here next Wednesday but I so want to try my ale.

I have plenty of good micro brew here but I would like to try mine. How much damage will I do if I dip a sanitized cup into my primary and then reseal the bucket until my supplies get here? My biggest concern is the oxygen that will be introduced.

Am I safe in doing this or should I just stick it out?
 
You'll be fine, just remember it's going to be flat and young. There will be a layer of CO2 blanketing the top. After talking a sample out, knock on the sides a little bit to bring some more CO2 out of solution and you will "replace" the CO2 blanket quickly.
 
It's a German style amber ale. The first taste was smooth malt but then it had a harsh alcohol taste to it. Smelled really good. I guess the taste will smooth out with some conditioning.
 
I always taste the beer in the sample tube when I transfer from primary to secondary. If it's really good, I drink the whole thing. After reading the hydrometer.
 
I've gotten to where I drink my whole sample no matter what. I just can't stand the thought of wasting good beer! Not to mention I'm trying to educate my pallet as to what I'm tasting and how things should taste at each stage of the process.
 
TRainH2o said:
It's me again.

I have my first brew in the primary for 2 1/2 weeks now. I have been very patient and have left it in the primary with the intent to keg it. My problem is that I forgot to order the socket and new o-rings for my kegs. They will be here next Wednesday but I so want to try my ale.

I have plenty of good micro brew here but I would like to try mine. How much damage will I do if I dip a sanitized cup into my primary and then reseal the bucket until my supplies get here? My biggest concern is the oxygen that will be introduced.

Am I safe in doing this or should I just stick it out?
Click to expand...

As long as you are doing it in as sanitary manner as possible, not only would I not discourage your practice. For the first few beers I would condone it! This is how you get to learn for future reference. Taste goes a long way to understanding what is happening with your beer, so taste it whenever you get the opportunity. Hydro samples, bottling/kegging stages, it's all education. :)
 
After much reading and posting I fear that my fermentation temp might have been too high. I put my primary in my basement where it has been a steady 66 degrees since my brew day. It has a harsh alcohol taste at this point.

Will this smooth out with conditioning? I assume it is a fusel alcohol taste. Starts off nice and malty and ends with a harsh alcohol bite.
 
The beer is still pretty young, you will still get some hop harshness (even for not very bitter beers) and possibly some alcohol bite.

How strong is the beer supposed to be? The stronger the beer, it generally takes longer for the beer to round out.
 
It's 4.5% ABV, so not too strong.

Here are the contents of the kit:
1/2 lb. Crystal 60L
1/2 lb. Crystal 40L
3/4 oz. Northern Brewer @ 60 min.
1/4 oz. Northern Brewer @ 5 min.
5 lb. Amber Extract
Malto dextrin and a corn sugar/DME blend
Nottingham Ale Dry Yeast
 
Get a wine thief, easy to get under the krausen to get a sample..The batch I just bottled, I sampled about once a week, it got smoother each time.
 
Your beer at this stage is going to taste a little harsh. Not to worry! That's why beer needs to condition for a period. Relax and anticipate how good it's going to be when it's ready :mug:
 
Thanks everyone. I'm itching to start another brew and wanted to make sure that I didn't have a problem first. My next batch is a clone of Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale. I am really looking forward to drinking that one. The real Kona Fire Rock is hard to get in my area. When I do get it I have to drive 45 miles and it's usually around $9.00 a six.
 
Hot alcohol could be a byproduct of hot fermentation but time will tell it really should mellow.

Future refernce though try to keep the fermentation temps below 70f
 

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