Help me, First batch and I think it is Bad

Here is the skinny
I create the batch Oct 13
Pilsner Urquell clone
1/2 lb german light crystal malt
2oz munich malt
5lb extra light syrup
1.16 lb dry m&F dme
5 oz czech saaz
irish moss

temp in primary was 60-63 ish
starting gravity 1.05

fermentation was slow the first day
- I left out of town for 5 days
When I cam back the fermentation was slow (assumed it happened when I was gone)

10th day transferred to carboy and added the .5 oz saaz
temp was 50-55

10 days later temp was same
I noticed there were bubbles on the top of the brew around the rim
the bubbles were a tanish color

nov 15th
bubbles on top of brew were more then just around the rim
temp was 53
checked gravity and it was 1.14
tasted the brew and I was not impressed.

Didn't have a strong beer taste
tasted a little like mich brew IPA wich was really bitter and not good

When I put the stopper back in it started to bubble and continued for about an hour
1 -3 bubbles every few minutes

is there something wrong with my beer
are the bubbles on top a bacteria
did the starting temp screw the brew up.

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance

It sounds like you have a young beer that had not finished fermenting when you racked to the secondary. Give it some time.

Racking may have roused the yeast a little, and now it's finishing up.


TL

+1 on the waiting. If it's too hard to wait, brew another batch. That'll keep your mind from messing with you!

Most of my beers taste like warm Genesse after only a month. Let it sit. Also, you'd be amazed the difference a little carbonation makes to the taste and feel of a beer.

The starting temp was great shouldn't be any problem starting in that range.

With the calculator I used it looks like you have about all you are going to get, 1.050 to 1.014 is very close to what the calculator calls out.

I had to guess at a lot of what I thought your brew process was, but I come up with 85 IBU which is going to make the brew on the bitter side.

02A. European Pale Lager, Bohemian Pilsner Extract

Color

Stats
OG 1.046
FG 1.012
IBU 85
ABV 4.4 %
SRM 11

Specifics
Boil Volume 6 gallons
Batch Size 5 gallons
Yeast 75% AA

Style Comparison
Low High
OG 1.044 1.046 1.056
FG 1.013 1.012 1.017
IBU 35 85 45
SRM 3 11 5
ABV 4 4.4 5.3



Fermentables
% Weight Weight (lbs) Grain Gravity Points Color
7.5 % 0.50 German Light Caramel 3.7 0.3
3.0 % 0.20 Munich Light 1.3 0.3
74.6 % 5.00 Light Malt Extract Syrup 34.0 2.0
14.9 % 1.00 Dark Malt Extract Syrup 6.8 16.0
6.70 45.8

Hops
% Wt Weight (oz) Hop Form AA% AAU Boil Time Utilization IBU
50.0 % 2.50 Czech Saaz Whole/Plug 5.0 12.5 60 0.256 48.0
50.0 % 2.50 Czech Saaz Whole/Plug 5.0 12.5 30 0.197 36.9
5.00

Thanks for all the replies.
If I let the beer Lager for a while will it take away some of the bitterness?
Should I worry about hte bubbles (reason I ask is I went to the Local brewers supply store and the guy told me if I have white or off white bubbles then dump the beer it is bacteria)

Im not sure IBU bitterness subsides after time. I do know that brew changes a lot in taste with aging. Recently I made a brown ale that I was not that hot after 2 weeks in the bottle but 4-5 months later was one of the best I think I have made.

When all else fails give it time. If you want to brew again go get more bottles and let the questionable batch sit and think about what its done wrong. They usually come around.

Bitterness doesn't so much fade as it smooths out.

I didn't pay a lot of attention to your recipe once I saw your question. Depending on the AA content of that Saaz, the IBUs may be significantly lower, but they are probably still at least 70. That's high for a 1.050 OG beer, but you'll just have to deal with it. For all you know, you might like it.


TL

Time heals almost all beer wounds.

The bubbles sound like reforming krausen to me, not an infection, but it is hard to tell from just your description.

Tex,
Per my recipe the AA was 3-3.5%

wdent said:

Tex,
Per my recipe the AA was 3-3.5%

Click to expand...

Was that the AA %'age of the hops themselves? If so (and I'm betting it was), then you've got to calculate it out with the 5.0 oz. you used. How long were the hops in the boil?

+1 - don't think it's infected.

Give it time. Bitterness does 'smooth out' (I like that term, TL). I recently bottled an IPA that was really bitter after four weeks. A mere two weeks later, it was much nicer - still hoppy/bitter, but smoother to the palate.

AA won't be accurate if you take them from the recipe. You need to look on the package they came in AA % changes yearly for hops.

wdent said:

Should I worry about hte bubbles (reason I ask is I went to the Local brewers supply store and the guy told me if I have white or off white bubbles then dump the beer it is bacteria)

Click to expand...

That’s so he can sell you anther kit.

A few certainties about brewing:
Freshly brewed beer is bitter.
Bitterness fades with time.
Beer from the secondary has a very thin taste to it.
Secondary conditioning will produce some strange looking junk on the surface of your beer.
Fermenting beer looks and smells like a bad accident (until you get accustomed to it)
For every 1 infection that actually has occurred, 25 batches have been tossed out for being under suspicion.(tears….)
Your beer is alcohol, hops (natural preservative) and CO2…there ain’t no way an infection has an advantage in that environment.
…and finally…
New brewers always think they’ve ruined their beer.

RDWHAHB.

AA on the package said 3.5%
If I am reading my notes correctly I added and then boiled for 45 minutes

My notes look like this
crush and steep in 1/2 gal 150 deg water for 20 minutes
-.5 lb 2.5 German light crystal malt
-2 oz German Munich malt

Strain the grain water into brew pot

sparge grains with .5 gal 150 deg water

Add water to brew pot for 1.5 gal

bring to boil
remove from stove and add
- 5 lb eltra light syrup
- 1.16 lb dry m&F extra light DME
3.5 oz czech saaz @3.5%
add water to make total volume 2.5 gal
boil for 45 minutes

next step add 1 oz czech saaz 1 tsp irish moss
boil for 12 minutes
add 1 oz czech saaz
boil for 3 minutes
remove pot
chill with wort cooler add water to equal 5 gal
pitch yeast when tem of wort is under 80 %

I really appreciate all of your help.