what to do about bad beer

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mresa641

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Ok, so I left my ale because of an emergency...gone for a week and really didn't want to. When I got back the fermentation temp was at 78 and OMG would be a good response. I thought, oh well and left it alone and thought maybe it will still turn out ok and drinkable. Well, to no surprise, its awful and downright kinda nasty because of the intense fusal alcohol taste. Is there any way under to recover this beer?

Also, I have another batch that had a great ferm temp, a Boddingtons Pub Ale,clone from AHS. The primary was finished for the most part after 5 days(1-2 bubbles a minute). I left it in the secondary for 4 days at 76-77 degrees thinking it wouldn't hurt or cause any off flavors. It wont right?
 
That first beer, the presumed ruined one. Dont touch it..No. NO, step away from the beer. That taste will mellow ALOT in the next few weeks.

Leave your beer in Primary for a minimum of 10 days. I do 10-14 days. Secondary for another 2 weeks if you want it clear. Then bottle.

No it wont hurt to leave it in the secondary.
 
I'm also in the camp that says to keep a beer around and see what develops. Granted with lots of fusel alcohol in a beer, depending on your sensitivity, it may never be entirely pleasant after drinking em.

You're secondary temps aren't a concern.
 
You have typical N00bitus...more than likely what you are attributing to high temp is REALLY just green-ness...

Are you tasting it before it has been in a bottle for 3 weeks??????????????????????

If the answer is "yes" then you can't make any judgements about your beer!!!!!

You beer is green...Read this https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showpost.php?p=558191&postcount=101

If it is after three weeks in the bottle read this...actually read it anyway because you considered dumping a beer;

Never dump a beer:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=73254
 
Beer is a lot tougher than you think it is. Give it a couple of months and my guess is that you'll be surprised by the results.
 
i made the same mistake with my first all grain effort, a simple pale ale. i tasted it after three weeks and was disgusted. i waited another week and had the same opinion, so i started dumping bottles. about a month later i remembered that there were still a few bottles around and was baffled by the crisp, smooth hoppy, malty delight i was experiencing.
then i vowed never to dump again. i almost broke my rule months later with a spiced pumpkin ale that i overdosed with mace and was essentially undrinkable. luckily i didn't an after about 8 months it mellowed out and ended up being one of the best beers in the house.
that said, if a beer never comes around, you can use it for cooking or to keep snails and slugs out of your garden.
 
When I did my first AG batch (an oatmeal stout), I was bombarded with problems: craptastic efficiency, stuck sparge, equipment issues, racked onto about a 1/2 gallon of StarSan solution in the BB....you name it. Thought for sure I had an infected batch when I tasted a hydrometer sample two weeks into fermentation- it was grainy and not good at all. I let it sit on the cake another 3 weeks and have it bottle conditioning now (about two weeks in). I suspect this will be an entirely different and quaffable beer after some time. This is a beer I'm tempted to cellar for several months before touching.

I definitely agree with Revvy- what you are tasting is green beer, and time will heal many wounds :)
 
+1 on all the above, from experience.

Worst case, you can save it for when you've already had a few and no longer can tell the difference between good and bad. ;)
 
So I am having the same problem with a Caramel Cream Ale. It tastes horribly green applish. 1 week in primary this is 2nd week in secondary. 1.062 OG and 1.010 SG. The taste is so vinegry and green apple that I can't stand it. If I read correctly I should let it chill out another week and bottle and condition for at least 3 weeks correct?
 
So I am having the same problem with a Caramel Cream Ale. It tastes horribly green applish. 1 week in primary this is 2nd week in secondary. 1.062 OG and 1.010 SG. The taste is so vinegry and green apple that I can't stand it. If I read correctly I should let it chill out another week and bottle and condition for at least 3 weeks correct?

Yes, you should ALWAYS finish the process, unless you have a physical infection in your beer...with tendrils hanging downward...

Unless you have been brewing for awhile, you really can't judge the difference between an uncorrectable OFF flavor, or a "Green" beer...

A lot happens in the bottle as my story illustrates.

Read this as well

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=54362&page=11
 
The best rule of thumb I've found is to wait as long as it took for the entire (primary, secondary, tertiary...) fermentation to complete.
 
You have typical N00bitus...more than likely what you are attributing to high temp is REALLY just green-ness...

Are you tasting it before it has been in a bottle for 3 weeks??????????????????????

If the answer is "yes" then you can't make any judgements about your beer!!!!!

You beer is green...Read this https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showpost.php?p=558191&postcount=101

If it is after three weeks in the bottle read this...actually read it anyway because you considered dumping a beer;

Never dump a beer:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=73254


Revvy. Sound like your getting a little rialed up by some of the nOObs. lol But I understand why. I have been here for 6 months and some of this is a 2-4 a day discussion. But remember here to help. And the links do.
 
To all new brewers:
I hope that everyones beer turns out ok but if you note any off tastes after long enough conditioning then your next brew will be better now that you know to pay attention to temperature of fermentation and the other golden rule of being sanitary and rinsing well and using Starsan. Keep your hands clean and spray them with sanitizer too. All tubing and anything that touches the beer must be sanitary. I have said this many times in the past and every week we have new posts all stating that their beer tastes funny or there is something growing on top of it. This is an expensive and horrible outcome for first attempt but it can be avoided if you plan ahead and make a reminder list and think before acting. It is not good to fail and some just say it is too hard but keep trying and you will succeed.
 
f'shizzle, with a 1.062 beer, don't even think about it in 3-4 weeks. General rule of thumb, higher og = longer condition time. hell, first oatmeal stout i made didn't get "good" for about 5 months. your 1.062 will need a while to properly condition and get rid of the green flavor. i suggest waiting 2 more additional months and then trying one every 2 weeks until you think it is good to go.:rockin::rockin:
 
Thanks all for your input. Revvy, yours is certainly one to remember. Ill leave it to condition for a few months to see if it tastes better to my "Noobitus" taste buds.
 
So I am having the same problem with a Caramel Cream Ale. It tastes horribly green applish. 1 week in primary this is 2nd week in secondary. 1.062 OG and 1.010 SG. The taste is so vinegry and green apple that I can't stand it. If I read correctly I should let it chill out another week and bottle and condition for at least 3 weeks correct?

Green apple. Did you pitch a starter? Aerate properly? At OG 1.062, yeast are stressed. I'm betting you underpitched and/or under-aerated. Also two weeks in the primary may have helped clear it up faster. It will take longer in the secondary since there's less yeast.

It'll take a month or more in the bottles for the yeast to clean up, but they eventually will. Revvy's advice should be your salvation. :mug:
 
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