Murky Soupy Sweet & Sour Beer

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emerty

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Hi,

More beer woes, any help much appreciated.

I started an IPA on the 6th Nov and have fermented for 1 week primary, 3 weeks secondary and have kegged and aged for 5 days.

I've just tried it and it looks REALLY murky, like soup... not great. it smells beery yet tastes kind of sweet and sour at the same time.

Have I screwed up the sanitation or is it stuck fermentation?

SG was 1.056 FG was 1.014 after 2 weeks.

any ideas?
 
Sour makes me suspect an infection. Let it age out a bit before dumping it though. How did it taste when you transfered to secondary, and when you bottled? Your attenuation was about dead on at 75%, which is a good thing. Bacteria can sometimes ferment lower than yeast can.

Good luck.

- magno
 
thanks

would bacteria cause the really murky soup like consistency?
 
yes, primed it but it's been murky since primary and not cleared one bit. plus it is a king keg with top tap.

does bacteria cause murkiness or could this point to an error in my brewing method?

I got a really good fermentation and it started smelling funny after about a week, but as it was my first extract brew with real ingredients as opposed to a kit I thought it might be the hops... a kind of very bitter beer smell if that makes any sense.

can i try adding anything natural to clear it or should i try more patience?
 
emerty said:
yes, primed it but it's been murky since primary and not cleared one bit. plus it is a king keg with top tap.

does bacteria cause murkiness or could this point to an error in my brewing method?

I got a really good fermentation and it started smelling funny after about a week, but as it was my first extract brew with real ingredients as opposed to a kit I thought it might be the hops... a kind of very bitter beer smell if that makes any sense.

can i try adding anything natural to clear it or should i try more patience?


Could this be a vinegar infection?
 
magno said:
Sour makes me suspect an infection. Let it age out a bit before dumping it though. How did it taste when you transfered to secondary, and when you bottled? Your attenuation was about dead on at 75%, which is a good thing. Bacteria can sometimes ferment lower than yeast can.

Good luck.

- magno

tasted very bitter, but I assumed that was the hops and it would mellow out. now i'm thinking my inexperienced tastebuds have assumed too much
 
Sounds like ropey, which is due to a bacterial infection forming polysaccharides. "The most disgusting that that can happen to homebrew." If this is what you have, dump it. Happened to me once, gross!
 
david_42 said:
Sounds like ropey, which is due to a bacterial infection forming polysaccharides. "The most disgusting that that can happen to homebrew." If this is what you have, dump it. Happened to me once, gross!

would I not get some strands of nasty stuff in there with it if it was ropey?
 
emerty said:
would I not get some strands of nasty stuff in there with it if it was ropey?

Patience! :D


Seriously, you said it looked like soup. Does it, or does it not, have the consistency of soup? I mean, is it thick? Or is it just not clear? "Murkiness" is common in MANY beers. I'm not an IPA guy, so I can't say whether IPA's are supposed to be clear, but I've had plenty of tasty brews that were as cloudy as swamp waters. Famously, Bavaraian hefeweisens come to mind for this.
 
Toot said:
Patience! :D


Seriously, you said it looked like soup. Does it, or does it not, have the consistency of soup? I mean, is it thick? Or is it just not clear? "Murkiness" is common in MANY beers. I'm not an IPA guy, so I can't say whether IPA's are supposed to be clear, but I've had plenty of tasty brews that were as cloudy as swamp waters. Famously, Bavaraian hefeweisens come to mind for this.

Hi, it definitely does not have the consistency of soup, it is still fairly low in viscosity but is definitely cloudy as hell.

I shall wait some more and see if the taste improves.

thanks
 
Give it some time and take some samples along the way. If you keep a log, make notes on the samples and see if the taste and/or look changes. If it hasnt improved in a week or two dump it.

- magno
 
Toot said:
Patience! :D


Seriously, you said it looked like soup. Does it, or does it not, have the consistency of soup? I mean, is it thick? Or is it just not clear? "Murkiness" is common in MANY beers. I'm not an IPA guy, so I can't say whether IPA's are supposed to be clear, but I've had plenty of tasty brews that were as cloudy as swamp waters. Famously, Bavaraian hefeweisens come to mind for this.

thinking about it some more, no IPA's I've seen are ever murky... I'll leave it but I think something has got in there.
 
magno said:
Give it some time and take some samples along the way. If you keep a log, make notes on the samples and see if the taste and/or look changes. If it hasnt improved in a week or two dump it.

- magno

thanks, i'll do that.
 
Your description of "sweet and sour" leaves me a bit confused. I mean, I describe americanized ESB's as being "sweet and sour"... they have lots of hops for bitterness, and yet, they use a strain of yeast that really brings out a lot of fruity malty sweetness.

So, when you say "sweet and sour", can you be more specific?

Is it sour like vinegar? astringent like a fresh bandaid? or just very bitter?

Is it sweet like cider? Or is it a complex malty sweetness?


What was the recipe?
 
I had a hef last night that was so murky you couldn't see light through it.

IPA's when I make them are almost always cloudy and dark. As long as nothing is floating in there you are good. Let it mellow a bit, maybe a few weeks, but open one every week.

If you get a chance go here to read about common off flovors and infections in beer

http://www.howtobrew.com/section4/chapter21-2.html
 
Ellie-ut said:
I had a hef last night that was so murky you couldn't see light through it.

IPA's when I make them are almost always cloudy and dark. As long as nothing is floating in there you are good. Let it mellow a bit, maybe a few weeks, but open one every week.

If you get a chance go here to read about common off flovors and infections in beer

http://www.howtobrew.com/section4/chapter21-2.html

OK, somewaht reassured... thanks for all the help and advice. Muchos appreciated
 
Ellie-ut said:
Glad we were able to help you emerty

did you read about the infections and stuff?

Hi, yes, I think I'm looking at Esters. Smelled it again today and got a real whiff of bananas, so I'm guessing I pitched at too high a temp...?
 
Ive done a few Ipa's
My take as an arm chair quarterback is that it is an IPA and it is going to be bitter. Thats the name of the game with the IPA. All of my IPA's needed bottle cond. for three weeks or more before they tasted yummy!!! I say, Give it time!!!
 
Opened a new bottle of wine and got that wiff of bananas. It went away after two days of sitting. Had a porter that smelled like cider vinegar, so strong it made my eyes water. After three weeks in cold storage(50*f) it went away. You need to just let it sit for awhile, like coupe said. Check it in a few weeks and see what is going on.
 
Ellie-ut said:
Opened a new bottle of wine and got that wiff of bananas. It went away after two days of sitting. Had a porter that smelled like cider vinegar, so strong it made my eyes water. After three weeks in cold storage(50*f) it went away. You need to just let it sit for awhile, like coupe said. Check it in a few weeks and see what is going on.

Hi,

tried it again today and it is definitely starting to clear and the taste is improving as well!!!

nice one! thanks for the help!! :mug:
 
Glad to hear it! I know sometimes patience is the hardest thing when making beer. It is something I am learning too!


I make note of those off flavors and smells in my recipe "book" and the approx dates it was noticed, so if I make it again or use that same yeast i will remember and not panic all over again.
 
Ellie-ut said:
Glad to hear it! I know sometimes patience is the hardest thing when making beer. It is something I am learning too!


I make note of those off flavors and smells in my recipe "book" and the approx dates it was noticed, so if I make it again or use that same yeast i will remember and not panic all over again.


yep, as the brew in question was my first that was not from a kit and had fresh hops in it, I was just not aware of what the right and wrong smells and tastes should be.

It all comes with experience I suppose and at least you get to drink beer whilst finding out!! ;)
 
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