I know this is a common question, but is my beer actually ruined?

I did my first batch ever today and waited a long time for the water to start boiling. When it was boiling, I added my LME and waited for it to start the boiling again. It had small bubbles coming through, so I added my bittering hops and so on and so forth for the 60 min. I never noticed a "Hot break" but continued anyways. I cooled the Wort relatively quickly and took a small sample with a sanitized spoon. It tasted sweet, then faded to bitter. Then I poured it in with my Kolsch yeast. I am wondering since I saw no hot break or any real strong boiling if this would ruin the taste of the beer I am creating by leaving any off flavors or that it won't have any bitterness what-so-ever. Can anyone tell me if this is normal for anyone or if my beer will actually be ruined.

The beer is gonna be fine. Kolsch yeast is a slow worker so give it plenty of time in the fermenter. I used a kolsh yeast (WLP029 i think it was) for a beer a while back. I fermented for 14 days in primary and another 14 in secondary and I'm thinking I might have given it another two weeks in the secondary. The beer (a Marzen) is delicious now though after it has been in the bottles for quite a while. I'm saving some for Oktoberfest

I am only worried because I really didnt notice a Hotbreak period or any strong boiling with my Wort.

Also, will the beer I am brewing be fine in just a primary for 14 days, then 14 more days bottle aging? I do not have another fermentor. I have a bottling bucket, but it has no lid sadly (during bottling time, I have a brewpot cover that can do the job while i siphon) The beer is basically a Marzen without the cold aging.

One more question, how long can I expect for there to be anything happening using Kolsch?

I would strongly suggest letting that beer stay in the primary for 30 days. You might want to do some research on Kolsch yeast and read up on what to expect from it. 14 days probably won't be enough time in the bottle either. What kind of beer are you brewing?

Your yeast can take up to 72 hours to show visible signs of fermentation...

The beer I am trying to brew is an Ale version of Oktoberfest; one of my friends had a recipie from when her dad brewed. It was basically all the same, OG and FG should be the same, using kolsch should make it clean tasting.

So what I'm gathering is a month in primary and maybe 2-3 weeks in bottles?

At least 3 weeks in the primary and 3-4 weeks in the bottle minimum. I would go with 4-4

I doubt your beer will be ruined, but you might have a little bit of DMS. I recommend listening to the Brew Strong podcast episode on DMS from 3/9/09:
The Brewing Network.com - :

Your bitterness might also be a little less than the recipe stated, but I doubt that it will be noticeable.

Edit: Don't worry about the hot break. The extract process took care of that for you .

I do full boils on an underpowered electric stove and have a very hard time to get a rolling boil. Even with just a slow simmering boil your still good and should not see any effects of DMS unless you boiled with the lid on.
DMS is only a concern to me when I am using a ton of pilsner.

Kauai_Kahuna said:

I do full boils on an underpowered electric stove and have a very hard time to get a rolling boil. Even with just a slow simmering boil your still good and should not see any effects of DMS unless you boiled with the lid on.
DMS is only a concern to me when I am using a ton of pilsner.

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I have the same exact stove problem, except its a very small gas stove.

Nothing seems to be happening today, will be 24 hrs in 5hrs and 15 min. I assume this is normal for kolsch however. I just hope the yeast didnt die during a 4-5 day ship...

Update: I smell something coming from the carboy, so something must be happening in there

i remember when i was this impatient. What i reccomend you do is do the 4-4, brew 2 wit batches in the mean time. You can be ready to drink them long before the kolsh is done. The wit is the beer i make to get me through between batches. its deliscious green. Best actually. I keg, and can go from pot to pallete in 14 days(if the fg is right!)

Excellent...

I wouldn't worry too much about the low boil you were at for your inagural beer. Hot break is much more pronounced the first time the mash is brought to the boil. Since you're using an extract, the hot break has already happened (at the maltster), and a lot of the proteins that make for hot break have been taken out.

Like lots of other people have said, the best thing you can do now is ignore your fermenter. Put it in a dark, cool place, and try to forget about it for two or three weeks. Use that time to read up here at HBT, to read (or re-read) How to Brew - By John Palmer, and to start planning your second batch. You'll want it in the pipeline as soon as you clear your fermenter out, because you will be drinking one of the best beers you ever had, and it will be gone too soon.

Welcome to the addict^H^H^H^H^H^ hobby.

There is some brown powdery-like substance on top of the foam...is this normal I hope?

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoH_oYlJhoM]YouTube - Timelapse Video of Beer Fermentation[/ame]


If your wort is looking like this video...RELAX and let the yeast do their thing.

Watch the show and sniff the airlock.

The foam is actually diminishing and the brown powder still remains on top. I'm getting somewhat worried.

Volcom-Brewer said:

The foam is actually diminishing and the brown powder still remains on top. I'm getting somewhat worried.

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Then, stop looking at it! It's fine. The krausen is falling. You've got some proteins or other crud on top. It'll fall to the bottom. Now, stop worrying!

I have plastic buckets just for times like this. They're in the basement, and I can't see them or hear them, or even see inside of them. That way, I don't have to think about it! I put beer in them, that I made last Tuesday (ten gallons total), and I'll have to go down there and dry hop in a week or two. When I do, I'll open them up and check the FG. If they aren't done, I'll close them back up. If they are done, I'll proceed. Really, that sounds simple, but that is all there is to it. There isn't anything to do in the meantime at all.

Yea, i'm just getting overly excited I guess. I should just sit back, maybe check on it every now and then so it doesnt over-foam, and just drink my Wacko and Dry Hopped Pale ale until then

Volcom-Brewer said:

Yea, i'm just getting overly excited I guess. I should just sit back, maybe check on it every now and then so it doesnt over-foam, and just drink my Wacko and Dry Hopped Pale ale until then

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Now, that sounds like a plan! Well, not right now, since it's 7:45 AM. But maybe in a few hours, that is!

Screw that! If you wanna crack a brew at 7am i say go for it. I do it sometimes and old lady freaks but, if your workin on a car, mowin the lawn or brewin its OK! Thats man LAW!!!!!

It's just the good old US and A that has a thing about beer in the morning...there's nothing like a wheat beer for breakfast, IMHO. hey, actually I just mashed in a kind of "breakfast" stout...now I'm thirsty and it's only 5:40AM...these early hours are the only way I can get a good AG brew-session in with two little boys running the house.