First batch...meh...

Hi there, new to the forums and new to home brewing.

Tried my first brew almost a month ago after seeing Alton Brown's Good Eats episode on beer brewing (which I've since learned wasn't the most, ah, "normal" way to do it).

I got a basic brewing kit and an LD Carlson English Brown Ale kit. I followed the directions pretty closely except I chilled by pouring over ice but alas I don't think infection is my problem.

It stayed in primary for a week (which I've also since learned is a bit too short) and initially was unsure if it was even fermenting as there was no airlock activity and no krausen for almost 3 days. Figured I killed the yeast when I pitched too hot (around 90). Didn't originally aerate till I chekced around, then sloshed the bucket after a day. Airlock turned out to not be completely sealed tight (gasket was off). Did eventually see a krausen going the next day after sloshing and figured it was going fine.

Bottled a week later after making sure krausen had disappeared. Never sure if the FG got to where it was supposed to be as I broke my hydrometer trying to sanitize it (don't ask). Bottled anway and let it sit. That was on Aug. 9th. BTW bottled in those 1L Ikea swing top bottles.

Chilled one bottle a week ago for testing purposes and opened it up last night. I figured it would have been a little green but what I got was a very watery taste. There was practically no beer flavor in it, and there was a moderately noticeable off flavor that I can't quite describe. There was practically no bitterness to it either. Carbonation was very very low too, but I think I might blame that on the bottles (which could find their way on craigslist).

I know it's still a young beer but I figured it should have had some flavor instead of the almost antiseptic water taste I got. I know people say to wait and let flavors mellow out, which I'll do. But I've yet to see anyone mention flavors mellowing "in".

I checked a water report for my neighborhood (Loveland Ohio) and saw chlorine levels were right around 1ppm. I think the water tastes pretty good, personally, so I dunno if the water is a problem. I should note that the water is extraordinarily hard water (I have sand in my water heater). A lot of people around here have water softeners.

Any ideas about this?

I did brew another Brown Ale batch from a fresh kit from a LHBS (Listermann's for those in Cincinnati). Made sure to aerate properly and cooled it using a water/ice bath instead of pouring it over ice. Hoping this helps things. Also got some real capping bottles to keep the carbonation in.

I just hope it's not the water or my current batch is toast too.

Water isn't much of a concern for extract brewing. And flavors do develop as a beer ages.

Are you brewing Brown ales because you like them, or because that's what is available?

the good news is it only gets BETTER!

david_42 said:

Water isn't much of a concern for extract brewing. And flavors do develop as a beer ages.

Are you brewing Brown ales because you like them, or because that's what is available?

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Because I like them (I'm pretty easy to please when it comes to beer though) and also because it looked like a pretty simple starter kit, not a whole lot of frills.

Give it more time, my first few extract beers were awful at the timeframe you're talking about - watery, off-tasting, and uncarbonated. Once the carbonation hits the right level, the watery flat taste disappears, it has a lot to do with perception of carbonation in solution. The off-tastes will mellow out too.

If you want beer that is drinkable much faster, start reading up on all-grain brewing. Deathbrewer's stovetop all grain tutorial is a great place to start. It's really almost as easy as extract brewing once you understand the additional step of mashing, and grain is much cheaper than extract.

In my experience all grain beers mature dramatically faster than extract beers, and without the twangy wateriness or off-tastes. Plus you'll have more control over the flavor nuances since you can mix and blend grains together to achieve different flavor profiles, it's not as restricted and one-dimensional flavor-wise as extract can be at times.

osudude said:

Hi there, new to the forums and new to home brewing.

Tried my first brew almost a month ago after seeing Alton Brown's Good Eats episode on beer brewing (which I've since learned wasn't the most, ah, "normal" way to do it).

I got a basic brewing kit and an LD Carlson English Brown Ale kit. I followed the directions pretty closely except I chilled by pouring over ice but alas I don't think infection is my problem.

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quick question: did you take into account the extra water that would have ended up in your wort from the melting ice?

broadbill said:

quick question: did you take into account the extra water that would have ended up in your wort from the melting ice?

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I cooled in the fermenter. I poured the hot wort over the ice in the fermenter then filled to the 5 gallon line. OG at that point was 1.039 but was still very warm (mid 90s).

Rest assured though I'll never be doing that again anyway.

Is 1.039 where it was supposed to be? You should calibrate your fermeter yourself, those lines are notoriously off. I had one bucket of a 1/4 gallon. What ingredients came in the kit you used? How did you prime for carbonation?

Gremlyn1 said:

Is 1.039 where it was supposed to be? You should calibrate your fermeter yourself, those lines are notoriously off. I had one bucket of a 1/4 gallon. What ingredients came in the kit you used? How did you prime for carbonation?

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1.045-1.049 was the target OG. However when I took the reading the wort was still warm (mid 90s) so I figured it was close enough.

I will take a look at the gallon lines in the fermenter next time, that thought hadn't occured to me.

Here's a link to the kit I used.

As for priming I used the included 5 oz of sugar (dextrose probably). Usual boil for 5 minutes then put in the bottling bucket and siphon beer in. Used a wand to fill the bottles.

I'm somewhat sure the low carbonation is because of both young beer and may leaky bottles, as there is a fair amount of sediment in the bottles.

Did you take a FG? I'd be interested in what it is even bottled and carbed. me thinks that is the issue.

To take a gravity reading after it is carbed you first have to make it flat, try pouring it between glasses quite a few times until all bubbles are gone. But really I think you are just getting a watery taste because it is green and because you have low carbonation. Carbonation gives a lot to mouth feel.

VTBrewer said:

Did you take a FG? I'd be interested in what it is even bottled and carbed. me thinks that is the issue.

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+1

If it didn't ferment well you might just have "barley soup".

Hang in there, it gets easier every time you brew.

osudude said:

1.045-1.049 was the target OG. However when I took the reading the wort was still warm (mid 90s) so I figured it was close enough.

I will take a look at the gallon lines in the fermenter next time, that thought hadn't occured to me.

Here's a link to the kit I used.

As for priming I used the included 5 oz of sugar (dextrose probably). Usual boil for 5 minutes then put in the bottling bucket and siphon beer in. Used a wand to fill the bottles.

I'm somewhat sure the low carbonation is because of both young beer and may leaky bottles, as there is a fair amount of sediment in the bottles.

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Your temp will definitely cause the seemingly low SG. How much water did you use with the sugar? The sediment in the bottles is just yeast, that's normal. How do you know the caps are leaky?