First Attempt

My brother-in-law brewed a traditional pale ale with great success in my opinion.

Together we tried a red ale that the local brewshop had a recipe for.

After fermentation, it was a beautiful red color. A sample taste showed it to be on the right track. Odor was perfect.

We bottled and the wait began. After about 3 weeks I decided to try it. No carbonation. No problem, so I let it sit longer.

Due to work and what not, I was finally able to try it again about 6 weeks after the first test.

Carbonation was perfect BUT it was a yellowish color. Had a taste like bad wine. I was about to throw it all out, but figured it might be just a few bottles.

Some of the others were a red color, but not what I was expecting. The taste was not anything like I was hoping but am not sure on it as it is a recipe from the local shop. It still has an almost sour (don't know how else to describe it) taste.

Could something have happened in bottling? Everything sterile. We are extra cautious on that one. What I wonder is if the recipe might be much different than I'm thinking since I don't have anything to compare it to.

Thoughts?

Discolouration, sour taste, and inconsistent brew from one bottle to the next sounds like infection to me. I've had that happen before with a few brews, didn't let some bottles sanitize long enough. As far as bottling itself goes, even if you were storing the brew in green bottles out in the light, I really doubt it would have changed your brew as drastically as you've described it.

Hope the whole batch isn't ruined!


edit: oh, and how's Covington? I grew up in Slidell

Thanks. I'm thinking it's not the whole batch either. Here's hoping at least.

Covington... crappy traffic. I live north in the country side so it's very nice and quiet.

It's growing very fast. My wifes family (from here) say they can remember dirt roads and no Wal-mart.

Could be an infection you picked up at bottling. Not much to do but wait it out. If you let some of the bottles sit at a room temp rather than in the fridge, and it is an infection, usually they'll go south pretty quick. I had to dump a case and a half of sweet stout a couple of months ago that soured...sad times...