1st try, smells seet and sour

Hope someone can nail this one. I just brewed my first batch, using a czech pilsner kit from my local brew supply store. I followed the instructions by the numbers, well I admittedly must have goofed somewhere. I want to figure it out because i will not give up! After a week of fermentation, no more bubbles in the airlock, my beer is rather orange and smells like sweet and sour. I tried racking to a new fermentation bucket in an attempt to salvage but I have my doubts. By the way, the sludge on the bottom of my original bucket looked like drywall joint compound in color and consistency. Any ideas? Please respond if this has happened to you. Too many thoughts and I will be left with more questions than answers. HELP.

All is well.

Relax.

Take a deep breath.

Okay, now: first things first: do you have a hydrometer? If not, go get one. If so, what was your original gravity? What is your gravity now? The "sludge", called "trub" (pronounced "troob") is yeast cells and break solids and bits of other junk that has sunk to the bottom. If it looked like drywall compound, it's fine. As for the smell, just give it time, man! Beer always smells weird in the fermenter. Don't expect it to smell like a finished beer until about 3 or 4 weeks after it's been bottled.

All is probably just fine...

BTW: what were your fermentation temps?

You should take the trub and wash it to save the Czech Pilsner yeast for more batches.

I have a hydrometer, however, I guess I should have paid more attention in 9th grade science class. I was unsure how to use it. I took readings and although they may be a little off i'll get you close. My starting gravity was 1.054 at 75 degrees (when I pitched the yeast), in 4 days (after fermentation was negligible) it was 1.019. I took two more readings on the following days ( because I thought I may be ready to bottle, [ha]) and they were 1.02 and 1.018. My fermentation temperature has been a steady 70 degrees. As far as creating starter yeast, (saving the trub), can anyone send me a link with step by step instructions as I am a newby I have no idea how to even contemplate that.

It should finish lower than 1.019, but I don't know what the recipe looks like.

At 70f, you might have created some fruity esters, thus lending the sweet/sour twang. It might also have been created by using a lot of extract, expecially liquid extract.

This is a good step-by-step on yeast washing.

Don't even think about saving the yeast at this point. Focus your efforts on this batch of beer, learn, and move on to more innovative and tasty brews.

My first batch was a kit (octoberfest) and it turned out horrible. I had the same symptoms as you; the hydrometer at bottling time was 1.020. That's too high. I bottled it anyways, and let's just say it tasted terrible after a few weeks in the bottle, and it didn't improve much with time.

Looking back on that first experience, here's your most likely issues:

1. Ingredients -- I suspect that the ingredients included in the kit are not of the highest quality. This means a lot of non-fermentables in the extract. Couple this with yeast that's been sitting at room temp for who-knows-how-long can create less than desirable results.
2. Fermentation Temperature -- You are most likely fermenting at too high a temperature. This creates off flavors. Search the forum for ways to control temperature.
3. General lack of experience -- It's your first batch. Nobody expects you to know everything the first time you brew.

My advice to you is to re-pitch using Nottingham yeast, let it go for another week or two, then bottle. At least that's what I would do now if I could go back in time to my first batch.

Then again you could be fine. Either way don't worry. You will eventually create awesome beer. Maybe this batch, maybe another one down the road.

I am guessing that I should have fermented at around 60-65 degress as the yeast I used was a lager yeast (Wyeast #2112). Listen I know some are telling me not to worry, but I siphoned to a new fermentation bucket and let it go for three days, (as per the advice from my local homebrew shop), and it still smells very sweet and sour, and has an even darker orange color. If you think I can save it by repitching, I would give it a try, although I would have to have some step-by-step help as I do not even know what type of yeast to purchase. Also, maybe I am not being clear enough this stuff smells so stong that I cannot even remove the odor from the original fermentation bucket, even though I have washed it using b-brite cleaner and have let it soak overnight. I am now concerned that I may impart this sour "flavor" to any subsequent brews. This may be becoming somewhat of a nightmare. I am leaning towards chalking this one up to experience and trying again to make sure that I am fermenting at lower temps.

RDWHAHB You'll be amazed how much the flavors and aroma change with aging. Using lager yeast is a whole different game though. I'd stay away from lagers until you have a bit more experience and the means to sustain temps lower than 40 degrees. Use this as a learning experience for your next brew.

EDIT: Btw, welcome to your new obsession

By the way, the title of this thread should read, "Sweet and Sour.":cross:

a beer bucket never smells 'clean' after the first use. plastic absorbs odors. malt and hops have plenty of aroma to be absorbed.

its normal