Yuck!

So in my haste, knowing my fermentation should be done soon I opted to taste a little sip. I almost vomited! It has such an awful taste! It definately taste spoiled. This is not normal during fermentation is it?

describe the flavor more. "yuck" and "spoiled" don't really tell us anything.

Walker said:

describe the flavor more. "yuck" and "spoiled" don't really tell us anything.

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I honestly don't know how to describe it. Almost no flavor of the original wort, very bland with a sour spoiled type of taste... That's all I can say really.

"sour spoiled taste" meaning something like "vinegar"?

Walker said:

"sour spoiled taste" meaning something like "vinegar"?

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No not like vinegar. Just like a spoiled liquor tase lol.

We're getting nowhere.

I don't know what "spoiled liquor" tastes like. Never had any liquor go bad on me.

Some common off flavors can be found here.
http://howtobrew.com/section4/chapter21-2.html

Do any of those sound right?

Walker said:

We're getting nowhere.

I don't know what "spoiled liquor" tastes like. Never had any liquor go bad on me.

Some common off flavors can be found here.
http://howtobrew.com/section4/chapter21-2.html

Do any of those sound right?

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None of those typical off flavors would I really characterize as what I taste. I am wondering if my being close to 1 gallon short on volume in the fermenter is having something to do with it, or if I just contaminated it somewhere along the way.

a gallon short won't cause it to taste spoiled.

I'd love to help, but since I don't know what you are tasting, I can't.

Just relax and wait it out. Time works wonders on beer.

Walker said:

a gallon short won't cause it to taste spoiled.

I'd love to help, but since I don't know what you are tasting, I can't.

Just relax and wait it out. Time works wonders on beer.

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Well I guess another question is, should the beer's taste be close to the finished product minus carbonation a few days prior to fermentation completing? I actually think my fermentation is stuck anyway. The Hydrometer hasn't budged (actually it is reading higher today if my mind is not playing tricks on me) but fermentation is not complete and no activity is going on. I am at 1.03 right now.

mrduna01 said:

Well I guess another question is, should the beer's taste be close to the finished product minus carbonation a few days prior to fermentation completing? I actually think my fermentation is stuck anyway. The Hydrometer hasn't budged (actually it is reading higher today if my mind is not playing tricks on me) but fermentation is not complete and no activity is going on. I am at 1.03 right now.

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My beers take about a week to ferment. The flavor on day 5 is absolutely nothing like the flavor on day 40-something when I actually start to drink a batch.

1.030 does pretty high. What is the recipe?

Does it taste a little like warm-flat beer that may have been left on the counter over night?

mrduna01 said:

I honestly don't know how to describe it. Almost no flavor of the original wort, very bland with a sour spoiled type of taste... That's all I can say really.

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Your original wort will not likely taste anything like the finished product anyway. And to add to that, the majority of original wort will taste nearly identical.

Plus 1, don't judge it by flavor for at least 3 weeks. All my beers get 4 weeks primary, then 1-2 weeks in keg before drinking.

TheMan said:

Your original wort will not likely taste anything like the finished product anyway. And to add to that, the majority of original wort will taste nearly identical.

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+10000 to this. I always think this is so weird, but so true for the most part.

IrregularPulse said:

+10000 to this. I always think this is so weird, but so true for the most part.

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Thanks guys. I know to not judge the beer on taste just yet but can't shake the feeling that it taste spoiled... Like it's just not right. It doesn't taste like warm flat beer but skunk beer times 10.

mrduna01 said:

Thanks guys. I know to not judge the beer on taste just yet but can't shake the feeling that it taste spoiled... Like it's just not right. It doesn't taste like warm flat beer but skunk beer times 10.

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I feel like I'm going against the majority here, but if it tastes BAD, it probably is. Sure, beer gets better with a bit of age but it doesn't go from vomit-y bad to delicious. If it tastes sour and looks funky, it's probably infected with lactobacillus or another bacteria.

Hmmm..... now you said "skunk", which is way different than "sour".

Is it skunky tasting?

mrduna01 said:

knowing my fermentation should be done soon I opted to taste a little sip. I almost vomited!

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so you took a taste mid fermentation? as in yeast and trub still in suspension, krausen on top? maybe you are tasting the muck that was floating around?
just a thought.

Walker said:

My beers take about a week to ferment. The flavor on day 5 is absolutely nothing like the flavor on day 40-something when I actually start to drink a batch.

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Day 40-something? You've never waited more than 3 weeks to start drinking a beer! Admit it! By day 40, you're sucking down swill you bought at the corner store letting your next batch ferment asking "why does this always happen?!"

But, back to the point, descriptions help tons in these situations. Does it have a particular smell? How about a flavor reminiscent of something? Does it remind you of rotting meat? Or possibly rotting fruit? Does it taste bitter rather than sour?

Being stuck at 1.030 would make me believe that it should taste sweet, at least sweeter than most beers.

I'm surprised this hasn't been asked:

Recipe? Mash schedule? Fermentation temp? OG? Etc... Any details will help.

Walker said:

Hmmm..... now you said "skunk", which is way different than "sour".

Is it skunky tasting?

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I was actually generalizing when I said it was a skunk beer. It has just no flavor at all and a very dry terrible taste to the alcohol. Kind of like old gin or something. Lol I'll just wait and see what happens. Another reason I suspect spoilage is due to my fermentation which seems to have come to a haulage before completion.

Barc said:

I'm surprised this hasn't been asked:

Recipe? Mash schedule? Fermentation temp? OG? Etc... Any details will help.

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I'll turn this over to you now, Barry. You're the undisputed expert on making bad homebrew.

Walker said:

I'll turn this over to you now, Barry. You're the undisputed expert on making bad homebrew.

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Bad? No. Acquired taste? Maybe!

I've only brewed about 15 batches in the year I have been brewing. Having tasted all of them at each hydro sample, All tasted gross, or just plain bad. Not a one of them tasted anything like the finished product. A few weeks in the keg works miracles.

dobeluvr said:

A few weeks in the keg works miracles.

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{Plays the Angels singing effect}