I brewed a holiday ale, and it turned out awful. Tastes off, not well carbonated. I used a secondary fermenter. I've brewed successfully before, but this was the first time with the secondary. I primary fermented for 1 week, then transferred to the secondary for two weeks. Bottled and after 3 weeks tried and it was gross. Any ideas?
awful batch of beer
- Thread starter ddm156
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
It's not because of using a secondary. Some do, some don't, but that isn't the cause of a bad batch.
Some things that make a bad batch: bad recipe, poor sanitation, water chemistry, underpitching yeast, too-high fermentation temperatures, etc.
What was the recipe and the technique that was used for this batch?
Some things that make a bad batch: bad recipe, poor sanitation, water chemistry, underpitching yeast, too-high fermentation temperatures, etc.
What was the recipe and the technique that was used for this batch?
Any ideas as to what?
If you'd like to troubleshoot the problem we would need a step by step recipe with associated temps/processes etc.
If you want to know what to do with the beer....Put it somewhere and let it sit for a while. Brew something else. Sometimes a beer that is initially bad tasting will age out the defects. Give it a taste every several weeks or once a month and see if it is improving.
If you'd like to troubleshoot the problem we would need a step by step recipe with associated temps/processes etc.
If you want to know what to do with the beer....Put it somewhere and let it sit for a while. Brew something else. Sometimes a beer that is initially bad tasting will age out the defects. Give it a taste every several weeks or once a month and see if it is improving.
Also, not sure what 'tastes off' means. If you can let us know how it tasted badly we may be able to help you pinpoint it. If you post the recipe maybe there was something in it that would cause bad tastes. Poor sanitation can produce bacteria that stink and taste like sewage. Oxidation can cause your beer to taste stale or like cardboard. Too high of fermentation temps can taste estery and fruity almost acidic sometimes.
What I am getting at is there are too many ways for you beer to 'taste off'. We'd love to help, so throw some more info at us and we will do what we can
What I am getting at is there are too many ways for you beer to 'taste off'. We'd love to help, so throw some more info at us and we will do what we can
schoolmaster
Well-Known Member
I totally echo Jmiltime; what is the off flavor? Check out this to try and hunt it down Trouble Shooting Taste Guide
More often than not when beer is bad, I mean really bad, not just a slight off flavor, it is due to improper cleaning and sanitation. There are a lot of steps between the end of the boil and drinking that beer. Taking time to review each process can help. When I moved into my new house I made 4 batches of bad beer. I traced it down to the old aerator on the faucet in the basement; it had a nice brown slime in it.
I'm a huge fan of the 5-star, PBW soak followed by Star-san soak to clean and sanitize everything.
More often than not when beer is bad, I mean really bad, not just a slight off flavor, it is due to improper cleaning and sanitation. There are a lot of steps between the end of the boil and drinking that beer. Taking time to review each process can help. When I moved into my new house I made 4 batches of bad beer. I traced it down to the old aerator on the faucet in the basement; it had a nice brown slime in it.
I'm a huge fan of the 5-star, PBW soak followed by Star-san soak to clean and sanitize everything.
Wow, this is my first post, and I am thrilled about all of the response. I can tell this forum will be a great tool in my brewing endeavors. I will get back to you with some recipe/technique information when I get back home
I'll second the aging comment. I tend to brew 'heavier' beers, and if you taste most of these 'fresh', well, you wouldn't be so quick to crack open the next bottle! Let it age a bit, see what happens (after all, what do you have to lose?) -I've brewed some porters that tasted absolutely fantastic and smooth as silk, -and they were about 7 months old.
robertvrabel
Well-Known Member
3 weeks is not very long at all, even for a pale ale! Most likely this is a complex recipe and should be aged for a few months.
My first beer was a Holiday Ale as well, and I tried it after about 4-5 weeks and I didn't think it was the greatest. Every week I tried more and more and it got better and better. It was all gone before it really hit its peak. I would recommend storing this away for awhile (easy, since you don't like it). And brew something else to get your mind off it.
My first beer was a Holiday Ale as well, and I tried it after about 4-5 weeks and I didn't think it was the greatest. Every week I tried more and more and it got better and better. It was all gone before it really hit its peak. I would recommend storing this away for awhile (easy, since you don't like it). And brew something else to get your mind off it.
I have a bad batch also. It was my first try going all grain. When I transfered from primary to secondary the smell was awful. I read some of the threads that say never give up on a beer. I threw in a camden tablet. Hopefully it will age itself out. Its been in secondary about 4 weeks now. Gonna give it another 2 weeks and we will see, otherwise its gonna sit longer.
fredthecat
The original homebrewer™.
yeah without kniowing the recipe i'd say time, i got ridiculous instructions for my first batch from the extract kit box which said 4-7 days in primary and two weeks in secondary... when it should be more like two weeks in primary (at least) and one week in secondary, then wait 2 weeks after bottling to taste. heres a neat article that helped me understand what primary and secondary really mean! http://blogs.homebrewtalk.com/Boerderij_Kabouter/Secondary_fermentation_and_why_it_makes_me_crazy/
good luck!
good luck!
arock
Member
You might want to read the article you linked again. Justin is advocating to perform exactly what you call "ridiculous instructions" ...
I think it can be a little confusing. I have brewed a number of batches with what seems to be becoming an extinct method of brewing. It was sometimes referred to as the 1-2-3 method. 1 week in primary, 2 weeks in secondary and 3 weeks to condition. I have gotten fantastic results with this method, however, new thought is leading more and more people to essentially skip the secondary phase and let sit in primary for at least 3-4 weeks then go directly to keg or bottles.
I now use this long primary method of brewing because, for me, I feel it minimizes potential oxygenation and bacterial infection by eliminating a racking step. It is also easier (requires less steps) and lets the beer clear more quickly because the cake on the bottom is not disturbed.
The old method has been used fo rmany years and many still use it and fantastic beer is made this way. However, there are enough reasons for me to say I like the primary only version. So you decide, but either method will not be responsible for poor tasting beer, it still in my mind comes down to using good fundamental brewing principles (ie. sanitation, hitting mash temps correctly, chilling quickly, aerating properly, fermenting temps, yeast pitching rates, etc.)
I now use this long primary method of brewing because, for me, I feel it minimizes potential oxygenation and bacterial infection by eliminating a racking step. It is also easier (requires less steps) and lets the beer clear more quickly because the cake on the bottom is not disturbed.
The old method has been used fo rmany years and many still use it and fantastic beer is made this way. However, there are enough reasons for me to say I like the primary only version. So you decide, but either method will not be responsible for poor tasting beer, it still in my mind comes down to using good fundamental brewing principles (ie. sanitation, hitting mash temps correctly, chilling quickly, aerating properly, fermenting temps, yeast pitching rates, etc.)
