Hello everyone. So I have been making a few batches. I have a 6.5 gallon plastic bucket and two 1 gallon glass carboys. I have a huge problem.
Beginner mistakes in the two first 5 gallon batches are very probable. Such as not sanitizing well enough, opening the bucket lid to have a peek at the the beer etc etc.
When doing my 1 gallon batches I was super paranoid and cleaned everything beforehand not once, but 3 times. Sanitized every little thing even if it went in the boil! Could it be my sanitizer? I use powder potassium metabisulfite which is the no1 suggested sanitizer here. Every other Italian seem to use it to make fine beer.
I haven't opened my 1 gallon carboys until now, only because I was so worried of that horrible smell of failure. In fact, I'm predicting a failure once again.
For two of the batches I used different pots. I have not siphoned anything. Nothing really touches the wort by the time it cools down and goes in the fermentor. I use the lid on the pots while cooling. For one of the 5 gallon batches I bought and used ONLY bottled water from the supermarket.
What could be causing this awful sourness? Could it be the air in my house? I live on the first floor in an old Italian stone building. Not much air circulation to be honest. This is why I'm afraid it could be mold or odd particles in my air.
To me it seems absurd but I'm getting so frustrated that this weekend I will try to brew another 1 gallon batch at a friend's house to see if things will be different.
Please, help me!
- 1st batch was a 5 gallon beer kit which turned out almost transparent, and sour during fermentation and bottling. Undrinkable after 2 months in bottle.
- 2nd was a 5 gallon wheat extract and special malts. Turned out sour during fermentation and bottling. Undrinkable after 1 month in bottle.
- 3rd is a 1 gallon wheat extract and special malts. Sour smell one week into fermentation.
- 4th is a 1 gallon Belgian Ale all grain experiment. Sour smell one week into fermentation.
Beginner mistakes in the two first 5 gallon batches are very probable. Such as not sanitizing well enough, opening the bucket lid to have a peek at the the beer etc etc.
When doing my 1 gallon batches I was super paranoid and cleaned everything beforehand not once, but 3 times. Sanitized every little thing even if it went in the boil! Could it be my sanitizer? I use powder potassium metabisulfite which is the no1 suggested sanitizer here. Every other Italian seem to use it to make fine beer.
I haven't opened my 1 gallon carboys until now, only because I was so worried of that horrible smell of failure. In fact, I'm predicting a failure once again.
For two of the batches I used different pots. I have not siphoned anything. Nothing really touches the wort by the time it cools down and goes in the fermentor. I use the lid on the pots while cooling. For one of the 5 gallon batches I bought and used ONLY bottled water from the supermarket.
What could be causing this awful sourness? Could it be the air in my house? I live on the first floor in an old Italian stone building. Not much air circulation to be honest. This is why I'm afraid it could be mold or odd particles in my air.
To me it seems absurd but I'm getting so frustrated that this weekend I will try to brew another 1 gallon batch at a friend's house to see if things will be different.
Please, help me!