All Grain Woes

[Jwhit]

Alright so I’ve made six beers since the beginning of January. So far none of them have been good. The first beer, an extract kit, was ok after about three weeks in the bottle. I learned a lot of lessons there and moved onto all-grain. I’ve brewed five of those so far. The first two were 50 parts melanoidan and 50 parts maris otter. They were hopped differently but that is all. This didn’t matter because I didn’t mash long enough which left too much starch in the wort. Both these batches remain cloudy even after a month in the bottle which is a sure sign of too much starch… and it tastes really off. They’re both drinkable but I drink them only because I don’t want to waste them. The third was what I had left from the two before. It was a concentrated batch and I probably didn’t mash enough again because I hadn’t learned my lesson yet. I still haven’t bottled it yet. The starting gravity was very low and I wanted more fermentation. I pitched more yeast after a two week fermentation which was dry hopped. So dry hopping will be around 5 weeks on this batch. If there is starch I hope that the hops cover it up some. While this third batch was fermenting I decided to brew a Belgian wit. I went a little over board with the citrus. I added zest, coriander, and slices of orange during fermentation. This was a bad idea for one of them for certain and probably the other as well. For the first batch I added nothing but natural ingredients. The second was a run off of the first. This is the one that is totally undrinkable. I think this is because I added orange slices during fermentation. Although I ran them through sanitizer there was still a thick funk that grew on the slices that floated on top which leads me to believe I had an infection. If this wasn’t the cause of its disgustingness then it might be because I added so much sugar. I added both raw and cane sugar. My theories will be proved or disproved when I taste the all natural batch though its current smell is screaming that it has an infection too. Please give me some correction and criticism. I really want to improve my beer. My next batch is definitely going to be an extract though. I need a feel good beer that doesn’t taste like vomit. I am not "there" yet with all grain.

-Josh

 

[day_trippr]

Woof. An apocryphal tale if I've ever read one.

Bottom line: I think you need a reboot.

Pick a simple Pale Ale recipe and do it according to Hoyle. Don't go blazing a trail, just follow the recipe and get your procedural feet planted, from grain to glass.

Then find another proven recipe, and do that one. Then another.

And when you can consistently knock off "known good" recipes without issue, then you can go off and explorer the brewing wilderness.

(But I'd ditch that 50/50 Melanoidin/MO bill. That's just crazy stuff right there )

Cheers!

 

[ScottG58]

Start with a tried and true recipe from somewhere else. There are good recipes here. Work on process. (Brewing software helps). Hit your strike temperature. Check your crush. Extend your mash time. Do an iodine test. It will turn purple in the presence of starch. (Don't dump the iodine back in its poison). There are experts that can tell you more. I have been brewing all grain for about nine months. I am still working on process. First I worked on the boil. (With extract). The. I worked on fermentation-temp control and oxygen. My next "learning experience" will be a foray into water chemistry.

Summary is pick a good recipe and work on process one variable at a time.

 

[IanPC]

I agree. I just started AG an the first one I made was pre-designed and my brew day went great. My own design was .020 under target OG. With a lot of negligent mistakes on my part of course. I say find a recipe that is proven. Cheers!

 

[acidrain]

My suggestion... focus.
Concentrate on your methods... chilling fast, whirlpooling and draining with the least amount of trub, maybe check for starch conversion and PH of the mash, etc.

Try to work from a known recipe. Avoid changing up the recipe until you have fermented and tasted well after conditioning. Make small changes.

Try to control your fermentation temps.

Good luck!

 

[libeerty]

Great posts above this one! +1 to each!

 

[kylevester]

Ok, so after multiple beer judging experiences in the Specialty Beer category, I can give you this advice: Learn how to brew before experimenting or moving too fast.

You first need to develop a system where you have everything sanitized, boil correctly, cool correctly, and ferment correctly.

You want to eliminate the technical faults first, then start experimentation. Like any hobby, activity, job, etc. you need to learn the basics first, develop a solid grasp of them, and then branch out.

So, you can keep going with all-grain if you wish, but go with a simple, well-worn recipe and follow instructions to a T. Then do another batch in the same way. Get comfortable with the process and try to do the same procedure each time. Once you're consistent you can start throwing variability in there.

Read books like How to Brew by John Palmer, Brewing Better Beer by Gordon Strong, Designing Great Beers by Ray Daniels. Read anything by Papazian, Palmer, Strong, and many more.

 

[Jwhit]

Thanks to all of you. Putting a hold on my experimentation will be difficult but my desire to make good beer must obviously come first. To do this I’ve got to focus on the basics. All Grain is so much fun but I want to do it right so curbing my enthusiasm for a while to fully understand the process is just what I need. Thanks a lot guys. Cheers to all of you!