First Time Brewer, Results & Faults Feedback

[CarRamRod0419]

Hey guys, finally tried my first ever home brew batch recently - it was the 1 gallon Cascade Single Hop IPA pack from Brooklyn Brew Shop. A few things I took away from the taste, and a few things I know I need to do better on my next brew this weekend. Just want to share my intel and make sure my analysis / assumptions are correct. I used 16 oz swing top bottles. And used a non stick pot for my mash / boil (not sure if that would impact vs. a regular stainless steel). If you guys read my results, and read where I know I made mistakes - perhaps you might be able to help me pinpoint the cause and effect or share some other things I might have missed and need to keep in mind on my next brew.

What was wrong with the beer...

• Some of my bottles seemed a bit over carbonated (with the exception of 1 which was definitely due to a weak seal on the swing top). I judged this based on the excessive "pop'" from CO2 when I popped the swing top, on the bubbles after the pour, and it's contribution to the drinkability.

• The beer itself was much sweeter than I expected, tasted (and looked) much closer to a Hefeweizen than an IPA - can't think of any other analogy than that. I didn't quite taste the bitterness or full aroma of the hops. I know the haziness is just a factor in the all-grain brew process, but the taste is what bothered me.

Now onto where I know I faulted...

• When using my primer (3 tablespoons honey, dissolved in 1/2 cup boiling water), I cooled it to room temp and put it in my bottling bucket (pot). When I siphoned into the pot, I did NOT mix well to evenly distribute the primer. Not sure what I was thinking, I just distinctly remember that I didn't mix it well. I imagine this could have screwed up the distribution of sugars and uneven distribution amongst bottles - causing more carbonation in some bottles + heavier sweetness, and less in the others.

• When bottling, I used an auto-siphon and a clamp on the end of my tube. Towards the end of bottling, there was lots of "start and stop" meaning the siphon would run out or lose its source in the bucket, and I'd have some empty space (and probably air) in between some transfer of my beer to the bottles. This introduction of air or inconsistent filling "flow" could have caused off flavors in some bottles filled at the end of the batch.

• In my 16 oz swing top bottles, I left significant space between the fill line and cap - 3 inches in most cases. I know this is a big no-no, you need to make sure it's filled up closer to the top with maybe only 1 inch to spare.

•*Temperature varied in my NYC apartment during fermentation. We hit a bit of a heat wave and I obviously wasn't keeping my AC on in the apartment while I was at work, so I know there was certainly a temp variation during the day and when I was home with the AC on at normal temperatures.

I appreciate any feedback and insight into what else I may have done wrong based on my results.

Thanks!

 

[TheBluePhantom]

Not sure that air bubbles in the line would do much damage. I know that some people prefer airless transfers but I have done all my transfers in air, I never had anything undrinkable from it.

The temperature sounds bad though. I prefer to ferment in the mid 60s, If you were in an active ferment in the high 70s that could have done a lot of damage.

With this many problems, you may also want to read up on sanitation. If your cleaning processes aren't effective you can get a plethora of issues.

Could use a few more details on clarity. Was it clear before bottling? How long for ferment? Secondary?( I am guessing probably not.)

Can't help on the carbonation part, I never bottle carbed beer, I had trouble with batch of root beer and went to kegs before starting beer. Never heard of using honey for primer though... If you have sweetness in some of the bottles you may have other problems. sounds like you didn't get complete fermentation of the primer. If this finishes you may end up with bottle bombs, Be CAREFUL. Read on bottle bombs on some of the other posts here, they can be nasty.

 

[CarRamRod0419]

Thanks for the input! Temperature I'm sure could have been a big driver. I'm not so worried about how I sanitized, it being my first time I was particularly concerned about this part. Made sure I triple sanitized everything coming into contact with my wort, from end of boil to bottling. The primer recommendation with honey came from the Brooklyn Brew kit instructions, though my lack of proper mixing amongst the beer could have contributed. I already noticed some beers have been much sweeter than others, when I tried another one last night.

As far as clarity, it was pretty cloudy when I bottled. Fermentation was probably about 2.5 weeks, no secondary fermentation.

Much appreciated feedback, definitely need to be careful with bottle bombs - does not sound fun

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

A couple of suggestions for your next brew. A bottling bucket with a spigot and bottling wand would be good, inexpensive investments to make your bottling process easier. The spigot means you won't have to bottle with your autosiphon and the wand ensures consistent, accurate filling.

To reduce haziness/debris/trub, try cold crashing (if you have the capability) for a couple of days before bottling. Also, one of the more significant factors that will improve your beer is fermentation temp control. If you don't have the room or funds to get a small fridge or chest freezer and controller, do a search for swamp cooler. It's cheap and easy. Reducing temp swings and keeping ferm temps below 75-ish will help a great deal with quality.

Oh, and definitely be sure to stir in your priming sugar well.

 

[Chemgirl]

I've made this exact kit and can tell you it wasn't very hop forward. It was very easy drinking and not what I expected. Still very good though and a great intro into all grain.

I would guess that the temperature is a big factor in your off taste. A friend accidentally left her beer in a room that hit mid 80's and that was enough to ruin it. Storing your beer in a cool place is a good place to start.

Regarding the over carbonation, it could be that you had too much priming sugar in certain bottles, but I'm wondering if it's a nucleation effect from excess sediment. You mentioned the clarity wasn't very good. I did have this happen once when there was a lot of sediment in my bottles. Cold crashing has helped, and shouldn't be too difficult if you're using a 1 gallon kit.

 

[65C]

I stir the bottling bucket with disolved primer (trying not to cause too much oxidisation), leave for 5 mins with lid on, then stir again gently

The big mistake I made in the beginning (which was cause of a lot of issues like sweetness, haziness etc.) was the fermentation temp in first few days - so far that is the single most important factor in brewing for me

If you can nail that temp to 17C (I use an old fridge now which stays at 17C on it's lowest setting) - it fixes a lot of issues - all the other things people talk about like cooling speed, sanitising etc. are important but not nearly as important as I thought from reading forums

The second most important I find is nailing the mash temp for the first hour for the type of brew you're making

Third is getting the strike Ph right for the brew - but all these are way less important than that fermentation temp