So, I started with a Fat Tire clone from my LHBS. I followed the instructions as best I could and believe that I got it all done correctly and avoided the trouble areas, I was neuroticly clean and bleached everything prior to use, then rinsed thouroughly with clean cold water to get every thing as clean as humanly possible.
When transfering from Primary to secondary fermenter (not sure if this was necessary) i made sure to keep the process as quiet as possible and avoided splasing the wort at all costs. I now have it sitting in a 5g carboy with the same airlock on the top and it is no longer bubbling (which I expected). I failed to read the important note in the instructions that stated that the fermenter needed to be in a dark place and left it on the counter for 8 hours in the kitchen, is this a terrible thing? have I totally screwed things up? since rereading the instructions I have moved it to a dark closet away from light.
I removed about 2oz of the beer for tasting prior to sealing the carboy and noticed that it is VERY bitter, way beyond anything I expected. Is this something to be concerned about or will it mellow out with age and bottleing?
the recipe (off the top of my head)
1lb mixed cracked grains (not sure of the type)
3.5 lb light LME
3.5 lb Amber LME
1 oz Kent Golding
2-1oz bittering hops, can't remember the name
adding in the hops at 60 minutes, 30 minutes and 5 minutes during the boil with the kent coming last.
I know thats not a lot to go on but tell me if you think its supposed to be bitter beyond belief.
Also in the secondary after the 2nd day white spots appeared on the top of the beer, floating on top of the beer. What if anything needs to be done about that? What do I do with it when it comes to bottleing.
thanks again
C.
When transfering from Primary to secondary fermenter (not sure if this was necessary) i made sure to keep the process as quiet as possible and avoided splasing the wort at all costs. I now have it sitting in a 5g carboy with the same airlock on the top and it is no longer bubbling (which I expected). I failed to read the important note in the instructions that stated that the fermenter needed to be in a dark place and left it on the counter for 8 hours in the kitchen, is this a terrible thing? have I totally screwed things up? since rereading the instructions I have moved it to a dark closet away from light.
I removed about 2oz of the beer for tasting prior to sealing the carboy and noticed that it is VERY bitter, way beyond anything I expected. Is this something to be concerned about or will it mellow out with age and bottleing?
the recipe (off the top of my head)
1lb mixed cracked grains (not sure of the type)
3.5 lb light LME
3.5 lb Amber LME
1 oz Kent Golding
2-1oz bittering hops, can't remember the name
adding in the hops at 60 minutes, 30 minutes and 5 minutes during the boil with the kent coming last.
I know thats not a lot to go on but tell me if you think its supposed to be bitter beyond belief.
Also in the secondary after the 2nd day white spots appeared on the top of the beer, floating on top of the beer. What if anything needs to be done about that? What do I do with it when it comes to bottleing.
thanks again
C.