Honestly I am so f*&#ing pissed about my beer right now

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ledhed2222

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OK so I just took a specific gravity reading on my second ever homebrew batch. Naturally, I drank the sample afterwards.


I has the EXACT same messed-up aftertaste that my first batch had!!!


Don't worry, I'm going to finish this batch and see how it tastes at the end, but given that it is the SAME bad taste I had before, I'm not optimistic.

I sanitize like a maniac...I'm just at my wits end here! Everyone else seems to have had no problem whatsoever making a decent tasting first brew.



Also curious was the 1.02 gravity reading....WAY high, no?


Please help a frustrated newbie!
 
We need a bit more, I think. What is wrong with the flavor? What's the recipe? What was the og?
 
Not everyones first batch comes out good, mine was awful. I bottle my second one tomorrow and it is much improved over the first.
 
1.020 isn't really that high. I've had some extract batches that just wouldn't ferment any lower. I think it depends on the brand of extract. It might be a bit sweeter than planned, but it should still be fine.

As far as the aftertaste, can you describe it? soapy? medicinal? flowery? ashy? Those perceptions can help diagnose the problem.

I'll look for the "flavors chart" to see if that can help.
 
Did it taste like a warm, skunked out Genny Lite? That's what most of my beers taste like at this point in their lives. You need to give it at least 4 or 5 more weeks. Plus carbonation make a world of different in the flavor of a beer.
 
flavorwheel.jpg

See if that flavor wheel helps you describe the flavor.
 
My last batch was the best I've brewed ever, in 13 years, and it only fermented down to 1.018. So 1.020 isn't too awfully bad.
 
I would say that "rancid" is the best way to describe the smell...it's really off.

@jescholler: Yes, I used tap water for both brews, but I brewed one at school and one at home. So the water source is definitely different. Again, this is the same smell that I had before.

@weirdboy: C-Brite brand sanitizer. I know that smell and it's not that.



THANKS so much for your concern. I don't want to give up! I want to triumph over this **$&ing bacteria!!!
 
I might add that the smell is like way too strong star anise

(which is curious b/c in my first brew I used star anise. BUT I'm telling you I CLEANED the fermenter. I really, really doubt it's a leftover scent).
 
@Brewballs: Oh damn! Actually I did use gallon jugs of spring water for the first brew. Not for this one though. Totally forgot about that.
 
Slow down a little and relax. Your beer is still very young. Give it chance after it has been carbed/conditioned and then come back if there are still problems.
 
I had a batch that didn't get down past 1.02. tasted sweet and gross in the bucket, still crappy after a month. Two months later it was fantastic. I think it got stuck and came down a little in the bottle, luckily i under carbed it in the first place, so months later still not bottle bombs, though i don't actually know if it came down, never took a gravity of a finished bottle.

As far as the off flavor goes, maybe you should post the recipe and whatever details of the brew and ferment you remember/wrote down.
 
ledhed2222 said:
@Brewballs: Oh damn! Actually I did use gallon jugs of spring water for the first brew. Not for this one though. Totally forgot about that.
Click to expand...

Well, "rancid" to me means one of two things- either infection, or a breakdown of the yeast cake (autolysis). "Star anise" means that you've got some phenols in there. Now, whether they come from the temperature of the fermenting yeast, some breakdown of the yeast, chlorine or chloramine in the brewing water. stressed yeast, etc, it's hard to say.

I'd try using a different sanitizer first. I'm not sure that c-brite is recognized as a food-safe sanitizer. That' would be cheap and easy. Buy some iodophor or star-san to rule out the sanitizer.

Next, take a look at the fermentation temperatures. If the fermenter got above 72-75 degrees, that could explain much of these off-flavors.
 
#1 - what is your recipe?

#2 - what is your process?

#3 - where are you in your timeline?

#4 - what was your Original Gravity?

#5 - what was your fermentation temperature?

Until you give those answers - everyone is just taking some Wild-assed guess at what you are tasting & what type of problem you MIGHT have.
 
@ XXguy

1. Just the recipe that came with the malt extract (overly simple if you ask me). A Munton Connoisseurs Range Nut Brown Ale. It's an extract recipe that somehow does not use hops? Yeah..not so sure about it either but hey it's practice.

2. Made my wort, pitched my yeast, put it in the fermentation bucket... I was going to leave it in the fermenter for 7-14 days then bottle it and leave it another three weeks.

3. It's been only three days (I know it's young! But I'm worried that it already has the same rancid smell as my previous batch).

4. Um...I forgot to take OG. It is supposed to be 1040 to 1044.

5. Here's where you might be on to something. The room temp in my house is between 74-6 (which I though might be a little warm). So I put the fermenter in the basement. After a while (half day) I realized that it was WAY cold down there (feels like low 60s, maybe even high 50s). So I put it in the garage. Then I realized it was way WARM in the garage, so I put it back in the house.... I basically couldn't find anywhere that was high 60s to put the thing. I'd say fermentation temperature has been as low as 70 and as high as 76...certainly on the warm side of things.




Again everyone...

THANKS!
 
ledhed2222 said:
@ XXguy

1. Just the recipe that came with the malt extract (overly simple if you ask me). A Munton Connoisseurs Range Nut Brown Ale. It's an extract recipe that somehow does not use hops? Yeah..not so sure about it either but hey it's practice.

That's because it's pre-hopped extract.

2. Made my wort, pitched my yeast, put it in the fermentation bucket... I was going to leave it in the fermenter for 7-14 days then bottle it and leave it another three weeks.

What temp did you pitch the yeast at? Did you sanitize everything that touched the beer post boil?

3. It's been only three days (I know it's young! But I'm worried that it already has the same rancid smell as my previous batch).

Any fruit in this?

4. Um...I forgot to take OG. It is supposed to be 1040 to 1044.

good enough

5. Here's where you might be on to something. The room temp in my house is between 74-6 (which I though might be a little warm). So I put the fermenter in the basement. After a while (half day) I realized that it was WAY cold down there (feels like low 60s, maybe even high 50s). So I put it in the garage. Then I realized it was way WARM in the garage, so I put it back in the house.... I basically couldn't find anywhere that was high 60s to put the thing. I'd say fermentation temperature has been as low as 70 and as high as 76...certainly on the warm side of things.

yes, temperature change is worse than a steady high temperature. Did you do this with your last batch as well?


Again everyone...

THANKS!
Click to expand...

I'm with yopper in thinking phenols though based on what I've seen.
 
3 days in? Don't even think about judging your final beer based on what you're tasting now. Early periods of fermentation can give some gnarly smells & tastes. Do a search on "rhino farts".

Yes - it would seem that you are fermenting at a high temperature. I'd recommend you think about getting a digital thermometer with a high/low range memory setting & put that in your basement. I'd love to have a basement with high 50's low 60's temps in the summer. You need to realize that fermentation temperatures can be from 5 to 10 degrees higher than ambient room temp. 65 degrees fermentation temp. is just about ideal for most ale yeasts.

Other than that - I'm agreeing with what z987k posted above. My only extra input is that you should leave your beer in primary as long as possible to help it clean up those potential off-flavors from a high fermentation temp.

Chill out - sit back for 2 weeks & then take another gravity reading & taste it then. I bet your beer sample will taste much better. Spend those 2 weeks reading about bottle conditioning & the advantages of long primaries.
 
Hmm ok. What books do you recommend for reading? Assuming it is above 58 in my basement should I put it down there or leave it in my 74-6 house?

Again thanks for endulging a frustrated newbie. I'll be sure to keep everyone one updated as I continue.
 
+1 on the aging. I have checked mine too early and it tasted kinda nasty. Also remember DON"T BOTTLE TOO EARLY!! That is the best way to make bottle bombs!!!

The book I started with is Papazian's Complete Joy of Homebrewing - 3rd ed.
Amazon.com: The Complete Joy of Homebrewing Third Edition (Harperresource Book) (9780060531058): Charles Papazian: Books

There is also another by Palmer I heard is pretty good too.

Relax, chill out and have a homebrew. If you don't have any, find a good craft brew or go steal some homebrew from a buddy!!

Cheers! :mug:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I've made close to 300 batches now and every one of them has tasted like rancid ailing diarehic ass at 3 days. Luckily, the taste at 3 days has no bearing or relation to what the beer tastes like when it is served at 2 or 3 months. If there are any real problems with your beer you could not possibly know what they are, diagnose them, or fix them. when you are tasting a hydrometer sample at three days in.

In fact, even taking a hydrometer reading at 3 days is useless and counterproductive. Counterproductive because when you realize that it is not at a good finished gravity or it tastes like **** you worry about it for no good reason. Just relax, chill the heck out and have a beer.

Me, I hate green beer and will not even taste a brew until it is done its 3-6 weeks in the fermenter, then 3-50 weeks in the bottle or keg.
 
YooperBrew said:
"Star anise" means that you've got some phenols in there. Now, whether they come from the temperature of the fermenting yeast,
...
Next, take a look at the fermentation temperatures. If the fermenter got above 72-75 degrees, that could explain much of these off-flavors.
Click to expand...

I bet you are on target with the fermentation temps.
 
I have read How to Brew by John Palmer and The Joy of Home Brewing by Charles Papazian. The Palmer book was much better IMHO.

Also, Stop moving your fermenter to so many places. You want to minimize the fluctuation in temp. Put it in your basement and leave it there.
 
I agree with everyone so far, don't worry so much. I stopped tasting my samples, they all taste the same at so young anyway. Tasting it when you bottle can even misrepresent what it tastes like. Time is your friend.

Having said that. It sounds like you did kits for both of your batches. When I started I used kits for my first 3 batches and they all had a funky taste to them. I stopped using kits and make my own recipes and use recipes from this site now and I've never had the same funky taste replicate itself. My methods have not changed at all. I don't know what is up with the kits, but I've been far happier without them. I think others will agree.
 
TheMan said:
Having said that. It sounds like you did kits for both of your batches. When I started I used kits for my first 3 batches and they all had a funky taste to them. I stopped using kits and make my own recipes and use recipes from this site now and I've never had the same funky taste replicate itself. My methods have not changed at all. I don't know what is up with the kits, but I've been far happier without them. I think others will agree.
Click to expand...

There are many outstanding kits out there. I don't think you'll get too many people to agree with you that can't make great beer with a kit. Sure there are some lackluster kits, but putting them off altogether is being pretty blinded.
 
You could be right, the kits I bought were sitting on the shelf at the LHBS for who knows how long. When I wrote it I didn't at all think about kits from the likes of AHB and Northern Brewer, which I've heard positive remarks. Just a case of "think before you speak" I suppose.
 
where's Revvy with his "STOP and step away from the beer" posts? :D

you could put the fermenter in your basement with a towel or shirt over it - if it's 58* constant down there, you'd like to get the temps up just a wee bit, but given the choice I'd rather ferment at 58*F ambient temp than 74-76*F.

maybe Revvy is in his moderator training? :D
 
Joy of Homebrewing is great to start.

I think Palmer is more in-depth, and better as a reference for more advanced brewers.

Both are good for beginners, though, so you can't go wrong with either. Plus, this site is an excellent reference too!

I'd guess that high temps and checking after only 3 days is the reason. I never taste mine until at least time to bottle, several weeks usually. Even then, the beer is usually going to change for the better in another few weeks.

Yes, it takes time to make good beer. Just get another started as soon as you bottle this one (or sooner if you buy another fermenter!) and then you will be ready to sample the last batch when you are brewing the next!

There are several great threads on ferm temp control. Find them and decide how to keep your temps in line. This is, IMO, the single most important thing you can do to improve your beer after sanitation. Find the temps your yeast like the best and hold the temp at that range.

Look up swamp cooler for cooling your wort, and brew belt for heating it up.
 
AZ_IPA said:
where's Revvy with his "STOP and step away from the beer" posts? :D

you could put the fermenter in your basement with a towel or shirt over it - if it's 58* constant down there, you'd like to get the temps up just a wee bit, but given the choice I'd rather ferment at 58*F ambient temp than 74-76*F.

maybe Revvy is in his moderator training? :D
Click to expand...

Yeah, Revvy usually jumps in way before now with his litany of RDWHAHB advice!

Also, you might like to ferment at 58, but some yeast strains won't work at that low of a temp. And just because it says pilsner, doesn't mean its a cold yeast. It might just stall out at that temp.
 
ledhed2222 said:
Hmm ok. What books do you recommend for reading? Assuming it is above 58 in my basement should I put it down there or leave it in my 74-6 house?

Again thanks for endulging a frustrated newbie. I'll be sure to keep everyone one updated as I continue.
Click to expand...

Also, fermentation temps tend to be a bit higher than the ambient temp in the room. If the basement is around 58 or so, you might wind up fermenting in the low 60's which would be just fine. I have the same situation with my basement and my first few batches came out good.
 
+1 ambient vs fermenting temp.

I run an ambient temp of 67 in my basement, my ales run at 71-72 for the first 3-4 days then settle down to the room temp.

FWIW maybe use a lower temp fermenting ale yeast for whatever you try in the future and try the basement, keep it there too instead of moving it around.
 
Lately I've been using a spare fridge to control my fermentation temps. It doesn't get lower than mid 50's to mid 60's which unfortunately makes for a lousy kegerator. However, this seems to be really nice for ale fermenting. At first I was concerned with it getting a little too cold so I would leave the door open while fermenting. But what I've found coincides with what other people have said here. The fermentation temp is running higher than the ambient temp, so I've noticed that as long as fermentation is going the temperature strip on the outside of my carboy/ale pail stays right around the high 60's to low 70's. So your basement gets my vote for the place you want to keep your fermenters.
 
Eheh...waiting is a ***** huh?

Fantastic advice so far in this thread. The best advice after "Relax. Don't worry. Have a homebrew" though is educate yourself first so that you are prepared to succeed. I have read both of the books that have been identified in this thread and can tell you first-hand that they are both fantastic pieces of literature for the beginner homebrewer. One piece of advice I can offer personally is to combine a measure of patience with your passion. Accomplish the above and you will be enjoying the fruits of your labor in no time.

Best of luck...

Cheers!
 
Yea you totally got to wait the beer out. Beer tastes like sh~t when its young. I mean absolute crap. I've had alot of beers that taste HORRENDOUS even at 2 weeks. I can't figure out how to make a beer ready more quickly honestly. I would highly suggest waiting at least 3-4 weeks after bottling before tasting because it will be fantastic.
 
h4rdluck said:
Beer tastes like sh~t when its young. I mean absolute crap.
Click to expand...

This is all I'm saying.

I really can not even stand the taste of any hydrometer sample. I think the last time I tried one was something like 15 years ago. Ok, this might be a slight exaggeration but I really have to have a good reason to try the sample - as in I am trying to adjust the sweetness for a fruit beer or . . . nope, that is the only reason I can think of.
 
I really don't have anything to say about your process/ingredients that hasn't already been said in this thread. However, I will say that my first 5 batches came out tasting like something only it's mother could love (that being me) :D. My friends remind me while bogarting my beer now. The fact that you're on this site looking for advice means you'll be making great beer in a heartbeat.
You seem like a meticulous guy. How to Brew - By John Palmer and relax. You're on the way!
:mug:
 

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