10 days into brew

[DanBeamer]

So I transferred from the primary into the secondary carboy at the end of week one, hoping to improve the final clarity of the beer. I realize this step is probably not useful and potentially harmful, but we did it.

As this is my second ever brew I realized I forgot to check the original gravity before this stage. 1 can of extract coopers australian ale, 1.3 kg of liquid malt extract, into 5 gallons of water + rehydrated Nottingham yeast. The can says the OG should be around 1.038 if you used their recipe that uses DME, so potentially it was close to that but who knows...

Anyways, the beer sat in my rather chilly basement for a week around 13-15 degrees celcius. According to the product fact sheet Nottingham has an effective range of 11-21 degrees, with other sources saying 14 degrees-21.

Anyways, after a week transferred the beer, check the SG : 1.020 now...tasted it and it tastes like green apples which is that terrible flavour I'm trying to avoid. I decided to move the beer to the main floor of my house where it's 15-17 degrees celcius. It's in the carboy and the airtrap seems to be making bubbles every 1-2 minutes. it's protected from light.

Plan is to let it ferment for another 2 weeks, dry hop 3 days and bottle, then condition it for 2 weeks. Is there anything else I can do? Should I check the SG in 2 weeks and consider repitching?


Thanks

 

[Cider123]

I'd leave it alone for 1-2 weeks. As you get closer to 2 weeks, take a FG reading once a day for 3 days. If your gravity stays the same then you're done (after 2-3 weeks a low gravity beer will probably be done).

At that point, if your FG is below 1.020 then I wouldn't repitch, you probably not going to do much better than that. If you're in the mid teens consider it good and move on to bottling.

Welcome to brewing. Nice Brittany (or is that a NSDTR?).

 

[RM-MN]

Anyways, after a week transferred the beer, check the SG : 1.020 now...tasted it and it tastes like green apples which is that terrible flavour I'm trying to avoid. I decided to move the beer to the main floor of my house where it's 15-17 degrees celcius. It's in the carboy and the airtrap seems to be making bubbles every 1-2 minutes. it's protected from light.

With extract, some people have mentioned not being able to bring the final gravity below 1.020 so don't be too discouraged if you cannot. You'll be in good company.

Green apple flavor is from acetaldehyde, an normal byproduct of fermentation and the yeast can usually reprocess that if given the right conditions. That usually means warm, probably warmer than your 15 to 17 degrees C. Give it a couple days and if it still smells of green apples, set the fermenter in a tub of warm water to bring the beer temp up to 22 to 24C range.

 

[IslandLizard]

As you get closer to 2 weeks, take a FG reading once a day for 3 days.

Actually better to take 2 readings, 3 days apart. If they match and are reasonably low (or near the estimated FG) it's most likely done and ready to bottle.
The main reason is not to tinker too much with beer. each time you open the fermenter (to take samples) you let air (oxygen) in. That may/will cause the beer to oxidize over time, leaving cardboard, old paper-like flavors and aromas.

So I transferred from the primary into the secondary carboy at the end of week one, hoping to improve the final clarity of the beer. I realize this step is probably not useful and potentially harmful, but we did it.

You're right about that. Secondaries are not needed for most regular beer. Just ignore from (outdated) instructions. Leave the beer where it is, on the yeast until ready to package. Even dry hop in the same vessel.
There are very few exceptions, such as mixed fermentations (sours) and long term aging (2-3+ months). Moreover, using secondaries correctly is definitely a more advanced skill.

13-15C is surely on the too cold side. Keeping the beer warmer for another 2 weeks should help finish it out. That should also clean up the green apple taste.

 

[DanBeamer]

Thanks for the advice -- so hard to not be inpatient ! Will keep you updated

 

[hottpeper13]

Notty is one of my favs and 15c is where I start and leave it for the bulk of fermentation. When the krausen starts to drop I bring it to 18c then a few days later to 20c. Most beers at around 1.050 will be done in 14 days, I like to let it go 21 days but i keg and can have a freshy quite quickly. If you are bottling you could dry hop on day 10 or 12 then wait for the hop creap and bottle.

 

[DanBeamer]

Welcome to brewing. Nice Brittany (or is that a NSDTR?).

Thanks ! He’s a duck toller - I have ordered a fermenter wrap heater and an inkbird temperature controller. Working on acquiring a beer fridge I can keep fermentations in and control the temp. Will bring this current beer up to 18 Celsius for a few days and hopefully finish the fermentation off and get rid of the acetaldehyde

 

[RM-MN]

Thanks ! He’s a duck toller - I have ordered a fermenter wrap heater and an inkbird temperature controller. Working on acquiring a beer fridge I can keep fermentations in and control the temp. Will bring this current beer up to 18 Celsius for a few days and hopefully finish the fermentation off and get rid of the acetaldehyde

You might have to warm it more yet. It won't hurt the beer to do so, all the flavors are set by day 5.

 

[ApolloSimcoe]

With extract, some people have mentioned not being able to bring the final gravity below 1.020

I'm very curious about this. Is this just general musings you've read on this site or is there actual info that you can link for me? Thanks!

 

[RM-MN]

I'm very curious about this. Is this just general musings you've read on this site or is there actual info that you can link for me? Thanks!

Just reports from people on this site. It happens often enough to note.

 

[ApolloSimcoe]

thanks! I'll keep my eye open for future posts

 

[DanBeamer]

Update now 2 weeks in , SG remains at 1020. The fermentrap heater and temperature controller arrived and are currently bringing the beer up to 70F . Will let it do its things for a week . Also the green apple taste is potent so the beer is full of acetaldehyde, hopefully the warmer temps get that to bubble off

 

[kh54s10]

I have only done a few extracts. I have also mostly seen references to extracts stopping at 1.020 as a common point on HBT. I might have seen it elsewhere. I didn't keep good notes on my final gravities but believe that in general they dropped lower than the 1.020 but still a bit higher than similar all grain recipes. Stable gravity before bottling is the key. If you have further fermentation on top of what you would get from priming sugar you could create bottle bombs. That is where the pressure of the co2 exceeds the strength of the bottle = explosion!

 

[TechFanMD]

thanks! I'll keep my eye open for future posts

With All Grain, you control the amount of fermentable sugars with mash temp. With extracts, they do that for you. Some extracts have more fermentable sugars than others. So....it depends.

 

[ApolloSimcoe]

With All Grain, you control the amount of fermentable sugars with mash temp. With extracts, they do that for you. Some extracts have more fermentable sugars than others. So....it depends.

I'm not a new brewer so I understand this fully. I was curious about the extract FG because I never came across that with other extract brewers or when I was an extract brewer myself. I asked a friend of mine what his last two FG's were and they were 1.012 and 1.013. They were a Red and Blonde ale, both extract.

 

[Jag75]

I've done tons of extract kits and have always finished 1.010 -1.012. Never had an issue of a fermentation stalling . I've found that the projected OG and FG on Brewers Best kits are very accurate.

 

[DanBeamer]

Beer has been now up to 70 degrees since Saturday , the airlock is still bubbling — every 2-3 minutes , it’s been over 2 weeks !

 

[kh54s10]

It is probably long done and temperature or atmospheric pressure changes are making it bubble. Is it still at 1.020? Does it taste good?

If those are answered yes, go ahead and bottle it.

 

[DanBeamer]

Checked the gravity, seems to be 1.018 now, no it still tastes like green apples. Have adjusted the temperature up a bit now to 71 degrees as the heater seems to be moving things along. The Nottingham is apparently good to 72 so I'm going to hold it here and hope to god this acetaldehyde flavour bubbles off over the next week

 

[rburrelli]

Checked the gravity, seems to be 1.018 now, no it still tastes like green apples. Have adjusted the temperature up a bit now to 71 degrees as the heater seems to be moving things along. The Nottingham is apparently good to 72 so I'm going to hold it here and hope to god this acetaldehyde flavour bubbles off over the next week

I have heard of that yeast giving off a tartness.
Could that be what you are construing as green apple?

 

[DanBeamer]

It’s possible for sure , given the gravity change I figure i should give it time anyways .. I hope the flavour settles

 

[RM-MN]

Checked the gravity, seems to be 1.018 now, no it still tastes like green apples. Have adjusted the temperature up a bit now to 71 degrees as the heater seems to be moving things along. The Nottingham is apparently good to 72 so I'm going to hold it here and hope to god this acetaldehyde flavour bubbles off over the next week

The listed temperature range is for the active part of the fermentation. Your fermentation is probably nearly done and higher temps won't hurt the beer now (within reason, none of the 100+ temps).

 

[DanBeamer]

Okay update : day 26 have checked on the beer and dry hopped with a 1oz galaxy hops . Gravity seems to have possibly come down one point in the last couple weeks . Will bottle in 3 days and then condition for 2 weeks . Tastes a bit tart, a bit apple-y but not horrendous — I’m hoping time improves this a lot, fairly mediocre at this stage but a first attempt . Anyone have temperature recommendations for dry hopping for the last 3 days? Also just checked on the carboy after the hops and see photo below !! Is this a problem ?

 

[S.R.S]

Be interested to see how this goes after 2 weeks in bottle. I brewed the same kit and fermented for 3 weeks and as of today has been bottled 2 weeks. I also dry hopped for the last week. Taste thus far is disappointing and not dissimilar to the home brew taste from years ago.

 

[TechFanMD]

Be interested to see how this goes after 2 weeks in bottle. I brewed the same kit and fermented for 3 weeks and as of today has been bottled 2 weeks. I also dry hopped for the last week. Taste thus far is disappointing and not dissimilar to the home brew taste from years ago.

Please don't give up. I'm not going to go on an all-grain rant - because you can make great beer with extracts no matter what anyone tells you. The time is longer than baking a cake....but you can make very good beer with a recipe and extract (DME or LME). I have not had great results with canned 'kits', but they have their place in getting people started.

Honestly - and I know that this is repeated waaay too many times: Cleaning and sanitation are the most important thing you do - beyond boil time, worries about oxygenation, even how well the recipe is constructed. I'm not saying this about you or the OP, but generally I think people who brew these kits are not using good sanitation products or methods. The kits are for beginners, and beginners often don't fully understand (or have spent the money) on sanitation.

 

[DanBeamer]

I hear ya regarding sanitation, we have been very careful - used star San at every step

 

[kh54s10]

Okay update : day 26 have checked on the beer and dry hopped with a 1oz galaxy hops . Gravity seems to have possibly come down one point in the last couple weeks . Will bottle in 3 days and then condition for 2 weeks . Tastes a bit tart, a bit apple-y but not horrendous — I’m hoping time improves this a lot, fairly mediocre at this stage but a first attempt . Anyone have temperature recommendations for dry hopping for the last 3 days? Also just checked on the carboy after the hops and see photo below !! Is this a problem ?

It looks like you may have started some additional fermentation by stirring things up. I have never seen that just from dry hops. A little foam from adding nucleation points, and co2 coming out of solution, but never that much.

At the end of your dry hop time I would take another gravity reading.

 

[Saunassa]

Okay update : day 26 have checked on the beer and dry hopped with a 1oz galaxy hops . Gravity seems to have possibly come down one point in the last couple weeks . Will bottle in 3 days and then condition for 2 weeks . Tastes a bit tart, a bit apple-y but not horrendous — I’m hoping time improves this a lot, fairly mediocre at this stage but a first attempt . Anyone have temperature recommendations for dry hopping for the last 3 days? Also just checked on the carboy after the hops and see photo below !! Is this a problem ?

I have to say, WOW that beer has cleared and looks good.
One other thing I see come up often is people hurrying to get it bottled after whatever time that the recipe states. I know we are all excited to taste what we mad scientists have brewed up but we have to remember that yeast is living organism and can take a little longer then what is written on paper.

 

[DanBeamer]

Thanks for the assistance everyone ! Took a bottle out and chilled it and popped er open. The results : a totally mediocre beer. But really I look at this like a success - did I miss my final gravity and basically brew a 2.5 % session beer ? Yes yes I did . Can I taste the galaxy dry hops ? No not at all , but did I learn a lot about fermentation temperature and grains and different styles of beer - yes . As this is my second extract batch ever , I feel like I’m ready to move on. I have decided to move into BIAB and I’ll be doing small batch 2.5-3 gallons at a time and hopefully will get to to brew more frequently this way !
Cheers