1st time brew queries

[-Lenny-]

Hello all,

I have just started with my very 1st homebrew after nearly 6 months of watching videos and reading online about it. I brewed a Coopers Canadian blond with 1kg of young brew enhancer and 300g of dark brown sugar. I also added 25ml of glycerin as recommended by a colleague who has been brewing for quite a while. He said it would improve mouthfeel as the kits can sometimes get watery.

On 11th May 16 I brewed it up to 25 litres and used a plastic fermenter with a tap, but it has no airlock.

Temp ranged between 18 - 21°C.

The OG was 1042 and I have taken 3 other readings this week with the final one between 1008 and 1010.

I have some concerns however. Unfortunately, as I was taking a hydrometer reading 4 days ago the tap leaked, causing about a litre of liquid to flow over the floor so i had to stick my whole arm into the fermenter to tighten the nut! Thankfully, I had just prepared my childs bottle and had sterilised my hands using Milton, but im concerned i may have infected the batch. The beer seems to be very 'cloudy' almost as if some of the extract hasn't dissolved and it smells almost 'sharp'. I don't believe it is like vinegar but there is definitely some sharpness to it. It tastes OK, but sort of like day old beer left out overnight.

Also, I am wondering if it is ready now to be put into a keg/secondary or should I leave it for another week or 2?

I will try to post pics of latest hydro reading this morning and of the cloudy beer. Apologies for any spelling errors I'm just finished a night shift!

 

[Stillraining]

Was it cloudy before all this happened? It may be just fine only time will tell. You have two options.
1) bottle it up and drink it quick before it gets any worse if it is indeed infected...or
2) let it ride and see what happens. It may be just fine and clear and condition out normally. The good thing is there was Alcohol already made to deter infection. Its 50/50 or better your probably alright.

FWIW all my beers are cloudy until bottle conditioned a week or two so that's not a great indicator of anything.


Just Googled your Milton sanitizer...did you know it takes 15 min for that stuff to do its job?...Keep a squirt bottle of Star-san handy if ever this should happen again wet your arm with it and scrub up like a surgeon would wait 30 to 40 seconds...you should be fairly clean at that point. Finger nails aside.

 

[-Lenny-]

 

[-Lenny-]

Thanks for your quick reply. I have posted the 2 images above. Maybe I have been reading my hydrometer wrongly? I think it's around the 1008 mark?

 

[-Lenny-]

BTW yes it was cloudy before as well.

 

[Michigan_Wolfman]

I've never heard of adding glycerin to beer until now.

 

[Stillraining]

yep...that is pretty darn good attenuation....if it keeps dropping your probably infected. If not and remains steady your probably golden. Personally Id let it ride and condition as normal and keep my fingers crossed. My money says your OK.

 

[-Lenny-]

I just happened to be using the Milton for the wee girls bottle, it was the only thing I could think of quickly in the circumstances but will deffo get the starsan and squirter bottle for future!

Re the glycerin, I know - seemed strange to me too as I have since checked online and cant see it being used other than for wine? I just trusted this fellas advice but perhaps I should have left it out... (hope he's not reading this!)

Hopefully it is fine, just want to ask do you think I should keg it now or leave it another while? I have 3 corny kegs or a 2nd fermenter that could be used.

Thank you for your advice.

 

[-Lenny-]

Thanks Still raining, Apologies I had posted before seeing your response.

 

[boydster]

I have some concerns however. Unfortunately, as I was taking a hydrometer reading 4 days ago the tap leaked, causing about a litre of liquid to flow over the floor so i had to stick my whole arm into the fermenter to tighten the nut! Thankfully, I had just prepared my childs bottle and had sterilised my hands using Milton, but im concerned i may have infected the batch. The beer seems to be very 'cloudy' almost as if some of the extract hasn't dissolved and it smells almost 'sharp'. I don't believe it is like vinegar but there is definitely some sharpness to it. It tastes OK, but sort of like day old beer left out overnight.

Also, I am wondering if it is ready now to be put into a keg/secondary or should I leave it for another week or 2?

If it were my first brew, I'd be worried about it too. However, I think you'll be OK. Beer is a pretty tough environment for other bugs to get a foothold on, so the fact that it's already fermented out is a big plus.

The sharpness you are smelling could be from the CO2 hitting your nose, especially if you are opening your bucket lid to take a whiff. And right now, it's warm and flat - just like a "day old beer that has been left out overnight'

As far as what to do with it right now, I'd probably cold crash it and package it up. Or, just keg it and cold crash the keg. That will take care of the cloudiness you are seeing.

 

[-Lenny-]

Thank you for your reply. This is a really helpful place for 1st time brewers. Glad I signed up as it's put my mind at rest!