Bad Batch ??

[Chooch]

I 'm a 100% sure I had a bad batch last night, but I thought I'd run it by some people on here to see if I was right..I made an IPA about a week ago..Had it in the basement for the first day to day and a half..It was getting pretty cold in the basement so I thought I'd move it upstairs to my back room..I think the change in temp really messed it up ..I took off the lid last night and the smell almost knocked me on my back..It was a strong smell and sort of burned my nose..I tasted a little bit and had to spit it out..Does that sound like it went bad due to the change in temps from moving it from the basement to the upstairs where the heat is on ? This is the fourth batch I've made, each new batch tastes a little better than the one before it. But it is the 1st time I moved it upstairs in the primary and out of the basement. I was sure this would have been a killer batch..Comments or advice is appreciated..Thanks

Here is what I used:


7lbs of Light DME
2oz of simcoe Hops
1oz of Columbus
.5 Cascade
1tsp irishmoss
Wyeast American Ale Yeast

The H20 was tap that sat out overnight..

 

[reim0027]

Hmm, I don't know the answer to that (whether the temperature change did anything), but someone around here I am sure can help you. My inclination is to wait it out, step back and let the yeast do it's job.

Tap water may have been a source of contamination. But if you boiled it before pitching the yeast, that should have sanitized the water.

 

[phidelt844]

Yea, how was this tap water sitting out overnight? Like in an open container, or a sealed bucket?

I don't think a temperature change would have that effect. How warm is the room upstairs?

I think reim is correct. Let it sit for another couple weeks before determining anything nasty is really going on.

 

[BarleyWater]

The smell that knocked you back was likely a bunch of CO2 that you inhaled, that stuff burns when you sniff it. And the taste, most likely just green beer. Leave it alone for at least another week then take a hydrometer reading to see if it's ready to bottle. DO NOT toss the batch until it has aged in the bottle for a few weeks, time completely changes beer.

 

[Revvy]

The smell that knocked you back was likely a bunch of CO2 that you inhaled, that stuff burns when you sniff it. And the taste, most likely just green beer. Leave it alone for at least another week then take a hydrometer reading to see if it's ready to bottle. DO NOT toss the batch until it has aged in the bottle for a few weeks, time completely changes beer.

Yep Barley's right CO2 can do that...someone on here nearly passed out from bending over and checking a carboy in a chest freezer...


Your beer is fine...just relax.

 

[ifishsum]

The burning in your nose would be CO2, which would be normal for a fermenting batch. I've never tasted a week old brew before, so I can't attest to that - but a simple temperature change would not cause any spoilage that I know of. It can stress the yeast and cause off flavors, but if it's been fermenting for a week I sort of doubt that is the problem.

By all means stay the course, let it sit in the fermenter for your usual time or maybe a week longer, and prime/bottle as normal and give it a chance. It's actually really hard to make a bad batch.

 

[homebrewflyfish]

I had a similar question about this before...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/what-does-good-primary-fermenter-smell-like-91376/

As everyone is saying a burning sensation could come from the CO2 layer on top of your beer laced with alcohol fumes. But, as I learned beer can also smell like $*** so no worries...although all of mine so far have just had a alcoholic smell.

As the others say, just wait it out, let it run it's course. Don't throw it away...

Unless you can be a lot more specific with the taste and aroma profile so that someone can help you better diagnose the problem. Was it super bitter? Taste like cardboard? Taste like pee? Taste like medicine? Taste like grass? You get the idea...

 

[Chooch]

Well unfortunately I was so po'd I did ditch the batch..I know now I should have waited it out, but this being the first time I have seen this, I swore it was gone so I dumped it..I see now that I may have over reacted, and thanks for the advice..Only been brewing for 3 1/2 months so I'm sure there will be a lot of things I haven't seen yet, but I know know patience is very important..An expensive lesson to learn, but a lesson none the less.

 

[HoppyDaze]

 

[Revvy]

Oh geez...uh read this, and the stories in there...and next time see a beer through til the finish.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/ne...virtue-time-heals-all-things-even-beer-73254/

A lot of good things sometimes happens if you leave stuff alone...

 

[Chooch]

Good story Revvy, and I guess I learned form this one..I was just pretty mad at the time, money..Basically blood, sweat, and tears I put into it..That when I got a wiff of that smell I was crushed..I'm going to try the recipe again in a week or so..And this time I'll leave it alone..No matter what it does..I have enough bottles that I can let it sit for weeks and not worry..

Quick question about the temp then..If I let it sit in my basement like the other batches, but now in Jan/Feb it's in the low 60s at worst, is it still good for the yeast or no ? I can take it back upstairs to my back room if I have to, but the house is probably in the mid 70s with heat on, and I didn't think that was good for it.

 

[HoppyDaze]

I believe mid 60s is good for IPA....great attitude; learning is the only thing that can make a positive out of a mistake.

 

[Chooch]

Well I made almost the same recipe on MLK day and I'm about to bottle this weekend..I kept it in the basement the whole time. The primary and 2ndary have been wrapped with 2 tshirts and 1 towel to keep the heat in as much as possible and the light out. I think/hope that this will be a pretty good batch. I'll keep you guys updated..Sticking with it is something very important to remember..It may have saved me a whole batch or $60.00 in supplies.