beaten down and frustrated

[wab1022]

hey just curious how many batches people have had to dump when first starting to brew. i had to dump my first batch, it tasted awful, undrinkable, it was a prehopped extract kit, my second brew which is in the secondary right now, is an oatmeal stout, it has a muddy color and has a lot of sediment in it, after a week of fermenting in the primary, OG was 163 FG was 133 out of the primary, i tasted it and it had an off taste, i am going to let it sit in the secondary for 2 weeks and taste it again to see if it gets better, if not i am going to dump it before i was the time and effort of bottling something that i am just going to dump.

i am really angry and frustrated i really want to get just one good product, so i bought a brewers best weisen beer extract kit because i read that it was really easy and tasted pretty good. if that one doesn't turn out i dont know if i will be able to keep going

 

[SeeAliceBrewery]

What was your first brew....the reason I ask is simple. Many beers take time to develop the flavors. Some brews that do not taste so good initially will be a completley different beer week after week....the flavors will meld and change over time. Sorry to be the informant...but you may have tossed an awesome beer! Your stout will fall into this category...it will take time for the flavor to fully develop. Without knowing all your kits and techniques it would be hard to diagnose...but the one thing I see is you need more patience. Dont beat yourself up over this...just give it time. I have had brews that tasted like camel pee (I am only using this as an analogy as I have not actually drank camel pee)...then after just two weeks that beer turned out totally different and awesome!

 

[wab1022]

my first beer was a muntons connoisseur wheat beer and i let it sit for about 2 months before i tried one on the bottles, i am going to let the oatmeal stout sit in the secondary for about 3 weeks try it and bottle, i did have a problem with the oatmeal stout while trying to brew, i could achieve a boil after steeping the specialty grains it took a really long time on my electric stove (like 3 hours), i am buying a propane set up for the next batch

 

[sumbrewindude]

It's easy to get frustrated when starting out - it's a lot of time invested and some upfront money to hopefully see a good product 5 weeks away.

I've never used the pre-hopped extracts. In all honesty, I've never used any extracts - I started out with all grain (and you want to talk about frustrating and a learning curve! LOL). Give the choice of using a hopped vs unhopped extract I'd go UNHOPPED every time. That lets me decide what I want to do for hops, and not worry about what the manufacturer did for me.

If I could recommend something, I'd say start out with a simple American Pale Ale instead of something dark or complex with crazy hop additions. It's great to have those aspirations out of the gate, but why make your first couple batches an exercise in frustration? Brewing is supposed to be fun! Even with my first AG disaster, I did a SMASH (one grain, one hop) and it really helped. You can get simple kits from most online sellers, or make your own by looking at their recipes.

You can make a simple pale ale with a couple can's of LME and a couple bags of hops. Heat the water, add a can, put in the hops at 60/20/5/FO, add your top off water and be done. Pitch with a stable dry yeast (Fermentis US05) 2-3 weeks later you'll have a solid starter beer you can enjoy while you're planning on moving to the next.

Last thing, remember the beer's only as good as the water you're putting in. If you're using city tap water, try grabbing a couple gallons of spring water from the grocery store/wherever. If you're not filtering or treating your tap water it can have an effect on your final product - especially if you've got chloromine in it!

Keep it simple. Have fun! All else fails, go buy a six-pack and regroup!

 

[SeeAliceBrewery]

What I would do in the case of your first brew is google the kit...see what issues others have had with that particular kit. I would even start a thread here to see if anyone else has brewed that kit and see what kind of feedback you can get on what could have went wrong. It all comes down to sanitation and technique...I have not made that particular kit so in regards to that I cannot help.

Do you keep notes on ferm temps...and what you are doing with each beer? If not...I highly suggest it...it helps quite often in identifying problems. What was your ferm temps and time in primary and secondary on your first kit?

 

[jflongo]

You will be happy going to propane, vs fighting with an electric stove. Also, are you just dumping the whole pot, into your fermenter? If so, you could try dumping it into a strainer over the ferment, and strain it more. I have made a couple of beers, that didn't taste very well after a few weeks to a month. Then a couple of months later they were fantastic. When I first started brewing, I was always impatient, didn't ferment long enough, bottled too soon, and tasted too soon.

 

[Setesh]

I had to dump a lot of batches when I first started brewing. The first batch I made was a coopers ale kit....it tasted like apple cider when I was finished with it

What I suggest is obtaining more knowledge. Knowledge will help you understand the process, and why you get the results you do. I highly suggest HowTo Brew by John Palmer. It is a very very good book and an excellent read that you will enjoy going through if you are interested in the hobby, which it sounds like you are. After going through the book you will have an entirely new and educated outlook. You will also enjoy yourself a lot more. The instructions that you find in those kits can be greatly oversimplified. They do this to try and keep new brewers from being overwhelmed, but the result can be an underwhelming product. Here are the most important things for brewing a quality beer, in order from most important to least important:

Cleaning - Get it spotless, then you can sanitize it.
Sanitation - You can't sanitize what isn't clean. These two steps keep your beer from spoiling due to unwanted nasties
Fermentation temperature control - This is the single largest factor in the quality of the beer produced. Cover this base before you spend your money on fancy bits of equipment. It will yield the best results per dollar
Full wort boil - Topping up isn't the end of the world, but a full wort boil will produce a markedly better product.
Pitch Rate\Yeast health - Rehydrate your yeast, and pitch the proper amount.
Ingredient quality - Don't use old extract or stale hops.
Patience - Let it finish fermenting, let the yeast clean up after themselves. Dont rush to get the beer off the yeast, it's fine and will actually improve the beer for up to 4 weeks if left alone

Also, don't transfer to secondary. It isn't needed with most styles. It is an extra step that you don't need to do and you risk damaging your beer if you do it.

 

[Homercidal]

First of all, don't give up. There are lots of pitfalls that can cause a problem with your beer, but they are generally VERY easy to fix.

The first thing I'd look at is your water. If you have ANY concern about Chlorine or chloramines in your water supply, buy some RO water from the store and try with that. It's not expensive.

Make sure you are fermenting at the proper temperature. Most ale yeast like 62-65 degrees. And that's not the ambient temperature, that the fermentation temperature. The fermentation process creates it's own heat, so to make sure it's down in the 62-65 degree range, you may need an ambient of around 58. Yeast can raise the temp in a fermentor by 5 degree or maybe more. This depends on the yeast. Some like it cooler (lager yeast) and some like it hotter (or at least don't throw so many off flavors at 70-75) such as Saison, which is often fermented at 80+

Also, you really need to get a burner that will do a good job of getting a rolling boil going.

Pitch 1-2 packets of yeast, depending on the original gravity of the beer you are making. And if this is a plain boxed kit, you might want to try a kit from an online retailer, like Austin Homebrew, Northern Brewer, Midwest Supplies, Morebeer!, etc. They are potentially fresher and often come with good instructions.

Most of all, read up all you can on beginning brewing.

 

[Macdonald87]

Dont get to down I made a stout, first it got stuck on fermentation, secondly it tasted horrible when i bottled metalic and green tasting. So I took everyones advice and left them in the bottles ended up burying them in the closet and brewed an IPA which I could drink sooner ( which was exceptional by the way) and 10 months later realized I had the stout, it was FABULOUS! Some things just take time only downside of the hobby ! Cheers

 

[Scratch]

Did you dump that first batch right out of the fermenter? Never judge a brew before it's been in the bottle for a while. Every one of my favorite batches tasted awful while I was bottling them, then tasted great after a few weeks of bottle conditioning.

 

[jrgtr42]

I've never actually dumped a batch.
I've had a couple come out not as good as I wanted - I used them for cooking, especially in the water pan of my smoker.
I suppose it's that I didn't have a lot of expectations going in, plus since when I was in the pre-brew learning stage everyone I talked to said the most important things were sanitation, sanitation and sanitation, I developed a habit of bring pretty anal about my procedures and cleanliness.
IN any case, I wouldn't dump one straight from the fermenter - I would at least bottle some of it to see what happens when I let the process run through.
Also, samples out of the kettle, fermenter or bottling bucket rarely taste anything like the finished product does.

 

[YellowRiver]

I'm new to brewing. On my fourth batch tomorrow. All have been extract with specialty grains, full boil.

Many people say to have patience but even commercial brewers taste the progress. Taste the malted barley, smell the hops, taste the wort.

More importantly, find a good home brew supply store. A brick and mortar if possible. The bigger online sources are great, even just for research.

Next, the paid help at home brew stores or small brewpubs, especially the male ones, are a great source of info.

Most of all, if it's not fun then just go back to drinking beer. That's easy, cost about same just as fun, maybe.



Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[freisste]

I generally agree with everything that was suggested, so I won't reinvent the wheel repeating what was already said.

I would suggest looking for a homebrew club in your area. Kind of depends on your location, as there may not be one close. If there is, join and see if someone would let you watch their process. You may be making a simple mistake (simple enough that you don't think to mention it) that is reducing your beer quality.

 

[flars]

hey just curious how many batches people have had to dump when first starting to brew. i had to dump my first batch, it tasted awful, undrinkable, it was a prehopped extract kit, my second brew which is in the secondary right now, is an oatmeal stout, it has a muddy color and has a lot of sediment in it, after a week of fermenting in the primary, OG was 163 FG was 133 out of the primary, i tasted it and it had an off taste, i am going to let it sit in the secondary for 2 weeks and taste it again to see if it gets better, if not i am going to dump it before i was the time and effort of bottling something that i am just going to dump.

i am really angry and frustrated i really want to get just one good product, so i bought a brewers best weisen beer extract kit because i read that it was really easy and tasted pretty good. if that one doesn't turn out i dont know if i will be able to keep going

Come back before you start your next brew. We can help.

Can you list the equipment you are using for brewing and sanitizing.

 

[Scratch]

...Many people say to have patience but even commercial brewers taste the progress. Taste the malted barley, smell the hops, taste the wort.

I guess the problem is if someone expects it to taste like the finished product (I'm sure the commercial brewer doesn't.)

 

[dlester]

Oh, man. You are such a noob (I say that in jest). I remember making that mistake of throwing it out in frustration. It's true that it takes time. Brewing beer creates a lot of stress not knowing what to do. That's why you have this forum. Next time come back and ask questions. There are a lot of good brewers on this site that have many years of experience. If there is a club near you, call them up and ask if someone can come help you brew. Sometimes the homebrew shop can direct you to the right person. There's always someone that is over zealous that would love to show you some steps.

Your going to get a lot of advice, Here's mine: "Never throw out a beer" unless there is absolute evidence that it is contaminated. If after the recommended time to hold in a bottle or keg it still tastes bad, seek advice.


Cheers,

 

[te-wa]

start buying your beer kits from boomchugalug.com

 

[BrewerBaj]

I have never made a bad batch. I am perfect. The no mistake brewer. ; )


Relax, have a homebrew. Remember it's just beer and mistakes come with the territory. Exploring is part of the fun. No brew is the same and each brings it's own challenges, mistakes, joy, and excitement. Don't give up!


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

 

[b-boy]

I generally screw up some part of the process almost every time I brew. I almost gave up a few times.

Try focusing on one aspect of brewing each batch and see how it improves you final product. trying to fix everything you're doing wrong can be overwhelming. Start with yeast (maybe try a starter). Next look at controlling your fermentation temperatures. Next look at getting more O2 into your wort. Next look at your water and see if you can make it better.

I've been brewing for about 3.5 years now and I still try to research and improve one part of my process every time I brew. Think of brewing as a marathon, not a sprint. If you constantly improve your process, you'll constantly improve your beer..

 

[shortyz]

i find new brewers are to keen to try really complicated brews. just brew something simple that people will like, dont jump into brewing a god dam belgian tripel. Take it slow and learn how not to bugger up good ingredients. then move on to more complex brews.

ive brewed lots and i still brew a simple honey brown every 3rd brew becuase i know its a solid simple beer people enjoy.

 

[wab1022]

i did not dump the first batch right out the the fermentor i bottled it and left it in bottles for a month before i tried it again, and it was awful. the beer i have in the fermenter right now is a brewers best oatmeal stout. i used bottled spring water, steeped the grains for an hour and then added lme and dme, i tried to get my 5 gallon pot to a boil on my electric stove, which was impossible, took like 4 hours, finally i put the pot in the middle of two burners on high and got it to a roiling boil at 212 deg. i put the hops that came with it in, and boiled for an hour, put it in an ice bath to get temp down to 70, then added water to take it up to 5 gallons, sat it primary for 1 week, fg was at 131, og was 163, siphoned into secondary, tasted it tastes off, looks like really muddy water, i am going to leave it in the carboy for about a month and then try it again before bottling, i am going to back to basics with the kit i just bought, brewers best weisen beer hopefully will the propane burner i can control temps better.

hopefully with time the oatmeal stout will get better after i bottle, i will not throw it out

my equiptment is as follows:

5 gallon bucket
5 gallon bottling bucket with spigot
6 gallon carboy
5 gallon stainless steel pot
pbw and starsan for cleaning and sanatizing
i have an electronic thermometer and a regular thermometer
hydrometer
auto siphon and tubing

should be everything i need for extract kits

 

[judsonp]

Your oatmeal stout isn't even done yet. Don't read too much into its flavor or appearance.

 

[Teromous]

sat it primary for 1 week, fg was at 131, og was 163, siphoned into secondary, tasted it tastes off, looks like really muddy water

Don't ever judge an unfinished beer. The hop flavors don't taste the same, the sweetness is off, and the yeast are still busily scurrying around cleaning it up. They do more than just eat sugar, you know. It sounds like you should have not racked it off into a secondary, and instead just left it in the primary for the yeast to finish their job. It takes patience. Most of my beers take at least two weeks before the beer attenuates out, and even then I usually leave it in for another week or so to get rid of those last few points. If you are dumping beer into a secondary too fast you just slow down that attenuation because you're relying on whatever yeast are suspended to do the rest of the work. That entire yeast cake that they worked so hard to develop is now gone.

I'm not sure what the muddy water comment is about. You made an oatmeal stout, right? First, beer never looks the same inside a bucket or carboy as it does in the glass. Second, your beer isn't finished so it will have higher turbidity. Once things start to drop out, it will clear. Third...oatmeal stout.

 

[flars]

i did not dump the first batch right out the the fermentor i bottled it and left it in bottles for a month before i tried it again, and it was awful. the beer i have in the fermenter right now is a brewers best oatmeal stout. i used bottled spring water, steeped the grains for an hour and then added lme and dme,
i tried to get my 5 gallon pot to a boil on my electric stove, which was impossible, took like 4 hours, finally i put the pot in the middle of two burners on high and got it to a roiling boil at 212 deg.

For your next brew try a partial boil. I do my kits this way all of the time on the kitchen stove. I start with 2.5 gallons of water. This will lower the hop utilization, but I don't think it will be noticeable.
i put the hops that came with it in, and boiled for an hour, put it in an ice bath to get temp down to 70

A partial boil will allow chilling the wort to take less time.

, then added water to take it up to 5 gallons, sat it primary for 1 week

I would recommend at least two to three weeks in the primary. I typically go three weeks. Sediment drops out to clear the beer and a nice compact cake is formed. I primary in 6 gallon glass carboys. I don't use a secondary unless I'm dry hopping or aging for over two months. The extra time in the primary lets the yeast clean up the natural off flavors of the fermentation process.

, fg was at 131, og was 163

Could you clarify your hydrometer readings. I usually write mine as FG 1.013 and OG 1.063. Was your FG 1.031 and OG 1.063?
If FG was 1.031 the pitch rate may have been part of the off flavors. An OG of 1.063 may have needed two 11 gram packs of yeast.

, siphoned into secondary, tasted it tastes off, looks like really muddy water, i am going to leave it in the carboy for about a month and then try it again before bottling, i am going to back to basics with the kit i just bought, brewers best weisen beer hopefully will the propane burner i can control temps better.

hopefully with time the oatmeal stout will get better after i bottle, i will not throw it out

my equiptment is as follows:

5 gallon bucket
5 gallon bottling bucket with spigot
6 gallon carboy
5 gallon stainless steel pot
pbw and starsan for cleaning and sanatizing
i have an electronic thermometer and a regular thermometer
hydrometer
auto siphon and tubing

should be everything i need for extract kits

I hope we have been helpful.

 

[bbohanon]

First of all, don't give up. There are lots of pitfalls that can cause a problem with your beer, but they are generally VERY easy to fix.

The first thing I'd look at is your water. If you have ANY concern about Chlorine or chloramines in your water supply, buy some RO water from the store and try with that. It's not expensive.

Make sure you are fermenting at the proper temperature. Most ale yeast like 62-65 degrees. And that's not the ambient temperature, that the fermentation temperature. The fermentation process creates it's own heat, so to make sure it's down in the 62-65 degree range, you may need an ambient of around 58. Yeast can raise the temp in a fermentor by 5 degree or maybe more. This depends on the yeast. Some like it cooler (lager yeast) and some like it hotter (or at least don't throw so many off flavors at 70-75) such as Saison, which is often fermented at 80+

Also, you really need to get a burner that will do a good job of getting a rolling boil going.

Pitch 1-2 packets of yeast, depending on the original gravity of the beer you are making. And if this is a plain boxed kit, you might want to try a kit from an online retailer, like Austin Homebrew, Northern Brewer, Midwest Supplies, Morebeer!, etc. They are potentially fresher and often come with good instructions.

Most of all, read up all you can on beginning brewing.

+10000 on this advice top to bottom.

 

[purplerat]

I'm a beginning home brewer myself and I would highly advise listening to these guys saying to be patient and wait on the beer rather than dumping. I've drank through my first two batches already and each got significantly better with time and that was barely more than the minimum recommended bottle conditioning times for each.

Secondly I too have a Brewers Best Oatmeal stout in the fermentor at the moment and mine seems to have stalled as well (@1.034 from OG 1.074). I started a thread about it and was informed that there have been a few others about the same kit having the same problems so it seems like it might be something with the kit and not necessarily something you or I did wrong. 9 days in and I've tried to stir the yeast for a week with no success so I'm thinking of repitching some yeast. Either way even if it doesn't get too much lower I'll still bottle it in a week or two and let it condition for a few more. I also noticed that really off putting mud color when I took a sample of a gravity reading but after letting the sample sit in the test tube for a few days at about 55f the color cleaned up quite a bit and looks like beer now.