Beginner Fermentation Questions

[VaNewbieWRB]

So far i've made two batches of beer since I started brewing. One was 1 gallon all grain Belgian Ale recipe. It fermented really well for about 3 days then stopped. I left it in the primary for two weeks, then transferred it to a secondary fermenter for two weeks. Bottled and let it sit for two weeks. It was really bad. Did I leave it in fermentation too long? Is there a set formula for secondary fermentation? Also the room where I store my fermenters is a constant 68 degrees. Is this too cold for ales? Thanks for all your help.

 

[m00ps]

Your fermentation regimen seems spot on for most ales. Belgians yeasts tend to like higher temps (some up to 80) but fermenting it lower certainly wouldnt produce bad flavors. I think something else is the issue...I only ferment 2-3 weeks with no secondary for 99% of my ales, but thats just me. Maybe it caught an infection in the transfer to secondary

Whats the recipe? and the OG/FG?

 

[flars]

Can you describe the taste? What yeast did you use?

 

[LLBeanJ]

Can you describe the taste? What yeast did you use?

+1

Doesn't sound like fermentation time was a problem. Ferm temps, perhaps.

Describe "bad."

 

[VaNewbieWRB]

When I say bad...I mean it tasted somewhat chemically. If that makes sense. The recipe was a Mallard Malts one gallon recipe. I dont recall the exact grain/hops combination. I followed the instructions to a tee. The OG reading was 1.049. I didnt take a FG. The yeast was the SAF yeast provided with the kit.

 

[Conan]

Which SafAle? If it was t-58 that could be part of your problem....I'm not a fan of that yeast. I wouldn't say it has chemically off flavors but it is pretty high in esters or phenols.
Does it have a nail polish remover taste? That's yeast stress producing lower alcohols. Your fermentation regime doesn't look like it would stress the yeast that badly though. Any way you can more thoroughly describe the flavor will help. Kyle

 

[JimRausch]

Also, what type of water did you use? Untreated tap? Treated tap? Bottled? Distilled? RO? A 'chemical taste' makes me think of chlorine/chloramine untreated water.