Brown Ale Newby question...

[NWBlake]

Heya,
I've brewed 6 or 8 times, but not for 8+ years. After a recent trip to Belgium I was inspired to try again... So I picked up a nice kit to make the Rouge Hazelnut Brown Ale - - yum!

All seemed to go well with the yeast going gangbusters the first three days and blowing off a lot thru the tube (I used a glass carboy). After the third day I asked my girlfriend (it was over at her place...) to pull the air lock on, but she didn't put any water in it... I also was a bit worried because the room was in the low 60s...

So, it went about 36 hours with a small opening to the air and was a bit cool... I then replaced the air lock and warmed it up to 70+. It bubbled a bit but then stopped again. Last night - after 9 days - I bottled it.

But I also noticed that the brew was quite opaque...

A few questions:
1. Would this kind of brown ale tend to be more opaque and not clear?
2. Do you think the air exposure or cool temps caused problems? (It did seem to ferment aggressively for 3 days even though it was in the low/mid 60s)
3. Do you think my bottles might explode!?

Thansk in advance!
-Blake

 

[Pappers_]

1. Your beer might have benefited from more time, in either the primary or racking to a secondary or bright tank, to give it time to clear.

2. I wouldn't worry about the airlock - there was probably a layer of CO2 on top anyway. Cool temperatures - depends upon how cool and what yeast.

3. Can't say without knowing hydrometer readings.

Two thoughts:

Many folks here don't think of bottling or kegging until three or four weeks after they've brewed. Giving the beer more time (in either primary or secondary/bright tank) gives the yeast time to scrub off-flavors after the active fermentation is done.

Its good to take hydrometer readings, to see how fermentation is progressing and whether its completed.

Despite all of the above, I bet your beer will be just fine! This beer making stuff is pretty hard to mess up - Cheers!

 

[david_42]

Sounds like you had a nominal fermentation. The low 60s is good for almost all ale yeasts.
Letting it clear for 2-3 weeks would have been a good idea.

 

[NWBlake]

Thanks guys... guess I shoulda racked it to let it clear.
Q: you rack to get it away form the dead yeast cells that impart off flavors??

I'll let it bottle condition 3+ weeks and then try some and let you know.
Thanks again,
Blake