Cloudy while checking final gravity

[zerolgk]

Hi! First post/noob question here:

So, I got a kit for christmas, etc/blah, blah... True brew Amber Ale...blah/etc...
Anyway, it's been in the primary for about 12 days now, bubbling stopped about 4/5 days in. Today I took a sample to check for final gravity, and I think it's pretty close to where it should be(1.012.) I poured the sample into a glass and noticed it was fairly cloudy, and had an off taste to it. The plan now is to take another sample on day 14, and go from there.

My question is this: would racking to a secondary be helpful to clear the beer before bottling? Or is a secondary really just not beneficial here?

Thanks!

Update: I failed to RTFS prior to posting. The answer there was that while not strictly necessary, it is recommended. Aging in a secondary will improve clarity and help to remove off flavors.

Thanks agai, and Mods, feel free to close this.

 

[planetscott]

What sort of off flavor? Which style is this kit? Some cloudiness is acceptable. especially while still in the primary.

 

[Potamus]

Let it go for another few weeks in the primary - no need to secondary an amber. Time will improve the flavor and clarity.

 

[zerolgk]

It's a True Brew Amber Ale extract recipe. I'm not sure how I would describe the off flavor... It was hoppy, but a little acrid...

 

[kh54s10]

You should wait until it clears. Kits come with instructions that give a very short time frame. (they want you to buy another kit). It is pretty common to leave the beer in primary for three weeks or longer. It should clear by then.

I find that the beer will often taste off (especially so early) until fully carbonated. For me that is 2-3 weeks in primary in the mid 60's F. Then 3 weeks bottle conditioning at about 70 degrees and a couple of days in the fridge.

 

[zerolgk]

Right now the plan is to check the final gravity again on Sunday(a full two weeks in the primary,) and as long as it's the same reading that i got today, I'll rack it into a carboy and let it sit in there for another week or two before bottling. I read that after about 14 days or so, the trub in the primary can start to break down and affect the flavor of the beer.

 

[Potamus]

Zerolgk, you're going to awaken the autolysis controversy. ... Many of us leave beers in the primary for a month or more with no problems. I almost never touch a beer before four weeks. But as long as you sanitize carefully, racking shouldn't hurt anything.

 

[kh54s10]

Right now the plan is to check the final gravity again on Sunday(a full two weeks in the primary,) and as long as it's the same reading that i got today, I'll rack it into a carboy and let it sit in there for another week or two before bottling. I read that after about 14 days or so, the trub in the primary can start to break down and affect the flavor of the beer.

This is obsolete information. Leaving the beer on the trub does not affect the flavor of the beer in a homebrew environment unless it is for a very long time. (6 months or more)

I would guess that more than half of all homebrewers rarely use a secondary unless making additions or batch conditioning for a very long time.

I have done only one secondary (2+ months aging) in the last 2 years. 45+ brews.

 

[BanginBanjo]

You could honestly just leave it in primary for 2-3 weeks and then bottle it from there. Racking to a secondary carboy isn't necessary.

Don't worry about the cloudiness or some off flavors, that's normal for a beer this young.

 

[Norwaybrewer]

My beers usually does not clear until they have been in the fridge for a week plus. Dont worry!

 

[planetscott]

It's a True Brew Amber Ale extract recipe. I'm not sure how I would describe the off flavor... It was hoppy, but a little acrid...

Acrid can also be sour/tart. Acrid usually is an off flavor associated with over roasty stouts.

As others have said, it should clear out over time. Try cold crashing and using gelatin or Biofine. Next time, use finings in the boil to help with this. Most of all, keep brewing.

 

[CaptainArgo]

I just bottled my first beer about a week ago, and I thought it looked quite cloudy and a paler color than I had expected, which was a bit disappointing. I had one that went into a clear bottle and I have been checking on it, and after just sitting and carbonating for a little while it has become noticeably clearer and darker. You might just be tasting / seeing yeast that will eventually settle out. I wouldn't worry overmuch.