Did I mess up?

[Spyderturbo]

This is my first time brewing, so please bear with me if I use the wrong terms.

Here was my recipe:

Brewer's Best Full-Bodied Weizenbier

6.6lbs Plain Wheat Malt Extract
1.0oz Hallertau Hops (Bittering)
1/2 oz Hallertau Hops (Finishing)
1 each Beer Yeast (That's all it says)

I started the batch on 6/4 at around 6pm and allowed it to sit until today. The directions said that the fermentation would be complete in 3 - 7 days. Yesterday there was very little activity from the bubbler so I decided to wait. When I came home from work today there was no activity. I sat and watched the bubbler for about 6 or 7 minutes and nothing happened. So I decided to rack to the secondary.

I neglected to check the FG before I racked, but I was half way through before I remembered, so there was no way to stop. The OG was 1.050 and the FG was 1.018. The recipe says that the FG should be 1.010 - 1.014 so mine was high, which I guess indicates that the fermentation wasn't complete.

My observations:

1. The beer is very dark for a wheat beer (See pictures)
2. As soon as I finished racking and attached the bubbler, the damn thing started showing activity!!

I saw that a lot of people taste their beer when racking, so I decided to do the same. Well, let's just say that it doesn't taste like any beer I've ever had. I was funny tasting, but I really can't explain it. I had heard that it is possible for it to come out tasting like vinegar, but that's not it. Oddly enough, I actually tasted a little vinegar to be sure. It seems kind of tart and did activate the my frontal taste buds like the vinegar, but I don't think that's the flavor. Sorry, it's just hard to explain, but it smelled like beer.

Did I mess something up?????

Also, what do I do now? How long should it sit in the secondary before I bottle, if it's even worth bottling. I was considering starting my second batch tonight, but I think I'll wait until I get some replies. I don't want to waste $40 worth of ingrediants. LOL

Thanks!!!!

 

[AaronA]

The activity you're seeing now is normal. It's just the co2 coming out of the beer due to the transfer disturbance. As far as the darkness, it may lighten up as well after the yeast, proteins, and other compounds settle out. And as they say, relax don't worry have a home brew....or a nice craft brew!

--Aaron

 

[cweston]

RDWHAHB.

Everything is fine.

As far as the color, pale colored beers from liquid malt extract are very elusive, especially LME from a can, as I suspect your was. It will look a lot lighter in the glass than it does in the carboy, though.

 

[david_42]

Green beer tastes strange. One of the learning curves in homebrewing it to get past the strange part. Make notes & compare the flavor in six weeks.

 

[starnski]

if everything was sanitary it will be fine.