Dirty aftertaste

[Brewsmack]

Taste and experience... IMO/IME, leaving it in primary longer won't do any harm. I've had brews in primary for more than three months without issue. Moving too soon is the source of the majority of the issues for new brewers.

Thanks for all the great info. Gonna let this next batch sit another week or 2!

 

[Demus]

Learning 'yeast wrangling' will help you to get better and better beer in your glass. Not imposing a human time frame on the yeast is the first step. Giving them enough O2, nutrients, and time are also big steps along that path. Pitching the correct amount of yeast cells (or at least within 5-10% of where you should be) also seriously helps.

There's a metric ass-ton of posts/threads about all of these subjects already, so I won't go into them [much]. I will say that you can get O2 into the wort faster/easier with a pure O2 system. Starters will give you the cell count you need, with stirplates making the starters smaller and finish faster. :fro:

BTW, you might want to get the Yeast book. At $12.50 it's money well spent.

++++ on the "Yeast" book. Much of the info on fermentation in homebrew books is out dated or just incomplete. A book devoted to the most important ingredient in beer is definitely NOT overkill!!! Great read with lots of info that will lead to better tasting, more consistent beer...

 

[Golddiggie]

++++ on the "Yeast" book. Much of the info on fermentation in homebrew books is out dated or just incomplete. A book devoted to the most important ingredient in beer is definitely NOT overkill!!! Great read with lots of info that will lead to better tasting, more consistent beer...

IMO, it's a book any homebrewer that's serious about getting great beer into his glass/belly should have. I have it on the shelf with my few other brewing related books. It's probably made the greatest impact on my beers so far.

 

[barmyarmy]

That's not yeast or hops, it's shame. SHAME I TELL YOU!

 

[Brewsmack]

Gonna be a new addition to my stash very soon!

 

[Brewsmack]

As a follow on, I just re-read the thread and noticed it's only your 3rd batch. I brewed plenty of stinkers at that level!! Assuming good sanitation, the most important variable in fermentation is temperature. The temperature of the beer, not the air around it. During active fermentation, (1st few days when bubbling like crazy) your beer can be as much as 10 degrees higher than the air around it. Too warm can definitely lead to off flavors. Consult the yeast company for ideal temperature for strain. As the ferment slows, you have to raise the air temp so the beer doesn't cool. The best setup is an extra fridge with a temperature controller. Low tech solutions include moving it around to different locations in the house, ice water baths and blankets.
Another very important variable is aeration. Most new brewers and even some experienced ones just don't get enough oxygen into the wort before pitching the yeast. They shake the carboy for a few minutes and call it good. This results in all kinds of fermentation problems including off flavors and under attenuation (not getting down to final gravity). I read a study done by White labs that showed 5 minutes of the "shake and splash" resulted in less than half of the required dissolved oxygen yeast need to get a proper start for a good ferment. I use an oxygen tank and metal air stone to inject oxygen into the wort. The same type of stone and an aquarium pump works also, but you have to leave it on longer (at least 10 minutes vs 1 with O2). This is especially important if you are only pitching a vile or smack pack of yeast. This is "underpitching", or not pitching the recommended amount of yeast for a given gravity beer. Since oxygen is a key factor in yeast reproduction, you have a two-fold problem, not enough healthy yeast to ferment your beer properly.
I'm off on this rant to stress the fact that we make wort, it's the yeast that make the beer. A fairly boring, plain-jane recipe that has been properly fermented by happy, healthy yeast will very likely taste better than the most creative, delicious sounding recipe that was under-pitched, under-aerated and not temperature controlled.
All this said, your beer will very likely still improve if you let it age. I've been disappointed by many a first taste and it never ceases to amaze me how much a month or more cool in the bottle or keg improves a beer.

Welcome to the world's best hobby!!!!!

Any good threads or sites with instructions on the temp controlled fridges?

 

[Newgene]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/ebay-aquarium-temp-controller-build-163849/ (have fun reading)

Building the temp controller will set you back about $40, once you put it together (very straightforward). The chest type freezer can best be found on craigslist for $75 to $100 for a 7 cu. ft. These are pretty common and can hold two 5 gallon buckets. You can also convert it to a keezer, as well. You probably know a family member or coworker who is looking to sell one if you asked. We actually gave an almost new one away years ago before I got into this hobby.

 

[Demus]

Any good threads or sites with instructions on the temp controlled fridges?

Tons on this forum or even try a google search. Sorry I'm not too computer savvy or I'd post a link for ya. I do remember seeing one that showed a way to convert the existing thermostat in a chest freezer so it would set temperatures above freezing. I went the easy route and plugged mine into an analogue controller available on just about all the home brew sites. Just plug in to any fridge or freezer and you're ready to roll, couldn't be easier..

 

[Brewsmack]

Tons on this forum or even try a google search. Sorry I'm not too computer savvy or I'd post a link for ya. I do remember seeing one that showed a way to convert the existing thermostat in a chest freezer so it would set temperatures above freezing. I went the easy route and plugged mine into an analogue controller available on just about all the home brew sites. Just plug in to any fridge or freezer and you're ready to roll, couldn't be easier..

Awesome see one at morebeer.com under $50 didn't know they made those

 

[Brewsmack]

Remember there is some things that you have to have so previous notions: dyacetil is something that most homebrewers that I know can´t pick up in small doses, tannins on the other hand are easy (some dusty mouthfeel in your gums), just read read read and taste taste taste.

This is from another thread called palate training. After tasting the same dirty after taste in New Belgiums Black Ale I decided to do some more research. Thoughts on tannins?

 

[Brewsmack]

IMO, it's a book any homebrewer that's serious about getting great beer into his glass/belly should have. I have it on the shelf with my few other brewing related books. It's probably made the greatest impact on my beers so far.

Thanks for the great guidance. Got the yeast book this week and looking forward to getting some education.