Dissapointed in Arrogant Bastard Clone ... thoughts on how I went wrong?

[jph2275]

Hello HBT,

2 week ago I brewed a Bavarian Hefeweizen and an Arrogant Bastard clone from Austin Homebrew supply. I allowed both to ferment at 65 degrees and kept in a dark area.

Saturday (the two week mark) I transferred both to kegs. The hefe is clearly lacking body/flat from no carbonation but it tastes great! I can tell it is on its way ... however ... The Arrogant on the other hand ...

Tastes sickly sweet! The beer is almost chalky/chocolate milk tasting and is just blah to me. Granted it has only been one day at 30 psi in keg, but yuck, so sweet! I also added an extra bag of brewvints alcohol booster in the last 10 minutes of boil. Both mini mash. Maybe that aided the sweetness ...

Will this straighten out and taste better? Did I mess up and not allow it to ferment long enough? So far .. I am very upset

Help!

Respectfully,

Pat

 

[narl79]

Did you use a hydrometer to see if it was done fermenting?

 

[jph2275]

Nope ...

As a rule of thumb, I always go 3 weeks and I am golden.

I was just in a rush this time ...

 

[ballsy]

I brewed it PM as well and let it go for full 4 wks. I was not enthused at final taste but def did not have sweetness as a factor. What yeast did you use? Did you add extracts late or early? OG and FG? People RAVE abiut that kit on their website...I was let down and might rebrew it to improve.

 

[jph2275]

I added the extracts at the 60 minute mark as recommended ...

I'm not sure what to think of this beer

 

[jph2275]

Very let down as well ... especially for the cost and effort

 

[ballsy]

I think u may have bottled too early or the yeast didnt do their job. What was your FG? Sweetness is a big flag to higher FG and more fermebtables left than should have been. How much yeast did you pitch?

 

[drainbamage]

Can you post the recipe?

 

[Travestian]

Can you post the recipe?

Technically the recipe he used belongs to Austin Homebrew Supply and the OP shouldn't repost it without permission. There are plenty of clone recipes for Arrogant Bastard out there that I'm sure AHS's recipe is quite similar.

 

[drainbamage]

Yeah, fair enough. Chalkiness sounds like something related to the yeast. Did you rack through a strainer bag or anything when you transferred?

 

[ballsy]

Technically the recipe he used belongs to Austin Homebrew Supply and the OP shouldn't repost it without permission. There are plenty of clone recipes for Arrogant Bastard out there that I'm sure AHS's recipe is quite similar.

Most of AHBS's recipe kits state what comes with them on their website...NB's website even has their ingredient/ instructions readily accesible....is it really so protected that someone needs permission to post what is readily accessible to the common public?

 

[dgr]

Funny that Arrogant Bastard is copyrighted and not by AHB. I would imagine everyone would be up in arms if the breweries started telling the HBS that they couldn't use their copyrighted names.

Here are the fermentables:
Extract: 10 lb Liquid Malt Extract, 1.5 lb Specialty Grains
Mini Mash: 8 lb Liquid Malt Extract, 2.5 lb Base Grains, 1.5 lb Specialty Grains
All Grain: 13 lb Base Grains, 1.5 lb Specialty Grains
So 7.5 to 8.5%?

I think I'd pour a glass and take an SG reading. Can't hurt.

Did you make a starter or double pitch like they suggest?

 

[duboman]

If its overly sweet it either didn't ferment completed or in adding the booster you didn't add more hops to balance out the additional malt.

Since AHS is known for good quality proven kits it must have been something in your process. It sounds like maybe you had a stuck fermentation from under pitching and poor aeration perhaps?

You didn't take an FG so it's hard to say really....

 

[jph2275]

Yeah, fair enough. Chalkiness sounds like something related to the yeast. Did you rack through a strainer bag or anything when you transferred?

No strainer bag or anything .... Just a good old siphon and hose.

 

[jph2275]

Funny that Arrogant Bastard is copyrighted and not by AHB. I would imagine everyone would be up in arms if the breweries started telling the HBS that they couldn't use their copyrighted names.

Here are the fermentables:
Extract: 10 lb Liquid Malt Extract, 1.5 lb Specialty Grains
Mini Mash: 8 lb Liquid Malt Extract, 2.5 lb Base Grains, 1.5 lb Specialty Grains
All Grain: 13 lb Base Grains, 1.5 lb Specialty Grains
So 7.5 to 8.5%?

I think I'd pour a glass and take an SG reading. Can't hurt.

Did you make a starter or double pitch like they suggest?

I did not make a starter, I have never done that before ... Need to learn.

I did double pitch the California ale yeast from white labs. Took off like a rocket in 12 hours. Active fermentation the whole two weeks, was even bubbling/had airlock activity when I went to siphon it out.

 

[jph2275]

If its overly sweet it either didn't ferment completed or in adding the booster you didn't add more hops to balance out the additional malt.

Since AHS is known for good quality proven kits it must have been something in your process. It sounds like maybe you had a stuck fermentation from under pitching and poor aeration perhaps?

You didn't take an FG so it's hard to say really....

Maybe so. I tend to think I just didn't let it ferment long enough

I have had AHBS kits ever since I started. This is the only one I've flubbed up

 

[drainbamage]

No strainer bag or anything .... Just a good old siphon and hose.

Ok, maybe too much trub came along in the siphon. Does it appear cloudy?

 

[jph2275]

Here is a picture of the brewvint booster ... Says its not supposed to alter taste or anything

 

[jph2275]

Ok, maybe too much trub came along in the siphon. Does it appear cloudy?

I don't think I got too much trub .... Maybe a little? Not more than I've ever had in any other beer.

Ill go pour a sample and post a picture right now.

 

[ballsy]

Ive used it in a batch...def not going to cause over sweetness IF you let it ferment out.

 

[jph2275]

Ok, maybe too much trub came along in the siphon. Does it appear cloudy?

But yes ... Cloudy/murky

 

[jph2275]

Sweet Arrogant bastard, the breakfast of champions!

Or alcoholics lol

Either way, here it is. It is admittedly a little less sweet today (kegged on Saturday at noon ish).

 

[jph2275]

So ... What is my strategy to get this keg back on track per se?

Should I pull it out, leave it at room temp pressurized, and hope for the best?

Re pitch yeast?

Thoughts?

 

[SIXFOOTER]

Room temp may be a little high depending on what you call room temp. From your posts it seems pretty sure that you pulled it to early. I would leave it pressurized at 65 for another 2 weeks and let it finish.

 

[jph2275]

Room temp may be a little high depending on what you call room temp. From your posts it seems pretty sure that you pulled it to early. I would leave it pressurized at 65 for another 2 weeks and let it finish.

Is there enough yeast left in the keg to "finish the job?"

 

[jph2275]

I think u may have bottled too early or the yeast didnt do their job. What was your FG? Sweetness is a big flag to higher FG and more fermebtables left than should have been. How much yeast did you pitch?

It is/was the California ale yeast from white labs ... Double pitched

 

[jph2275]

Bump for help

 

[dgr]

... Active fermentation the whole two weeks, was even bubbling/had airlock activity when I went to siphon it out.

Maybe so. I tend to think I just didn't let it ferment long enough

I tend to agree with you if it still had bubbling/airlock activity when you kegged it, it was not finished.

So ... What is my strategy to get this keg back on track per se?

Should I pull it out, leave it at room temp pressurized, and hope for the best?

Re pitch yeast?

Thoughts?

Is there enough yeast left in the keg to "finish the job?"

Do you have a keg lid you can unscrew the PRV from and put in an airlock? I would pull it out of the cooler and let it ferment. I'd also flatten some of it and take an SG reading to see if it needs to ferment more. Maybe you totally blew your mini-mash and are stuck with residual sugar Being that you said it's cloudy and was bubbling when you siphoned it, I would suspect there is enough yeast left. You might lay the sealed keg on it's side and gently roll it a little to get any settled yeast back in suspension.

 

[jph2275]

I've started a new thread, but that is great advice. It is similar to my #1 option in my new thread thanks for the idea ...