Fairly New Brewer from Long Beach, CA

[Grabthar]

Hey gang,

Wanted to say hi to everyone out there. I got started brewing with a 3 pack Mr. Beer kit I received as a gift, but have upgraded to a kit I bought from my LHBS, Stein Fillers. It's not a carboy kit, but the kind with two plastic buckets, one for fermenting and the other for bottling. I've brewed a couple Amber Ale LME kits with it, but am planning on buying a glass carboy for the next batch.

So far I've used hop bags in the boil kettle for bittering and flavoring and then after cooling the wort I pour it into the fermenter through a big SS strainer. Then I pour the boiled and cooled remaining water in to bring the level up to 5 gallons. Then I seal it and let it ferment. Does anybody see anything I'm doing with this process that might affect the beer in a bad way? Can pouring the wort through the strainer oxidize the beer? There's a weird off flavor in the background that I can't put my finger on. I don't know if it's a subtle astringency or what. After taking a sip I breath back through my nose and for some reason I think of rubber or plastic. The beer is totally drinkable, but I wish I could eliminate that flavor note. Maybe too much alkaline in the water?

Anyway, I love this site. Thanks!

 

[arturo7]

Hey Grabthar, welcome to HBT.

From your description, you seem to have the basics correct. Hard to say where the off flavor is coming from. How is your sanitation?

No problem with pouring the wort through the strainer. At this point you want to add oxygen for the yeasties.

 

[Grabthar]

Thanks Arturo. I think my sanitation is good but you never know if something slipped in unnoticed. I think I'll use Campden tablets next time just to be sure.

 

[Grabthar]

I mean to be sure that I get the water as pure as possible.

 

[arturo7]

What source are you using for the water?

 

[Grabthar]

Tap water. I have an under counter filter that's supposed to remove most of the turbidity and sediment and such but it doesn't clear out the chlorine and alkalinity and all that.

 

[arturo7]

Maybe try a batch with RO water to see what happens.

 

[BryceL]

A couple things. Your beer will not be oxidized if you use the strainer. You actually need to shake you wort in the fermentor for about 5 minutes to get as much oxygen back into the wort as possible. You can also buy aerators. The yeast needs lots of oxygen to do its job properly. Also, you should get a carbon filter to get the chlorine out of your water. Chlorine isn't good to have in there. Or like arturo said, you can try RO water.

 

[BeantownR6]

Hey gang,

Wanted to say hi to everyone out there. I got started brewing with a 3 pack Mr. Beer kit I received as a gift, but have upgraded to a kit I bought from my LHBS, Stein Fillers. It's not a carboy kit, but the kind with two plastic buckets, one for fermenting and the other for bottling. I've brewed a couple Amber Ale LME kits with it, but am planning on buying a glass carboy for the next batch.

So far I've used hop bags in the boil kettle for bittering and flavoring and then after cooling the wort I pour it into the fermenter through a big SS strainer. Then I pour the boiled and cooled remaining water in to bring the level up to 5 gallons. Then I seal it and let it ferment. Does anybody see anything I'm doing with this process that might affect the beer in a bad way? Can pouring the wort through the strainer oxidize the beer? There's a weird off flavor in the background that I can't put my finger on. I don't know if it's a subtle astringency or what. After taking a sip I breath back through my nose and for some reason I think of rubber or plastic. The beer is totally drinkable, but I wish I could eliminate that flavor note. Maybe too much alkaline in the water?

Anyway, I love this site. Thanks!

what are your fermenting temps? when i started using a refigerator with a temp controler made a huge difference. what are you using for a sanitizer, i would reccomend starsan.

ive alwasys used the water out of the spigot on my garage and just recently started adding campden tablets to get rid of the chloramine. i live up in redondo beach so we probably are getting the same water and my beer comes out very good. it also sounds like you are using top off water,are you boiling the entire batch? if not try to get a kettle big enough, around 8.5 gallons. your top off water has not been boiled (sanitized) and chloride not boiled off.

 

[Homebrewt]

Hey Grabthar

I think I can explain the flavor. It sounds like your fermentation temp may have been too high, or you may have had a substantial fluctuation in temps during primary. Do you know what temp you fermented?

EDIT: Also, I would suggest following beantownR6's advice in regards to your water treatment.

-Cheers

 

[Grabthar]

Thanks for all of the responses. I do a partial 3 gallon boil with the LME but then I boil the other 2 gallons in a separate pot that I let cool down and then mix them in the fermenter. I did shake the fermenter but maybe I didn't get enough aeration. I'll improve my technique on the next one.

 

[Grabthar]

Oh yeah, as for the fermenting temp, right now I don't have a fridge to put it in so it's just been sitting in the corner of my kitchen where the temp ranges from 65 to 75 throughout the day. Does that fluctuation affect taste? Have I been really boneheaded to let it sit in those conditions?

Sorry for the scattershot responses on my end. I'm working the E3 show in LA right now and I'm sending these out in between shots.

 

[Grabthar]

And I use starsan sanitizer.

 

[BryceL]

10 degrees is a pretty big fluctuation, especially early on in fermentation. If possible, try to find a spot where the temps are a bit more stable and make sure it is out of the sunlight. Maybe a dark closet or something? Personally 70 degrees is about as high as I like to go, but usually keep it between 64 and 68. Some guys on here set there fermenters in tubs of water and switch out frozen water bottles to keep the temps down. Sounds like you are careful about sanitation, so that's good.

 

[Grabthar]

Yeah I'm kind of neurotic about the sanitation part. I'll try to figure out a better place to store it.

 

[Kegcowboy]

Welcome- Looks like you have enough advice.

 

[Homebrewt]

10 degrees is a pretty big fluctuation, especially early on in fermentation. If possible, try to find a spot where the temps are a bit more stable and make sure it is out of the sunlight. Maybe a dark closet or something? Personally 70 degrees is about as high as I like to go, but usually keep it between 64 and 68. Some guys on here set there fermenters in tubs of water and switch out frozen water bottles to keep the temps down. Sounds like you are careful about sanitation, so that's good.

/concur

 

[BeantownR6]

Oh yeah, as for the fermenting temp, right now I don't have a fridge to put it in so it's just been sitting in the corner of my kitchen where the temp ranges from 65 to 75 throughout the day. Does that fluctuation affect taste? Have I been really boneheaded to let it sit in those conditions?

Sorry for the scattershot responses on my end. I'm working the E3 show in LA right now and I'm sending these out in between shots.

search on here for swamp cooler. as others have said frozen water bottles in a bucket of water, and then drape a towel over the fermentor and have it touch the water. set up a fan to blow on the towel / fermentor.

also when we are talking temps, we are talking about ferment temps. the ferment temp will be about 5-6 degrees warmer than ambient room temp. do you have one of those stick on thermometers on your fermentor?

 

[Grabthar]

I don't have a stick on thermometer but I'll definitely get one now that you mention it. Great idea.

 

[BeantownR6]

stein fillers has them for couple bucks. when you put them on the fermentor, make sure they won't be in the water if you do the swamp cooler.