Finally opened the lid on my first batch and took a picture

[flars]

Hey Guys, be cool. I sanitized with bleach for over 10 years with no problems. You just need to learn how to handle the products you will use in brewing.

 

[IslandLizard]

On a separate topic, that looks like the BSG Oktoberfest kit to me. I received it as a gift, brewed it without any infections and with two different yeasts (split batch), and it still tasted gross to me.

If that batch is bad, dump it and don't feel too sad about it. Grab a hoppy kit next time and find someone in your area that brews. Ask if you can come over to brew at their place and let them talk you through how they do things. Watching someone else do it is 100x better than trying to learn from reading alone.

-B

Oktoberfest is a lager and needs be fermented at lager temps with lager yeast, then lagered for 4-8 weeks near 32°F...

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

Interference, right about now you're probably feeling a little (or a lot) overwhelmed and a bit brain-fried. Take a break and think of anything besides brewing. Then get a fresh start.

If it's in your budget, get a Better Bottle or Big Mouth Bubbler plastic carboy. They are totally see-thru and no lid needed. Just an airlock. Fill it with hot water and about a scoop of Oxyclean Versatile (the unsented one) and let it soak for a couple of hours. Rinse it out several times, let it drain and store it upside down.

On your next brew day, fill it with Star San solution or Iodophor solution while you're brewing. When your boil is done and cooled, dump some of the solution into a pot or bucket and put in your airlock, stopper, funnel, siphon, siphon tubing, yeast packet, scissors and anything else that will be or could be in contact with the cooled wort. Dump any remaining sanitizer out of the carboy and do not rinse.

Pour in your wort and yeast. Put some sanitizer (or vodka) in the airlock and fix it into the fermenter. Place the fermenter in a big tub of 65F water. Use frozen water jugs or boiling water added to the tub to keep the brew in the mid 60's as time goes by.

Then sit back and watch the show. Fermenting beer is like one of those video fireplaces - it's fascinating to watch. You'll see all the phases of fermentation. Mostly, Relax, Don't Worry ... and, well, you know the rest.

 

[madcowbrewing]

First, the bleach can be used if properly rinsed. But the Star San is much safer, meaning, like previously said, you can drink it when diluted. But as no one else is saying, if it makes you feel better, RINSE IT OFF!! I still do it occasionally to this day. It is a no-rinse, because you don't have to, but you can...... All in all, I think the bigger issue was the non-sealed fermenter and the big fermentation temperature swings. Get a closed system and use a water bath. You will be drinking homebrew in no time.

 

[PeteNMA]

The whole point of no rinse sanitizer is that the last thing which touches your equipment before your wort is sanitizer. If you rinse if off you stand a chance of defeating the point of sanitising in the first place. It's no rinse because your supposed to not rinse it, it's instructional, not suggestive.

 

[madcowbrewing]

The whole point of no rinse sanitizer is that the last thing which touches your equipment before your wort is sanitizer. If you rinse if off you stand a chance of defeating the point of sanitising in the first place. It's no rinse because your supposed to not rinse it, it's instructional, not suggestive.

http://www.fivestarchemicals.com/wp-content/uploads/Star-San-HB4.pdf

http://www.fivestarchemicals.com/wp-content/uploads/StarSanTech-HB2.pdf

I guess it depends on how you use. Again, it is not necessary but if it makes the OP feel better about using, why couldn't he rinse with potable water as suggested with the HB4?

To each their own. Just trying to help with any worries or fears.

 

[normonster]

I'll actually follow up an unclean thought with a shot of Starsan, that's how good this sh!t is.

 

[merse24]

Hey, I can understand the whole "I like to know what's in my sausage" comment. My wife is the type that buys only all natural or organic foods at the store.... so I completely understand the thought of wanting to know what you're ingesting.

As others have stated, Star San is simply Phosphoric acid (used in Coke)

If you don't want that, you can use Iodophor, which is simply an Iodine solution (Iodine is used in hospitals across the country prior to breaking the skin in surgery).

On the topic of temperature control, I've had VERY similar results as you, since I don't really have a good temperature controlled environment to use. My garage swings WAY too much and my house is way too warm so I purchased a Cool Brewing Fermentation Bag. I put my fermentation bucket in there and wrap it with a wet towel which will usually keep it right around 70 degrees. If I need to go below that, I will put a few (3-5) frozen water bottles inside as well. Just make sure to replace the bottles as the thaw out. I've had no problems since!

 

[interference]

Alright, alright everybody I'm down with the Star-San.

I think my main problems were the recipe and temperature control.

BeardedBrews you are correct about the oktoberfest recipe, and mine was also a gift, but I think I will try again with a higher temperature range recipe.

IslandLizard the instructions didn't say anything about cold lagering.

Well some of this beer just happened to get bottled so I might put a few in a bomb proof case and shove them in the back of the fridge. I mainly filled some 2 liters, for science, and capped 15 bottles. I have them wrapped up in cooler part of the closet right now.

Here what the beer looks like if you're curious.

In a plastic carboy
http://i.imgur.com/htKYJwG.jpg?1

Some in a bottle
http://i.imgur.com/SYbKkJ0.jpg?1

Thanks again everyone for all the advice.

 

[BeardedBrews]

Oktoberfest is a lager and needs be fermented at lager temps with lager yeast, then lagered for 4-8 weeks near 32°F...

http://bsghandcraft.com/downloads/TrueBrewInstructions/K23-Oktoberfest.pdf

All of these things are true, which is why I split the batch. Even properly fermented the kit was not great. As (or more) important as the lager conditions is the malt profile, which I believe the kit missed by a mile.

It was a fun experiment, just not a beer I would make again.

-B

 

[Gavin C]

That's a great picture.

Dump it and move on or taste some for science, dump it and move on.

Improve your methodology next time. This hobby is all about learning and having fun.

You seem to be getting hung up on philosophical nonsense. Best of luck with that but I don't believe the unwanted microbes in your beer care much.

 

[IslandLizard]

http://bsghandcraft.com/downloads/TrueBrewInstructions/K23-Oktoberfest.pdf

All of these things are true, which is why I split the batch. Even properly fermented the kit was not great. As (or more) important as the lager conditions is the malt profile, which I believe the kit missed by a mile.

It was a fun experiment, just not a beer I would make again.

-B

Yeah, I can see you want something much better if you're expecting an Oktoberfest. How about a recipe from HBT?

Most, if not all kits are more about marketing and extra-product promises than beer, basically selling an illusion. It just has become more refined since Mr. Beer, there is good money to be made!

Thanks for the PDF, now we can see inside.
BSG should be ashamed for selling this as a lager or an Oktoberfest. Even the hops aren't truly German or noble:

Our Oktoberfest is a full-bodied lager, crimson-amber in color and richly malty, backed by noble German hops....

...SPECIALTY GRAIN, CRUSHED
8 oz Weyermann® Melanoidin Malt

FERMENTABLES
1 x 3.3 lb can Amber LME
2 x 1 lb Light DME

HOPS & FLAVORINGS
2 oz US Liberty Hop Pellets (45 Min.)

YEAST
6 g Muntons Ale Yeast

However, it will make beer if done correctly, and will be very drinkable. It's just not an Oktoberfest, so BSG, don't call it that; you're schneebing us!

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

What's funny is that this is almost exactly identical (right down to the melanoiden and Liberty hops) to a kit extract brew I did years ago for an Irish Red Ale. The only difference is that my kit used only LME. I wonder how many different labels they put on the same recipe

 

[slym2none]

If after washing equipment, and then properly using the totally safe and wonderful Star San, would rinsing with water defeat the whole purpose?

Yes.