Help me with my first batch of porter beer

[philosopher]

Hi:

I just finished my Porter beer. As I noticed, fermentation went well. However, the flavor of the beer is astringent. I forgot to measure the OG at the beginning but have this info now:

Final gravity: 1.020

Alcohol by Volumen: 2%

My questions are these:

Today 6th day since I put the wort into the glass carboy, what must be the right flavor of the beer?

Will the astringent flavor disappear?

If so, how long I have to wait for bottling?

If I use an aquarium heater and half of the carboy is immersed in water, the temperature of the wort is higher than the outside water or lower?


Thank you!

 

[RM-MN]

You should be using a hydrometer to tell when it is time for something. Yeast don't follow a schedule. I'd like my dark beer to spend 4 weeks or more in the fermenter and then check with the hydrometer to see if it is at the projected final gravity. Check it again in 2 or 3 days and if the gravity hasn't changed you will be safe to bottle.

Porters have a lot of darker grains and these grains have strong flavors that take time to work together. Part of the flavor you notice may be from fermenting at too high of a temperature. Give this beer 4 to 6 weeks and see what it tastes like then. I think you will be surprised at the change in flavor.

 

[philosopher]

RM-MN:

Thanks for your advice. I was near to throw my beer. Have I to wait 4-6 weeks after or prior to bottling?

 

[pyth]

My very first beer was a porter, and like you I noted a lot of off flavors when I first tried it, about 3 weeks after brew day. After it had sat for about 2.5 months however, it was simply sublime. It really benefited from the time to condition.

My best advice would be to keep the ambient temp in the room in the low 60s, and give the beer the time it needs every step of the way. Plenty of time in fermentation, and at least 21 days in bottles, more if you can stand it.

 

[ghank15]

Also, if you didn't take an original gravity reading then there is no way for you to know your ABV. If you used the numbers on the other side of the hydrometer when you took your fg, don't. I'm not too sure what they are for, but it does not help us home brewers.

For future reference, ABV=(OG-FG)x131.25.
So, if your OG was 1.050, and your fg is 1.010,

1.050-1.010=0.040
0.040x131.25=5.25%abv, give or take

 

[petey_c]

philosopher, 3 weeks for primary fermentation and 3 weeks in the bottle.

 

[RM-MN]

philosopher, 3 weeks for primary fermentation and 3 weeks in the bottle.

My experience says that more than 3 weeks in the bottle gives much better flavor but man is it hard to wait. Try a bottle after 2 weeks in the bottle and then one bottle each week until it tastes really smooth. I'm betting it will be between 8 and 10 weeks when it finally "comes together".

 

[philosopher]

Pyth:

Thanks for the advice. I will wait the time you suggest and hope I get the same luck as you.

 

[philosopher]

Petey C:

Thanks for the advice. As you say it is really hard to wait. Although I think is my single option.

 

[philosopher]

Ghank15:

Thanks for the advice!

 

[downtown3641]

My general philosophy is 4x4. Four in the fermenter, four in bottles. This is especially true for the darker beers. Just give it some time,

 

[philosopher]

Downtown3641:

Thanks for the advice.

Should I kept the carboy under warm temperature with a aquarium heater within this period of time?

 

[RM-MN]

When I have a batch fermenting I try to start it out at about 62 F. room temperature and keep it there for about a week. This cooler ferment prevents the formation of fusel alcohol and other off flavors but at the end of this time when the ferment has slowed down I bring it to a room where the ambient temperature is 72 F. and keep it there until I'm ready to bottle, usually 2 to 3 more weeks. The flavor of your beer will be determined by the initial temperature and this warmer period will encourage the yeast to clean up the esters that it created during the faster part of the ferment and eat up all the sugars left so it will not stall out leaving you with a high final gravity.