Chocolatey_Stoutz
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- Jan 28, 2013
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I have made a number of mistakes with this, my first, batch of brew. I am woring with a stout extract kit with a targeted abv of 8.1%. I initially pitched the dry yeast at too high of a temperature because I didn't realize the dangers of doing so in creating fusel alcohols.
The recipe instructions call for about one week in the primary and the wort was placed in the fermenter almost precisely a week ago. The airlock bublled intensely but quit after a day.
I removed the lid from the fermentation bucket to find a thin layer of brown crust (can't call it sediment b/c it wasn't settled) floating on the top. There is some brown foam around the edges of the bucket. I presume this is the remnants of krausen.
I wanted to take a hydrometer reading, but a thief wasn't supplied with my entry level kit. I grabed a dinner glass from the cupboard and sanitized it using the powder cleanser provided in my kit. I tried to dip this glass and scooped some wort (and krausen/floating crud). However, I didn't gather enough. So, I repeated the process, again to no avail. I am afraid that this foolish move may have introduced bacteria into the beer.
I was able to tast what I have created so far. It mostly tast like flat stout. However, none of that semi-sweet bakers chcolate and unsweetened cocoa powder is present. Also, the beer tast kind of "green," for lack of a better term.
My gut instinct is to let the beer sit in the fermenter for another week. However, I would like to transfer the beer into the secondary so that I can use my fermenter to brew a pumkin ale tomorrow night. I suppose I might as well make the transfer because I have already introduced bacteria and oxygen into the mostly fermented wort.
One more thing. I noticed some tiny bubbles burping at the top of the beer before I attempted to gather a hydrometer reading.
As always, appreciate any and all help and advice.
Thanks.
The recipe instructions call for about one week in the primary and the wort was placed in the fermenter almost precisely a week ago. The airlock bublled intensely but quit after a day.
I removed the lid from the fermentation bucket to find a thin layer of brown crust (can't call it sediment b/c it wasn't settled) floating on the top. There is some brown foam around the edges of the bucket. I presume this is the remnants of krausen.
I wanted to take a hydrometer reading, but a thief wasn't supplied with my entry level kit. I grabed a dinner glass from the cupboard and sanitized it using the powder cleanser provided in my kit. I tried to dip this glass and scooped some wort (and krausen/floating crud). However, I didn't gather enough. So, I repeated the process, again to no avail. I am afraid that this foolish move may have introduced bacteria into the beer.
I was able to tast what I have created so far. It mostly tast like flat stout. However, none of that semi-sweet bakers chcolate and unsweetened cocoa powder is present. Also, the beer tast kind of "green," for lack of a better term.
My gut instinct is to let the beer sit in the fermenter for another week. However, I would like to transfer the beer into the secondary so that I can use my fermenter to brew a pumkin ale tomorrow night. I suppose I might as well make the transfer because I have already introduced bacteria and oxygen into the mostly fermented wort.
One more thing. I noticed some tiny bubbles burping at the top of the beer before I attempted to gather a hydrometer reading.
As always, appreciate any and all help and advice.
Thanks.