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Ok here is the deal, I got my first brew kit with some "This Buds For you" in it. This kit turns out to be a Lager and the time it takes to ferment was way to long for me to wait, so I brewed it up and let it ferment in the pail for 7 days then I moved it to a glass carboy where it has sat for just over two months. Here is my question, is it still good and what should I do with it? Should I bottle it and then let it sit for a couple week or is it no good? There is no mildew or milkyness to it. I have brewed 2 other batches (ales) and they have come out very good.
 
If you used the yeast included in the kit, then you're going to experience your very own Steam Beer (aka California Common). A lager yeast when fermented at ale temperatures will throw off some serious esters. Not necessarily bad, but different than what you might've expected.

Give it a taste, you might find you love it.
 
Did your kit instructions say to just ferment a week??? Well as long as you're not expecting it to taste like a lager, you'll be OK. If you were able to do a good fermentation, then a week is alright for an ale: and at best, you might be getting an Anchor Steam type beer. Now many will chime in and say a week is very bad: that fermentation can take several days to even start. Well yes, if you're not aerating, pitching enough yeast, and/or not fermenting at "ale" temps then you can have an unusally slow ferment. When you get to be more experienced, you'll learn to go by your hydrometer reading and only begin to think about racking to secondary when you know your fermentation is done (many members here actually just keep the beer in primary).

My concern is if you were fermenting at lager temperatures.....then there's no way your beer finished before you racked.....it's had enough time to settle, though, so might as well taste a sample and see if it's something you like.
 
First reading was 1.038 I fermented at 68 degrees for 3 days then moved it to the basement to 57 degrees for 5 days I took a reading and it was at 1.010 Then put it in the carboy, can I taste it now even know it's in the carboy
 
Yes, definitely give it a taste! That's the only way you know if you'll like it :) Technically, you can taste beer unfermented too: at no stage does it kill you! Just don't dump whatever has been in your mouth back in the beer...then it's alright to taste a sample when the beer is in primary, secondary, or even just sparged grain (before adding hops). OK, sounds like it will be OK beer (just think of it as a light ale instead of a lager). With an OG of 1.038, I don't think it will be as flavorful as a good california common. But give it a taste to see how well you like it....then go straight to bottling.
 
I tasted my last batch every step of the way. Any time I took a SG I drank the samples. It's the best way (IMO) to get to know how beer becomes beer.
 
Well I bottled it and it went well, although it had a reading of 1.010 could that be right that would put me at 1.3%
 
Sorry learning on my own here (with the help from you guys only) I just know that I took a reading today just before I put it in the bottole and that is what I got.
 
Sorry learning on my own here (with the help from you guys only) I just know that I took a reading today just before I put it in the bottole and that is what I got.

Buy a book. How to Brew by John Palmer is a great start. Joy of Homebrewing by Charlie Papazian is also good. These are great investments.
 
I don't know if I screwed up maybe you guys can tell me if it's going to be O.K. I always rinse my bottles out after I poor a beer, when I bottled this time I ran them thought the dishwasher with no soap full cycle and then just the dry cycle to make sure they were dry. Sanitized everything but the bottles do you think it will be good?
 
Only time will tell.

I have a similar problem. I rinse my bottles after pouring, store them (upside down) in a crate and fill each one with sanitizer for about 30 mins prior to re-using. I don't prewash them. I haven't had any problem yet, but may start pre-washing them and then sanitizing.
 
How will I know ,will there be mold? I am going to sanitize from now on for sure , just piece of mind.
Not sure. I have yet to have a batch go bad. You might see some strange growth in the bottle if it's infected. As long as you went straight from the hot rinse to bottling, you're probably gonna be ok.
 
Well I opened up two bottels and the first one had a vinager taste to it, not good at all. The clairity was a bit milky so I thought I would open another and it was the same way the first one I put in the fridge for a few hours and the second one was at about 62 degrees. Any thoughts? Should I just get rid of them or wait it out? I did bottle some IPA yesterday so there is hope.
 
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