My beers are completely undrinkable!

[Arrheinous]

A lot of people around here would rather not use a secondary and just leave it in primary for the required number of weeks.

The only real reason for you to use a secondary is so I can sell you more fermenters. But it also helps clarify the beer, harvest yeast, or add bulk ingredients like fruit, way after most of the fermentation is complete. Certain styles won't need a secondary. But YMMV.

At this rate you probably haven't hurt anything but if you started that batch while this thread was going then you might have moved it to secondary a little too soon. :cross:


It's going to look darker in the carboy than the glass.

A substance is going to lot darker with the more stuff in it and the longer the amount of it you look through. More stuff in a longer distance means more stuff to block or deflect the light - making it a lot darker than it will in the glass. If you've ever been swimming in a murky pond or something you can see your hand up close but farther away it's blocked.

In general, adding the DME at the start of the boil will increase the darkness versus adding at the end of the boil.

 

[rockdemon]

I noticed these little white dots growing on top of my secondary. Is this some yeast stuff or an infection?

 

[SmokeyMcBong]

Hard to tell from the picture. Could be yeast rafts, could be mold. Are the floaties fuzzy?

 

[rockdemon]

No they dont look like hairy so hopefully its not mold. I have the same dots in my gooseberry saison. On some of the berries aswell...

 

[chickypad]

I don't brew small batches like that and never have. I have had other peoples brews from small batches and they were terrible. That said, someone will have to bring me a good one to change my mind, as I am not going to try making one as it sounds like more trouble than its worth. As I said, I have always dumped out most of the extra beer in starters as it is generally nasty, and this is a procedure that was preached to me. Old habits die hard. I know I either read or was taught by a pro that anything less than 5 gallons is potentially a problem and that was at least 15 years ago, and I have not given it any thought since, so don't shoot the messenger...Yes I have been running a homebrew club since 1998, and have a pro brewer as a member (and founding member).

You seem to be forgetting that a starter is plain DME, no hops, with a relatively huge pitch rate and often uncontrolled temps with the sole purpose or propagating yeast. Of course it tastes like crap when it's done. That's fine if you think small batches are a waste of time, and I'm sorry the ones you've had were bad, but you're mistaken in assuming you can't make good beer that way. Good technique is much more important than batch size IME. No offence to the pro brewer, but I suspect he/she has not actually tried brewing on that scale on a regular basis.

OP it sounds like the changes this time will be for the better, although like Arrhenious I wonder if you might have transferred early especially as you were fermenting cooler this time. When was brew day? Also which yeast strain did you use and did you take any graviities? With the Belgian yeasts one common technique is to start them cool and let the temp rise to get the best attenuation. I like the flavor profiles with a slow rise over a week or so but some just let it go wild.

I wouldn't worry about the color, as was mentioned will likely be quite a bit paler in the glass. For reference check out the pics in this thread.

Edit: okay I see now it looks like you actually brewed weekend before last (sorry this thread is a little long). You are likely okay then, though depending on strain and how cool you kept it. Some of the saison yeasts can be a little finicky. If by French saison you meant 3711 then you should be good.

 

[rockdemon]

OP it sounds like the changes this time will be for the better, although like Arrhenious I wonder if you might have transferred early especially as you were fermenting cooler this time. When was brew day? Also which yeast strain did you use and did you take any graviities? With the Belgian yeasts one common technique is to start them cool and let the temp rise to get the best attenuation. I like the flavor profiles with a slow rise over a week or so but some just let it go wild.

I wouldn't worry about the color, as was mentioned will likely be quite a bit paler in the glass. For reference check out the pics in this thread.

Edit: okay I see now it looks like you actually brewed weekend before last (sorry this thread is a little long). You are likely okay then, though depending on strain and how cool you kept it. Some of the saison yeasts can be a little finicky. If by French saison you meant 3711 then you should be good.

I had it for one week, at the time i didnt know that it would stop fermenting when moved to secondary( seems like I learn everything the day after i do it). I tried FG today and its gone from 1065-1010 and it tasted quite ok, not sweet but a bit pilsner malty(which i really dislike). this beer will be drinkable even though i won let anyone else try it.

Ive tried pilsner malt and pale ale malt now and both have that lager taste that i dont like. Is the belgian pilsner malt much different?

I used wl french saison yeast, one vial for 10 liters.

When making belgian beers, is it a good idea to have it in 64F tha first week and maybe then go up to 75F? in my coldest room its 64 and in my warmest its 75...

Im fermenting a westmalle tripel clone and its went crazy day number two in my 64F room, burping like crazy and foam up to the lid... is it supposed to do that? even in a cooler room

 

[rockdemon]

Day three of westmalle foamparty

 

[chickypad]

If the fermenters are just sitting in the room like that, i.e. not in a water bath or anything, the beer temp could easily be into the 70's during active fermentation. Are you measuring the temp of the beer? Even a stick on fermometer will give you an idea.

Like the others I'm not sure I understand exactly what flavor you are describing that you don't care for. You call it lager taste, but earlier you said something about tasty American lagers vs. nasty Swedish and English ones. I'm not sure I even know any English or Swedish lagers, what beers are you referring to? You seem to like Belgians so I really don't think it's the pilsner malt that is the problem.

 

[chickypad]

Just thought of something, are you keeping your beers covered? I wonder if you are talking about a skunked/light struck taste. If you're getting imported beers in clear and green bottles maybe that's the issue? Grasping at straws here.

 

[rockdemon]

If the fermenters are just sitting in the room like that, i.e. not in a water bath or anything, the beer temp could easily be into the 70's during active fermentation. Are you measuring the temp of the beer? Even a stick on fermometer will give you an idea.

Like the others I'm not sure I understand exactly what flavor you are describing that you don't care for. You call it lager taste, but earlier you said something about tasty American lagers vs. nasty Swedish and English ones. I'm not sure I even know any English or Swedish lagers, what beers are you referring to? You seem to like Belgians so I really don't think it's the pilsner malt that is the problem.

Its so hard to explain, both me and my gf really dislike beers like, heineken and carlsberg. they have that sweet malt flavour. American lagers like bud or coors doesnt have that taste. or maybe they have it but really subtle.

Im not sure if its the malt but that flavor is what ive always called lager malt crap flavor, in ales that flavor isnt there, doesnt matter if its a IPA or a belgian whatever.. that sweet flavor that im talking about is very present in the beers that i have made.

About the temp. i have a stickertherm that is just laying on the lid of my fermenter... i only have one so i didnt want to paste it on the side and then have to get another one for next time...

 

[rockdemon]

Just thought of something, are you keeping your beers covered? I wonder if you are talking about a skunked/light struck taste. If you're getting imported beers in clear and green bottles maybe that's the issue? Grasping at straws here.

Im using darkbrown bottles only, tha green/transparent ones seems so fragile and im afraid of exploding beers.. I cant store them cellar cold but i have them covered with a black trashbag. to keep them covered and to protect the suroundings if theres an explosion...

 

[chickypad]

Well, Heineken = skunky to me. I haven't had one in many yrs though. Your fermenters stay covered?

 

[MarathonMurse]

\About the temp. i have a stickertherm that is just laying on the lid of my fermenter... i only have one so i didnt want to paste it on the side and then have to get another one for next time...

Why would you need a new fermometer next time if you put it on the side?

 

[chickypad]

Why would you need a new fermometer next time if you put it on the side?

Wondering that too. The idea is to stick it on the side below the liquid level so you're measuring actual fermentation temp, not ambient.

 

[rockdemon]

Wondering that too. The idea is to stick it on the side below the liquid level so you're measuring actual fermentation temp, not ambient.

I bought 2 stickys, pasted one on the side, it fell of while i was cleaning the ferm. afterwards i couldnt paste it again, it wasnt sticky anymore...

so i thought, ok, these are only built to be used 1 time.

 

[rockdemon]

Well, Heineken = skunky to me. I haven't had one in many yrs though. Your fermenters stay covered?

Its not covered but its not in any direct sunlight.

 

[chickypad]

Its not covered but its not in any direct sunlight.

Well direct sunlight would take minutes rather than hours. But sitting for weeks? Why risk it, I'd cover them.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Skunking

Basic Brewing Radio

 

[rockdemon]

Well direct sunlight would take minutes rather than hours. But sitting for weeks? Why risk it, I'd cover them.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Skunking

Basic Brewing Radio

7


oooooh, but how should i cover them? black trashbag with a little hole for the water lock?

 

[chickypad]

sure, or black T-shirt

 

[rockdemon]

I made this hillbilly swimmingpool for the fermenter. Hope i can keep the temp abit lower than before.

 

[rockdemon]

Ive finally figured out what has happened to my beers! DMS!
I didnt know that you werent supposed to keep the lid on when boiling the wort. Too bad i have almost 9 gallons of beer in fermentation right now that has been covered during boil...

Has anyone got a suggestion of a way to get rid of some of that DMS taste?

 

[duboman]

Yeah, boiling with the lid is not a great idea
DMS is an issue and will yield off flavors associated with a cooked corn, vegetal flavor. I wish I could provide you some optimism but unfortunately that flavor will not go away and will actually get worse over time.

Keep in mind if you particularly use Pilsner malt, DMS is a larger issue, 90 minute boils are recommended to drive off the precursors or at least a very vigorous 60 minute boil, no lid

 

[Aonghus]

Ive finally figured out what has happened to my beers! DMS!
I didnt know that you werent supposed to keep the lid on when boiling the wort. Too bad i have almost 9 gallons of beer in fermentation right now that has been covered during boil...

Has anyone got a suggestion of a way to get rid of some of that DMS taste?

It is good that you got to the bottom of it.

 

[rockdemon]

Can i have the lid on the pot to get it to a boil and when it boils then take it off? It took a long time to get it to a boil now when i did it without the lid...



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[duboman]

Can i have the lid on the pot to get it to a boil and when it boils then take it off? It took a long time to get it to a boil now when i did it without the lid...



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Yes


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