Never dump your beer!!! Patience IS a virtue!!! Time heals all things, even beer!

[ejf063]

^^^^ ah crap

 

[Azbrewboy77]

Why isn't this the 1st item for new Brewers ( like me )to read ? I'm a total complete noob to Brewing beer , I've read extensive books , magazines & this forum to try & do a good job brewing , well being new I have been WAY to impatient to sample my efforts & have dumped 5+ small batches down the drain thinking I botched it up until my last beer ( simple am wheat ) opened 1 wasn't good at all , had to leave town came back 2 months later popped one open & eureka !!!! It tasted like a real beer , I vow to be patience & wait

 

[nicknerd27]

Excellent article! I'm hoping mine does the same. In my case though, I think I may have over boiled the wort or did the cold break too slowly, as it seems like I may have had less liquid to add to my water for an extract kit I made (first brew day ever!). 3 weeks in and it was very thin for an Irish Stout. Like it tasted diluted. Lets hope time and yeast improve the beer!!

 

[N4teTheGreat]

Excellent article! I'm hoping mine does the same. In my case though, I think I may have over boiled the wort or did the cold break too slowly, as it seems like I may have had less liquid to add to my water for an extract kit I made (first brew day ever!). 3 weeks in and it was very thin for an Irish Stout. Like it tasted diluted. Lets hope time and yeast improve the beer!!

My first beer was supposed to be a stout. I screwed up on several counts. I didn't temp control, at all. It went nuts overnight and while I didn't get any blowoff ambient in my condo was at least 70 - 72 so it definitely was too warm. On top of that I got my water volumes wrong when topping up my 3 gallons to 5 after the boil and I think I diluted mine as well.

Initially it was drinkable, but had a very tart finish. I have some bottles that are now about 6 months old and while it'd not an amazing stout (probably closer to a porter) it's quite drinkable.

-- Nathan

 

[alexnova]

It'd have to be clearly spoiled for me to dump a batch. Your costs are sunk, so might as well let it ride. Drink your mistakes!

 

[Revvy]

It'd have to be clearly spoiled for me to dump a batch. Your costs are sunk, so might as well let it ride. Drink your mistakes!

And sometimes even bad batches can have merit... I have a buddy who has sold beer "malt vinegar" at outdoor markets, he keeps some nice bottles with ribbons and stuff on hand for when there's a bad batch. He got the idea from a local micro (who was notorious for making crappy beer anyway) who would sell their stuff. Luckily the bad brewery got bought by someone else and they've actually improved things immensely.

But it's funny, we can't sell our homebrew, BUT we can sell our aecetobactor infected ones.

 

[Pappers_]

And sometimes even bad batches can have merit... I have a buddy who has sold beer "malt vinegar" at outdoor markets, he keeps some nice bottles with ribbons and stuff on hand for when there's a bad batch.

Funny you should meniton making malt vinegar now. A friend of mine who has a podcast Fuhmendaboutit in Brooklyn recently had a guest on talking about that and I'm planning on giving it a go.

 

[Bosh]

One flavor that really does fade over time is brown sugar bite. Was nasty and harsh a few weeks after I brewed it last July but damn did it taste good when I just drank it.

 

[Kent88]

I finally have a few success stories to share, and it all starts with a kettle soured berliner weiss.

I figured that the berliner weiss would be best young because it is such a light beer. After I tried one I was thinking "oh crap, I'm dumping this", but I'm lazy enough that I just left it in the cooler that I leave bottled ales in. A few months later it got a lot better, it didn't just taste like commercial beer that had been left open too long.

Then I made a SMaSH lager with Schill Kolsch Malt, just to see what it is like. After bottling I noticed that it looked gunky at the surface of the beer and I started wondering if some of the lacto from the BW had survived the brief boil and set up shop in some of my plastic (since this I have replaced some of my equipment and bottled another batch, looks clear!), again I was too lazy to dump it, and somehow it made its way into the ale cooler, but the "gunk" never really messed with the flavor, and now it seems to be settling out. If it was the lacto from the BW, my theory is that it couldn't handle 20IBU.

I'm seeing the same kind of gunk in a "smoky" (smoked malt isn't coming through) maple lager, but it is again settling out with time and age is helping the taste, too, as originally it was too sweet. Note to brewers, when you split a batch between fermenters, take separate gravity readings.

 

[kh54s10]

I have no idea of the problem or solution, but I brewed a Brown Ale and a Pale Ale on the same week. I fermented them in a chamber in the mid sixties. One used S-04 and the other US-05. At kegging time I tasted and took gravity readings. Both were at about 1.022. Both tasted sweet but I had already transferred to kegs. I couldn't decide on what to do with them, so they sat. 10 months later I took a gravity reading of both and they were both at 1.008. The brown was good so I just put it in the kegerator. The pale ale was way over carbonated so I vented it several times a day for a week. It's hop flavor was gone so I dropped 2 ounces or Willamette into the keg and put it in the kegerator. They both are quite good. I have no idea how much different from what they could have been. They were both fly by the pants recipes.

 

[SHAIV]

Sometimes though if it's infected by a wild yeast it may get worse over time. I had that happen and I guess the wild yeast fermented the unfermentables so it probably got down to 1.000. It was ok at first but eventually it got pretty bad. Also a buddy of mine once had a batch with something growing on it and we campden bombed it before kegging. Worked out pretty good but we drank it fast so it didn't grow back

 

[Rank_Amateur]

Not really a story about not dumping but more a corollary story about long term conditioning... Brewed an imperial stout and spice bombed it on purpose... Because I had planned not to seriously drink it for 12 months... Sure enough at 3 and 6 months it was awful... At 12 months I had people who hated dark beers tell me it was one of the best beers they had Taster... So yep don't dump it unless you get an acetobacter Infection but equally for some big beers with spices etc you should almost go crazy on the levels of spicing if you plan to age for 6 to 12 months as they will fade and balance and most importantly rdwhahb!

 

[Pintjelager]

I was just searching the forum about how a beer should taste like before carbonation and stumbled upon this story. Inspiring. I already set aside a bottle to be drinked next year. I bottled my first batch ever today. Bit insecure about the taste and smell of it. Smells like red wine and taste like a flat stout with a strong aftertaste . (muntons irish dry stout kit) let the wait begin.

 

[kylelp]

TO ALL NEW BREWERS DOING THEIR 1ST BATCH, DO NOT UNDER ANY RHYME OR REASON THROW AWAY YOUR BEER! I am no expert and have only 30 gallons or so beer under my belt but, about 3 months ago, I found a bottle in my fridge of the very 1st beer I made. Now up until this point, My 1st batch did not taste good and i ended up bottling only 12 bottles (half i think got poured down the sink). Another batch or 2 didn't taste good at all so I dumped them. After having 3 failed batches I was disheartened and did not go back to brewing. UNTIL I FOUND THE BOTTLE the months ago (kinda like finding king authors sword, about a 6-8 month hiatus). I opened it up. It was lightly carbed but didn't taste too bad. It was very drinkable, more importantly, the wife didn't think it was too bad (this is quiet a compliment just FYI).

From that point on i regretted not bottling the whole thing and pouring 6 bottles down the drain. Do not do what i did. More importantly don't be discouraged, good things come to those who wait. Since that time I made a very good sweet cider, a very bad apple cider, 10 gallons in a secondary (I know not necessary) and 5 gallons fermenting.

 

[Olney55]

I was wanting to brew bells amber clone. Can you share your recipe and instructions with me
Thanks

 

[mlafnitzegger]

I have 2 cases of a xmas ale from summer 2014. I try it once or twice a year. Never did carb... that sucked. I just can't seem to dump. Its cool to say "ya, thats been there for a few years.

Link to beer:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f78/holly-christmas-ale-145580/

 

[Gravity]

I have 2 cases of a xmas ale from summer 2014. I try it once or twice a year. Never did carb... that sucked. I just can't seem to dump. Its cool to say "ya, thats been there for a few years.

Link to beer:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f78/holly-christmas-ale-145580/

Make some British friends and tell them it a "real ale", they love uncarbed or lightly carbed beer.

 

[dyqik]

Make some British friends and tell them it a "real ale", they love uncarbed or lightly carbed beer.

Or, y'know, rebottle with fresh yeast or keg it.

 

[dyqik]

I've dumped one batch. It had a serious chlorophenol problem. Aging will not improve that.

 

[MHBT]

i guess this is an positive way to approach this hobby but i made a beer that sat for over 6 months and never got better....it is possible to make bad beer and sometimes just gotta learn and brew on.. not every batch will turn around for the better

 

[brandonlovesbeer]

I beg to differ with the title of this thread. Sometimes you do have to dump. Please watch my video and convince me I should not have dumped it.

https://youtu.be/rik0G5OwZ3o

 

[Revvy]

I beg to differ with the title of this thread. Sometimes you do have to dump. Please watch my video and convince me I should not have dumped it.

https://youtu.be/rik0G5OwZ3o

Well bully for you. Guess what... the title grabs people's attention.. AND in doing so, it has saved tons of noobs from dumping beer what was simply green or sampled to soon, or had an issue that time helped mellow out.

Which it the point of the thread... I said it on here in this thread.. I'm not talking about legitimate problems. It's about the knee jerk panic dumps that new brewers tend to do.

And since this thread is what 9 or 10 years old, and full of stories of people who took my advice, gave it some more time, and were glad they did, then just maybe the fact that you disagree with my title is your choice, and has no bearing on anything else.

This thread has helped people, despite your opinion of it's title... and has helped people probably longer than you've been on here since sept 2016, or probably even since you've been brewing. So..oh well.

*shrug*

Brew on.

 

[Wldthang87]

Well bully for you. Guess what... the title grabs people's attention.. AND in doing so, it has saved tons of noobs from dumping beer what was simply green or sampled to soon, or had an issue that time helped mellow out.

Which it the point of the thread... I said it on here in this thread.. I'm not talking about legitimate problems. It's about the knee jerk panic dumps that new brewers tend to do.

And since this thread is what 9 or 10 years old, and full of stories of people who took my advice, gave it some more time, and were glad they did, then just maybe the fact that you disagree with my title is your choice, and has no bearing on anything else.



This thread has helped people, despite your opinion of it's title... and has helped people probably longer than you've been on here since sept 2016, or probably even since you've been brewing. So..oh well.

*shrug*

Brew on.

I think he's just trying to get his youtube channel views.....imo

 

[Sansnom]

This post certainly saved some of my brews. It helped me learn that flaws and issues can mellow out. Of course, if there's a real issue, sometimes it's just not salvageable. The last infection I had was a good example:

I opened it up for a gravity reading and taste test at day 14. The gravity was 1.002. The taste was extremely sour. I decided to let it sit for another month to see what happened. When I opened it, the only way I can describe the smell is rubbing alcohol and paint thinner. Needless to say, I didn't have to the nerve to taste it. It also developed a powdery looking flim on top of it. Obviously it wasn't salvageable.

And I quote from the original post:

2)Never dump a batch unless it has mold or other noticeable signs of infection confirmed by a brewer with more experience than you. Or if it tastes, as Evan says, "like Satan's anus."

Sometimes a newbie might not know what an infection is actually like, they might get overzealous and declare a batch ruined even if it isn't. It might have a slight flaw or something that isn't a big deal, something that might go away. If you're not sure, let it sit. If it's totally gross and awful, it's probably not going to change. That's why this post is good, it tells you to take a step back and see what happens, if it doesn't improve, it didn't really cost you anything to wait and see. I've had beers that I thought turned out awful that I've gone back to a month or so later and found out that they are actually pretty decent. It never hurts to wait and see.

I guess the title could be more clear, but if you thoroughly read the original post, it's quite reasonable.

 

[Dan_K]

I had an imperial stout that I brewed. It finished too high and didn't taste great, roasty and bitter and hoppy too. I bottled it sometime in 12/2016 with sugar to prime.

I dumped most of it, but I bottled some of it and left it in my cellar. Some 8 months later, I tried it. It's somehow not only drinkable, but tastes pretty dang good. Now I have 7 bottles left and I consider it kind of a treat. Definitely going to drink the rest of these.

 

[Bosh]

I beg to differ with the title of this thread. Sometimes you do have to dump. Please watch my video and convince me I should not have dumped it.

https://youtu.be/rik0G5OwZ3o

That's why I like plastic bottles, got an insanely overcarbed batch once that bloated out my bottles and gave me way way way too much head but not one of the bottles burst, the worst I had was one with hairline cracks in the plastic but then the air escaped through the cracks and the situation resolved itself.

 

[bradleypariah]

Revvy, you don't need me to tell you that you know what you're talking about, but I just wanted to share another success story. Didn't even take long, either.

I usually make overly-hopped, late-addition ales. This current batch I'm enjoying was made with Crossmyloof US Pale yeast. I had never heard of this yeast, and I pitched a single pack onto a 1.080 beer. After talking to the yeast brewery, it turns out the pack only had 200 billion cells. Dumb mistake, I should have checked first. The high OG was a surprise; I guess I milled my grains too fine. I'm in the US, Crossmyloof is in the UK, so it way too late to get another pack and bump up my pitch rate.

After ten days, when I'd usually keg and start chilling, the beer tasted strong of under-pitching and low oxygen. Just a general astringency.

I closed-transferred to the keg, being not too careful about sucking up yeast from the bottom of the carboy, then submersed 2oz of Centennials, and waited a week while the keg sat at bedroom temperature. Getting there....
I dropped another 2oz bag of hops into the keg, waited three more days at room temp, then put it in the fridge, and carbed it.

First beer I pulled shot out the trub, and second glass hugged me with a delicious kick of juicy hops and warm alcohol.

I realize this will never taste as good as if I had pitched it correctly in the first place, but I would go as far as to say I took this from tasting like a shot of vodka with the aroma of bread dough, to being a delicious beer.

Cheers to patience and perseverance.

 

[Kent88]

Just a note to anyone using those carbonation drops that call for 3, 4, or 5 tabs for low/medium/high carbonation, never use the low.

"Oh its a bock, maybe even a doppelbock", I thought "I'm running low on tabs and the style calls for low carbonation anyway".

I'm hoping that if it sits long enough the yeast will carb it up a little more. Its been a few months. I don't think I'll get foam retention, but it has finally carbed up enough that if you drink it quickly that it does have some dissolved carbon dioxide so it isn't completely flat.

I wish morebeer offered carafoam by the half pound. Still, one pound, unmilled, is still under $2, so maybe I just need to get over it.

 

[portguy]

Damn...I am on my way to dump my last batch: cigarette hefeweizen!

 

[TasunkaWitko]

It might be time to bring this back up to the top....