New brew worries

[DisturbdChemist]

Hey,

My name is Dustin and i'm fairly new to homebrewing and really want to get into it as a hobby and a passion. I brewed my first batch a few months ago (amber ale) which turn out good for the very first time brewing and just brewed my second Weds, day before Thanksgiving ( a Coffee porter). I'm just concern about the smell of the fermenter is normal or not. To me its like an alcohol smell being a chemist, it doesnt smell bad, sour nor stale, and not a finished beer. I feel the smell is normal because its a young beer (only fermented for about 5 days), and about to move to a secondary tomorrow or wednesday. Plus I tasted it and its a little sharp so its going to sit in the secondary for 3 weeks or so hopfully the flavors mellow and come together because it seems a little watery (just used to full flavor beer).

Just want to get ya'lls opinion on it and from more experienced brewers to see maybe what i did wrong or need to change.

Thanks Yall for any help you can give

Cheers

 

[mlyday]

Different yeast give off different smells during fermentation. Im guessing its fine. Dont move it to a secondary yet, its probably not done fermenting. If you want to move it to secondary wait til after at least 2 weeks or after the Gravity hasnt move for 3 days. Let the yeast clean up. You can get off flavor and a fusel achohol smell if your ferment temps were too high, so try to keep those in the low range for your selected yeast.

 

[Pdeezy]

It's up to you whether or not you choose to use a secondary, but the general consensus around here right now is that it is not necessary. Some would even argue that a longer primary is more helpful.

It's 100% up to you, but if it were my beer I would leave it in the primary for at least 3 weeks before touching it. No real reason to use a secondary unless you're going to be adding something (fruit, wood chips, etc.) Also in the future there's really no reason to taste it at day 5, fermentation is probably not done, and of course it is going to taste bad. Probablly a good learning experience, but no real reason to taste it at day 5.

 

[JonM]

Welcome!

This is a good case for RDWHAHB. Fermenters always smell a little funky and five day old beer almost never will taste good. After a couple weeks in the fermenter and a couple weeks in the bottle, it'll be great. Cheers!

 

[DisturbdChemist]

Thank ya'll

I worry too much and hate to mess up but that the fun in home brewing. I just want to move it to the secondary to remove it from the yeast settlement in the primary. I dont know if that will effect the taste. How long should i leave it in? I'm going for atleast 3 weeks before I bottle and hope the coffee mellows because this brew was just an experiement with different things by adding cinnamon and vanilla to the end of the boil and just added the cold steep coffee to the primary.

 

[mlyday]

Since I started leaving mine in the primary for a month the beer has gotten much better. I say leave it for at least 3 weeks in primary. Even after the fermentation is done the yeast clean up some of the unwanted byproducts of fermentation.

 

[Mrbrownfolks]

Just wait until you get the sulphur fart smell coming from a fermentor. Luckily a quick google eased my worries.