Ready to bottle?

[reibrew]

Hi everyone,

I've had my coopers canadian blonde in the primary for 2 weeks now, did it with 500g dme and 700g dextrose.. gave it a taste today and it's pretty tasty.

My first brew was their lager with the brew enhancer and we bottled after a week and man.. it tastes super cidery and yeasty and it's pretty sickening.

So my buddy and I are pretty anxious to get this bottled. It's in my basement and I'd really love to give it another week or two but we've got no pipeline going so it's tough to wait it out.

Like I said it's pretty tasty, a little hint of that cidery taste is lingering and it tastes like its a little bit carbed already (to me, at least) but it tastes good. Still a little cloudy.

So I know this is a really subjective question but given the style of beer I'm making with the extract kit and all that would I get a tasty brew after 2 weeks?

Thanks everyone. I've killed so many hours here getting to know brewing better.

 

[TorribleBrew]

First of all, I have never been mistaken for Yooper or Revvy or any of the other countless people on here that provide liquid gold when it comes to solid information to brew by. However, based on two things you said about cider taste and cloudiness, I would let the yeast keep doing there thing for at least another week.

You might get more helpful answers if you can provide a little more information. What temp are you fermenting, what was your OG and current gravity reading, what yeast did you use? ect.

Good luck and I hope it turns out well.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

yeah, with a cider-y flavor, i'm thinking you're fermenting too warm. as for if it's ready to bottle or not, that's up to your gravity readings. generally, a stable FG over 3 or more days means it's safe to bottle, but many of us like to leave the beer for a week or so (sometimes longer) to allow the beer to clean up and clear out. i personally wait at least 3 or more days after i have a stable gravity before moving the beer out of primary, but i regularly leave the beer for 3 or 4 weeks before packaging.

 

[reibrew]

Well my hydrometer I found was broken when I measured the SG after a week and it read 1002.

Put it in water and it read 6 points under 1000. OG read 1038 (so I guess it was really 1044) and FG is/was 1002 (or 1008 corrected)

I'm fermenting at 22deg, used the standard coopers yeast with it.

 

[reibrew]

I've got a spare full sized fridge in the garage that I only use for a few groceries usually, I'm guessing for my next brew I should stick the fermenter in there to get it down to 16 or so?

 

[JLem]

I'd let it sit a little longer - I know that's not what you want to hear, but it sounds like it needs more time. Hopefully it will clear up and some of the cider-y taste will mellow. However, that's a lot of dextrose compared to malt in the beer, which is certainly going to give you more hot, cider-y flavors. You're approaching 60% sugar unless I am missing something in your recipe. Generally, you want to stay under 10% if you use any at all (I suppose some Belgian strong ales you can get away with 20%, but I've never heard of using 60% sugar in any beer)

Also, 22°C is on the high side - especially considering that the actual fermentation temp will be higher inside the bucket/carboy (upwards of 10° more)

 

[reibrew]

Yeah, next brew I think I'll spring for 3 pounds of dry malt extract instead of cutting it with dextrose. Here in canada the stuff tends to be on the more expensive side, but considering a 24 of budweiser is $35 here, I might as well spend a few more dollars for good ingredients.

 

[TorribleBrew]

I've got a spare full sized fridge in the garage that I only use for a few groceries usually, I'm guessing for my next brew I should stick the fermenter in there to get it down to 16 or so?

Next batch, I would pitch your yeast when your wort gets to 18C then try to lock your fermentation in at 20C (fermentation temp not the ambient temp inside the fridge). If you can control your pitching temp and fermentation temp and can reliably check your gravity you will be in much better shape.

 

[TorribleBrew]

Also, even though you are already at 22C, you might want to bump the temp up to 24C for 48 to 72 hrs to let the yeast work on some of the diactyl you may have produced by fermenting at a higher temp in the beginning. But again, that is just what I would do.

When you do bottle, let us know how it turns out.

 

[unionrdr]

To put things in perspective,454g is 1lb. 700g is about 1 1/3lbs. Def a lil heavy handed on the dextrose. The more dextrose you use in the beer,generally the drier it'll be. And that cidery off flavor is def from ferment temps going too high. Cooper's ale yeast seems to like 64-68F from my findings to this point.
Leaving them in primary for only 2 weeks in this paradigm is making less than desireable results. I leave mine in primary till it reaches a stable FG,then allow 3-7 more days to clean up by products (if necessary). It also takes that same time frame to settle out more. To the point where it's clear,or slightly misty. Then rack to bottling bucket.

 

[reibrew]

Will further time in the primary get rid of some of that cidery flavour, or is that moreso a factor of temperature? My house is usually 70F, its in the basement, is there any way to get it slightly cooler aside from the fridge?

 

[unionrdr]

Yes,more time in primary allows the beer to clean up those by products of fermentation that gave the off flavors. After a stable FG is reached,of course. I use a shot glass to taste/see how it's coming along at that point. You could use a thermometer in various parts of the house,basement,etc to find a good spot temp wise. I see other members doing that.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

Will further time in the primary get rid of some of that cidery flavour, or is that moreso a factor of temperature? My house is usually 70F, its in the basement, is there any way to get it slightly cooler aside from the fridge?

search these forums for 'swamp cooler'. not the type used to cool a garage, but the large bucket filled with water type home brewers use. it's simple, cheap and easy, and it let's you control temps.

 

[unionrdr]

Yeah,lower brew temps will prevent acetaldahyde from rearing it's ugly head. But at this point,longer primary will force the yeast to eat it & any other off flavors that might've been produced.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

Yeah,lower brew temps will prevent acetaldahyde from rearing it's ugly head. But at this point,longer primary will force the yeast to eat it & any other off flavors that might've been produced.

to some extent, that's true. but the best way to limit off flavors is to not produce them in the first place. controlling the temps and keeping them down is key to limiting the production of all those nasties, so there's less if any to clean up. the yeast only clean up some of the esters, diacetyl, phenols, fusels, acetaldehyde, etc., not all of them. if you limit the production, or eliminate it, there's no relying on yeast to clean house after FG is reached.

 

[reibrew]

Thanks guys. I've got a spot under the stairs that would probably be a few degrees cooler, and next brew I'll got a full 3 pounds of dry malt extract with the can.

For now I think I'll leave the brew another week or two depending on how it looks and tastes.

On a side note, on my coopers fermenter there's condensation on the sides but none on the lid. This is fine, right?

 

[JLem]

While fermenting lower will certainly help your beers, I think the biggest issue is the amount of sugar you used. Even if the temp is properly controlled, 60% dextrose is going to make some poor quality stuff. I would rather use considerably less sugar at your current temps than the same amount of sugar at lower temps.

 

[unionrdr]

to some extent, that's true. but the best way to limit off flavors is to not produce them in the first place. controlling the temps and keeping them down is key to limiting the production of all those nasties, so there's less if any to clean up. the yeast only clean up some of the esters, diacetyl, phenols, fusels, acetaldehyde, etc., not all of them. if you limit the production, or eliminate it, there's no relying on yeast to clean house after FG is reached.

That's what I illuded to. Lowering his temps would've kept it from forming under normal recipe conditions. I've also found that settling time & clean up time happen at the same time. The clearer the beer gets,the less off flavors present,ime.

While fermenting lower will certainly help your beers, I think the biggest issue is the amount of sugar you used. Even if the temp is properly controlled, 60% dextrose is going to make some poor quality stuff. I would rather use considerably less sugar at your current temps than the same amount of sugar at lower temps.

And yes,the amount of sugar can cause pretty much the same thing. Just compounded by higher than ideal temps.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

That's what I illuded to. Lowering his temps would've kept it from forming under normal recipe conditions. I've also found that settling time & clean up time happen at the same time. The clearer the beer gets,the less off flavors present,ime.

you're totally right there. i always leave my brews an extra week or two after FG is reached to get it clear, and yeah, when it's more clear, it definitely tastes cleaner. i just took an FG reading on my bitter that's in primary, it's at FG and tastes great (for green beer, no detectable 'off' flavors), but it's only a week old and very cloudy. like usual, i plan to let it sit and drop bright before dry hopping for a week, then bottling (or kegging if i can clear either of the two i have full by then :rockin.

 

[unionrdr]

Yeah,it's so easy to do when using highly flocculant yeast strains that it's a part of my process.

 

[reibrew]

Just drew a sample days, has been 15 days since the start

is this amount of cloudyness normal?

 

[unionrdr]

Looks pretty good. I've bottled beers that wouldn't clear any more than slightly misty like that. Some three days in the bottles,they settled out crystal clear. I think it may have something to do with the pressures building up in the bottle as it carbonates & conditions.

 

[tre9er]

Have you taken hydrometer readings since fermentation? Most beers will clear up some as they age in bottle, too

 

[reibrew]

Thanks for all the input unicorn.

tre - yes, OG was 1044, right now its around 1010

 

[tre9er]

If your gravity stays steady for three days, bottle.