TRainH2o
Well-Known Member
I am following the current trend of letting my beer sit in the primary for an extended time, rather than racking to a secondary. So far I have brewed only Ales.
My first two brews sat in the bucket for 4 weeks.
Racked to a keg.
Purged the O2 with CO2 and chilled in the refrigerator.
My first brew, German Amber Ale from AHBS, never really tasted right. It wasn't bad but it just wasn't smooth. My local club members described it as having a green apple taste. My second brew, a Pale Ale, has a bit of that same taste but not as bad. It's pretty bitter so the hops may be masking more of that taste. So now I have brew number 3 fermenting. It's a Belgian Strong Ale, Chimay Grand Reserve Clone.
So my question is this: Am I making a mistake by cooling the beer once it's kegged? Should I have kegged and left it at room temperature for more time?
There should not be a problem with sanitation. I am fairly particular about how I do things. The fermentation temp may have gone a bit high on my first brew but I watched the Pale Ale and it was always 66˚- 68˚ until it was racked to the keg. Thoughts? I am making drinkable beer, just not great beer.
My first two brews sat in the bucket for 4 weeks.
Racked to a keg.
Purged the O2 with CO2 and chilled in the refrigerator.
My first brew, German Amber Ale from AHBS, never really tasted right. It wasn't bad but it just wasn't smooth. My local club members described it as having a green apple taste. My second brew, a Pale Ale, has a bit of that same taste but not as bad. It's pretty bitter so the hops may be masking more of that taste. So now I have brew number 3 fermenting. It's a Belgian Strong Ale, Chimay Grand Reserve Clone.
So my question is this: Am I making a mistake by cooling the beer once it's kegged? Should I have kegged and left it at room temperature for more time?
There should not be a problem with sanitation. I am fairly particular about how I do things. The fermentation temp may have gone a bit high on my first brew but I watched the Pale Ale and it was always 66˚- 68˚ until it was racked to the keg. Thoughts? I am making drinkable beer, just not great beer.