stout after one week = gym sock aftertaste

[tallbrew81]

Hello everyone
I am a relatively new homebrewer... 5-6 batches. I just brewed a 'classic stout' from MWsupplies. Used late-extract w reduced bittering hops (~20% less) and primed w 3/4 cup DME (5 gal batch). Generally I follow the 1-2-3 rule w/ primary/secondary/bottling. Tried a stout after 9 days in bottle. I know it's still early and the brew was definitely drinkable, but had this weird... "gym sock" for lack of a better word... side taste. I was wondering what ppl thought. I've brewed a stout before and I don't recall this flavor. I was thinking either a) it hasn't conditioned long enuf or b) I may've squeezed the specialty grain bag too much and released tannins. Any thoughts?

 

[gmcapone]

What was the fermentation temperatures? It could be oxidation, was there excessive stirring or splashing in the bottling process?

I'm guessing its nothing though, 9 days is a really short bottling time. Let it sit for at least 2 weeks and don't freak out yet.

 

[unionrdr]

I'm not a fan of that 1.2.3 rule. Old twaddlespeak says I. Most average brewer's batches need more than 1 week in primary to finish & clean up by products/settle out more. And unless you're racking onto something or aging,secondary really isn't needed. But 3 weeks in bottles at 70F is still the norm for average gravity beers to carb & condition. I've found that 4-5 weeks is better for a more mature beer.

 

[tallbrew81]

Good points.

Fermentation/bottling temp is 68-71 F w/ majority spent at 69 F. Minimal splashing during transfers.

I have thought about the no-secondary advice and I may just start avoiding the secondary when not necessary. That way I can have more batches going at once anyway!

I will take y'alls advice and RAHAHB. Now that I think about it I didn't sample the other stout until about 3.5 weeks in the bottle, so it could've also tasted like a** after 9 days, too.

 

[Ultra-Medic]

Stouts typically take longer to develop & balance from what I've seen. With all I've read & my limited experience, I'd give at least three weeks primary, three weeks bottle at a minimum and only secondary for prolonged fermentation or additions.

 

[StophJS]

My humble two cents: A lot of people will tell homebrewers complaining of an off taste after just a few days that it's too early to tell, but my experience both with my own homebrewing and others' is that a serious off-flavor like "gym socks" isn't going to be apparent at 9 days in bottle and not apparent after a few weeks.. Beers will definitely change during bottle conditioning but not that drastically, in my opinion. If you have that kind of flavor going on, it's probably not just green beer flavor.

 

[ChessRockwell]

I don't know, my all grain all chinook test batch had a very noticeable "musty" taste, after 2 weeks in the bottle, which I attributed to stale grains (they were on the clearance rack). By the time I got to the last bottle (4 weeks after bottling) it was almost completely gone and I wished I had waited longer to drink the others. Time can fix a lot of things! If it tastes bad now, you've got nothing to lose by giving it more time.

 

[VillageBrew]

Dude. Put away the bottles and forget about them. A stout will be a lot better after time. Don't waste an once of the dark goodness by drinking it early. That only causes anxiety. My bigger beers (stouts, porters etc) are not touched for three months, at least! The great tastes trumps the lack of will power that one might have. Only drink green beers as a learning tool so that you know what they taste like as they mature. Do not expect a finished product.

 

[Crito]

Stouts typically take longer to develop & balance from what I've seen. With all I've read & my limited experience, I'd give at least three weeks primary, three weeks bottle at a minimum and only secondary for prolonged fermentation or additions.

true.

I drank some secondary Milk stout. I was in heaven.

When I kegged it, it was a totally different taste.

 

[tallbrew81]

Update: drank at 23 days and MUCH better. Flavors have blended and softened. Still needs a few more weeks I think but thanks for advising patience to all.

 

[Reuben1012]

I just finished a porter extract w/specialty grains. At 2 weeks in the bottle it was OK but had a kind of sweet soda pop thing going. I waited another 2 weeks and its AWESOME. It does seem like dark beers take longer to condition, my pale ale was ready sooner.

 

[unionrdr]

My darker ales are the same way. They def need extra time to condition,as well as 2 weeks fridge time to get decent head & carbonation into solution.

 

[Reuben1012]

Gotta try the 2 week fridge thing, mine are always gone after a day in the fridge. I try to conserve by keeping them in my cellar, but allot of times I just end up putting them in the freezer for 20 minutes and drinking....

 

[unionrdr]

Cold beer absorbs the co2 faster than warm,but it is by no means a quick process. 2 weeks in the fridge seems to be great for all beers. But darker or bigger beers need that much time to get decent head & carbonation at all ime. It def works.

 

[YBC]

Can anyone explain this 1-2-3 approach to me? Ive heard of it but don't quite understand. All the brews I have made I have just fermented in the bucket then gone straight to bottle. If there is a thread for this already links are appreciated.

 

[Reuben1012]

I think it's 1 week in primary, 2 weeks in secondary, and 3 weeks in the bottle.
I usually do 2 or 3 weeks primary, 2 or 3 weeks secondary and 3 weeks bottle conditioning.

 

[Reuben1012]

Cold beer absorbs the co2 faster than warm,but it is by no means a quick process. 2 weeks in the fridge seems to be great for all beers. But darker or bigger beers need that much time to get decent head & carbonation at all ime. It def works.

Cool I just finished a Honey Kolsch, i vow to fridge a couple 22's for at least 2 weeks..... So far my carb level has been good, but I am always looking for ways to improve.

 

[LTownLiquorPig]

Cool I just finished a Honey Kolsch, i vow to fridge a couple 22's for at least 2 weeks..... So far my carb level has been good, but I am always looking for ways to improve.

Having a dedicated beer fridge helps I think. You can chuck them all, or most of them, into the fridge and leave them there until you drink them.

I still have my dorm room mini fridge, finally being a pack rat is coming in handy.

 

[unionrdr]

I wish I had a dedicated beer fridge so that I could put them all in at once when they're ready.

 

[ChessRockwell]

Gotta try the 2 week fridge thing, mine are always gone after a day in the fridge. I try to conserve by keeping them in my cellar, but allot of times I just end up putting them in the freezer for 20 minutes and drinking....

Haha, sounds like me...
There's definitely something to the fridge time thing though, I had a ginger beer I made that I bottled when fermentation was not quite finished, let it carb for a week and had major gushers on the ones I tried to drink that had only been in the fridge for a day. Thought it was a lost cause but I opened one a week later that I found in the back of the fridge and it didn't gush out at all, totally drinkable. It was definitely highly carbonated, but didn't spill half it's contents via foam before it settled down like the earlier ones.

 

[LTownLiquorPig]

I wish I had a dedicated beer fridge so that I could put them all in at once when they're ready.

Mine had been taking up space for 6 or 7 years, but I couldn't get rid of it. This summer it made it's way to the garage (glorified barn) and was on it's last legs I thought. Hadn't plugged it in in years. Started brewing, thought it might be handy so I gave it a try, and it worked. It almost became a "look what I got on kijiji thread" on here, but it's still mine!

 

[unionrdr]

Lucky you! Ours was def completely utterly with out a doubt fubar'd. But the new on has all digital controls,even seperate ones for freezer & fridge. with current temp readouts as well. Like to get one like that for beer. Put it in the man cave with a big fancy wood cabinet for glasses & dry beer stuff.