Throwing away a batch :-(

[lewishowardm3]

So I'm about to pour my 2nd ever batch down the sink!
I know some may say give it time but seriously it is disgusting! It was a can brew with added 1kg of dextrose. Its been sitting in the bottles for over 6 weeks now and it tastes exactly the same as it did after 3 4 and 5 weeks. It is like drinking brown watery cola and smell awful.

I've got another batch that is almost ready and this is a IPA with DME and also has been dry hopped. So I'm exited about this one.

Anyone else had to do this? Its heartbreaking and annoying :-(

 

[Schecter]

I just give it to my BMC friends they usually love it
I'd put a few bottles aside to age for the hell of it. If it doesn't get better, you can at least try it down the line and go "Wow, I brew so much better now."

 

[BBL_Brewer]

I had a few not so tasty brews from kits when I first started. I managed to choke them down though. I think old LME and crappy dry yeast are a huge problem for beginners brewing from kits and could even prersuade them to give up the hobby before they discover what good homebrew really is. Hang in there and buy quality ingredients. Your beer will improve as your process improves.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

Did you add yeast? Did the yeast ferment? Did the SG drop during fermentation? Did the bottles carbonate? If it tastes like cola, i suspect the yeast didn't do their job, either because they were DOA in the can (unlikely) or because you pitched before you cooled the wort and killed them (most likely, and the brewing CSI will be by your house to tape off the crime scene this evening) Need more details, unless you like brown watery cola.

 

[lewishowardm3]

Haha. I think I was convinced by my LHS that it would be a good beer. I think it would of needed other things added. I done exactly the same procedure as my 1st brew. My 1st brew was a coopers real ale and tasted pretty good. Ive just ordered my ingredients for my next brew which will involve steeping grains.

If this bad batch was my 1st brew then I probably would of been put off of brewing altogether, but I'm enjoying the learning and look forward to each brew. I think it was a case of not being a good extract kit.

 

[looneybomber]

Whatever you do, don't dump it. Hang on to them and use them as marinade.

 

[jbaysurfer]

I've dumped several batches. I understand. I'm of the attitude that you shouldn't cook with anything you wouldn't drink (wine or beer) so I wouldn't use bad beer in a marinade either. Usually, the "don't do it" crowd will gladly take it off your hands for you though, so if you live near any of them, have them come and get them with clean bottles for your next batch. ;-)

 

[pohldogg]

I don't believe in dumping batches. Not because I have any notions it will improve, but because there's no better teaching tool than suffering through 5 gallons of a mistake. Basically 48 reminders to do better next time.

 

[jbaysurfer]

I don't believe in dumping batches. Not because I have any notions it will improve, but because there's no better teaching tool than suffering through 5 gallons of a mistake. Basically 48 reminders to do better next time.

LOL..ok, well I guess if you need that kind of motivation. I personally get enough motivation to do better just by watching it circle the drain.

To each their own!

 

[onthekeg]

I've dumped several batches. I understand. I'm of the attitude that you shouldn't cook with anything you wouldn't drink (wine or beer) so I wouldn't use bad beer in a marinade either. Usually, the "don't do it" crowd will gladly take it off your hands for you though, so if you live near any of them, have them come and get them with clean bottles for your next batch. ;-)

As a rule I don't drink vinegar either, but its an essential ingredient in many things.

 

[tre9er]

As a rule I don't drink vinegar either, but its an essential ingredient in many things.

Well-played.

OP, unless you're hard-up for bottles, let them sit somewhere dark for a year, then try. There are countless stories of "undrinkable-to-great".

 

[lewishowardm3]

I don't believe in dumping batches. Not because I have any notions it will improve, but because there's no better teaching tool than suffering through 5 gallons of a mistake. Basically 48 reminders to do better next time.

But your liver can only filter so much alcohol so you shouldn't waste it on bad beer haha

 

[lewishowardm3]

I have about 30 bottles left and I need about 15 more empty bottles for my next batch, so I'll pour away half and throw the rest in a dark place and forget about them. I suppose there is no harm in that.

 

[TyTanium]

...let them sit somewhere dark for a year, then try. There are countless stories of "undrinkable-to-great".

There are twice as many more of "undrinkable-to-still undrinkable." Unfortunately it takes experience to distinguish the two, pre-aging. I don't know, I can never tell.

If it's a dumper, it's a dumper. No shame in that. You'll feel a burden lifted.

As for cooking, I think it depends on the reason it's undrinkable. Metallic chlorophenols & rubbery bandaid solvent? Not good for cooking.
Underattenuated & sweet? Might work in sweeter sauces. No harm in trying a bottle or two & see what you think.

 

[looneybomber]

If you need more bottles, you can always check local hole-in-the-wall bars to see if you can take some out of their trash. They may look at you funny, but hey, they're free. I too am in a pinch for bottles. Or you can stop by your local liquor store and see what beers they have on sale.

 

[tre9er]

Nobody seems to take me seriously when I say that going to the recycling drop-off dumpsters is a gold-mine for bottles. They're no worse off than any of your brewing equipment or dirty dishes are...soak in oxy-clean or PBW, bottle-brush, then star-san. I got a few cases that way and half-dozen bombers. I got no shame.

 

[jbaysurfer]

As a rule I don't drink vinegar either, but its an essential ingredient in many things.

Fair enough. It would take me a lifetime to make it through 5 gallons of vinegar, let alone bad tasting vinegar, but I guess if you're a doomsday prepper and you don't have a kombucha mother around. ;-)

 

[jbaysurfer]

Nobody seems to take me seriously when I say that going to the recycling drop-off dumpsters is a gold-mine for bottles. They're no worse off than any of your brewing equipment or dirty dishes are...soak in oxy-clean or PBW, bottle-brush, then star-san. I got a few cases that way and half-dozen bombers. I got no shame.

I don't know why no one would take that suggestion seriously. I seem to consume enough bottled beers to suffice for whatever I want to bottle, but if I didn't keg, I'd probably do exactly this.

Needing the bottles by itself is hardly enough reason to dump a batch of beer, but I think the reason we're all here is that for some of us, the fact it's bad beer IS a good enough reason to dump it.

My heart broke a little bit everytime I dumped a bad batch, but like makeup sex, that next good batch taking it's place was oh sooo good!

 

[tre9er]

Since this beer is in bottles I guess I see no good reason to dump it other than if space is at a complete premium, like studio apartment. If it's bottles, go get some more. They're not hard to find. That was my point.

 

[JohnnySardonic]

My first batch was all extract and I hated it. Same description, like highly carbonated brown soda water. But, my BMC friends liked it enough to drink 40 of them.

Whatever you do don't get discouraged. Your brews will get better batch by batch.

 

[jbaysurfer]

and it was a good point tre9er, I certainly didn't mean to be argumentative.

 

[tre9er]

and it was a good point tre9er, I certainly didn't mean to be argumentative.

I know you weren't. I'm stressing the point is all. Why throw it away if needing the bottles is the only real reason? What if it turned out to be amazing in a year? I know I have enough nooks and crannies in my house (basement) to put umpteen gallons of beer away if need be.

 

[Susurro]

I've only been brewing for about a year now, but luckily I haven't had to dump a batch of beer yet. I came pretty close with a cider earlier this year, though with enough cinnamon it was tolerable.

 

[dfc]

I don't believe in dumping batches. Not because I have any notions it will improve, but because there's no better teaching tool than suffering through 5 gallons of a mistake. Basically 48 reminders to do better next time.

Haha, I've had to do this twice. The first time caused me to get a fermentation chamber and the second time... Well, I don't know what went wrong the second time. I'm blaming it on the recipe/ingredients.

 

[Arbor413]

i don't believe in dumping batches. Not because i have any notions it will improve, but because there's no better teaching tool than suffering through 5 gallons of a mistake. Basically 48 reminders to do better next time.

+1

 

[estricklin]

I've had to dump a couple batchers before. One when I was new, I bottled a laguer after about 6 days, if I hadn't of dumped e'm I would have had a HUGE mess. The other I have no idea what went wrong, maybe it was contaminated? I've had some batches that weren't all that great and I did use them more for cooking but they wern't horrible.

 

[Fizzycist]

Are you short on bottles? If you are getting free ones from bars you should have plenty and might as well bottle it. Can't hurt to leave it in a cool dark place for 6 months or more.

 

[jarrodaden]

I would put it in a place where it is out of the way and forget about it. Time heals most anything.

 

[Qhrumphf]

If you have a local bottle shop that does tastings, check and see if they have empties. I have 3 cases of 12s sitting waiting to be de-labeled I picked up from mine.

I've only had to dump one batch. It was my second batch ever, a fusel bomb, and a hard lesson in temp control. I've had a number of less-than-stellar ones. If I know a brew is bad but still drinkable, I just don't bother sharing it with anyone, and just slam a handful down at a time to burn through them when I feel like getting a little toasted.

 

[Qhrumphf]

If you have a local bottle shop that does tastings, check and see if they have empties. I have 3 cases of 12s sitting waiting to be de-labeled I picked up from mine.

I've only had to dump one batch. It was my second batch ever, a fusel bomb, and a hard lesson in temp control. I've had a number of less-than-stellar ones. If I know a brew is bad but still drinkable, I just don't bother sharing it with anyone, and just slam a handful down at a time to burn through them when I feel like getting a little toasted.

 

[lewishowardm3]

I know you weren't. I'm stressing the point is all. Why throw it away if needing the bottles is the only real reason? What if it turned out to be amazing in a year? I know I have enough nooks and crannies in my house (basement) to put umpteen gallons of beer away if need be.

I live In a small house and any available space is taken up. I only got a little cupboard under the stairs where I ferment my brews and that it's self is very small. I can't leave the bottles lying around the house as I have a son. I can only fit about two batches of bottled beer at a time.

Damn I need a bigger house!!

 

[tre9er]

I live In a small house and any available space is taken up. I only got a little cupboard under the stairs where I ferment my brews and that it's self is very small. I can't leave the bottles lying around the house as I have a son. I can only fit about two batches of bottled beer at a time.

Damn I need a bigger house!!

A basement plus two more stories is helpful. I haven't had to use up much of the space though...yet

 

[JohnnySardonic]

I live In a small house and any available space is taken up. I only got a little cupboard under the stairs where I ferment my brews and that it's self is very small. I can't leave the bottles lying around the house as I have a son. I can only fit about two batches of bottled beer at a time.

Damn I need a bigger house!!

Get a storage unit. What kind of home brewer are you? /joking

 

[looneybomber]

Get a storage unit. What kind of home brewer are you? /joking

Could you imagine that episode of Storage Wars.

 

[lewishowardm3]

Haha. The reason I started brewing is cost reasons. If I ever move i will have to consider brewing space. Like a garage.