Tired of being "close"!

[Chinese]

I've only brewed 4-5 batches, but I have been passionate about each of them. BUT . . . I am sick and tired of all of them being "almost" good. I follow the recipes to the letter(they all seem a little "general"), and I always have cloudy beer with carbonation issues. I opened my first bottle of my latest yesterday, Houblemonstre from NB(w extra hops), and it smells and tastes awesome . . . For a flat, cloudy beer. There is ALWAYS an issue! I need to brew a great, shareable beer soon or i might pack it in. Someone give me a good halftime speech so I will come back out for the second half!

need to brew a good, shareable beer or I am packing it in.

 

[day_trippr]

Could you give us a little more to go on?

Like:

All-grain or extract or ?
Do you use a hydrometer or ?
Bottle conditioned or ?
Temperature control during primary fermentation or ?
How long do you allow for primary fermentation, conditioning, and chilling?
What kinds of yeasts have you been using?
What do you know about your brewing water?

Cheers!

 

[JLem]

Chill haze is likely to always be an issue unless you cold crash and filter. Barring that, time spent in the fridge will help - like 3 weeks or more. Most of my beers are hazy young. But the longer I let them sit at cold temps, the less hazy they become.

Carbonation issues should be easy to fix - use one of the online bottle priming calculators to determine the appropriate *weight* of priming sugar to use and let them condition at room temp for 3 weeks.

 

[Pappers_]

As suggested in the two posts above, time is likely your friend. Tell us about the timing of your process and how you are carbonating.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

I can't speak for anyone else, but what helped me along in the beginning was brewing dark beers (stouts & porters mostly). they hide any cloudiness & flavor flaws, which helps boost your brewing confidence. listen to the old hands on specific issues & apply to your process when possible. sometimes it's the little things that can make a huge difference. be patient with your beer. it will improve to your tastes & applying different techniques will take it even further.

 

[LAbrewer]

Bottled beer usually clears with time. Let the cloudy beer sit for a couple months in a closet and then put it in the fridge for a few weeks.

Flat beer may be a result of impatience assuming you added the priming sugar at the time when you bottled. Also, I hope you stored those bottles at room temp and not in the fridge.

 

[Braufessor]

yep - more info.

What temp. are you cooling to?
What yeast?
Ferm temps?
How long in fermenter?
Transferring?
How are you going about priming and bottling?
Temperature you are storing at after bottling?
Time frame from day of brew, to bottling, to testing/tasting first bottles?

 

[BobbiLynn]

It's a good idea to follow the instructions to a tee, but never listen to the amount of time it says it takes, double it at least. Just a guess, but maybe you are not being patient enough with your batches.

 

[Chinese]

I am brewing mostly partial(grain/extract) kits. I am following the directions to the letter(except for one tragic mis-step on one batch that resulted in a horrendous explosion). Best thing I've done is a milk-house stout - my first batch. I know nothing about my water . . . I do not use a hydrometer . . . I do use a wort chiller as it was taking forever before i could pitch the yeast. as for times and temps . . . i simply follow directions. I currently have a sweet potato ale in the fermenter . . . I am about to do an American IPA kit(any recommendations?). I am a newbie . . . Keep it as simple as this incredibly complex hobby will allow.

 

[pellis007]

Your best brewing friend will be a hydrometer. That and controlling your fermentation temps. Aside from that, have you tried Irish Moss or something like it at the end of your boil? That will sometimes help with clarity.

 

[aiptasia]

Definitely pick up a hydrometer so you can tell the approximate alcohol by volume ratio of your beer, and so that you can tell when your primary fermentation is complete.

Here's a few tips towards a clearer, properly carbonated beer:

• Use fining agents like irish moss. Irish moss is a type of seaweed that binds chill hazing proteins in your wort. Add 1 tsp. at 15 minutes during your boil. Whirlfloc tablets also do the same thing, only better.
  
• Cold crash your beer. A few days before bottling, cool off your beer in a fridge or freezer with a temperature controller to about 40 degrees f. The cold temperatures will cause remaining suspended yeast to flocculate out of the liquid.
  
• If that still doesn't remove the chill haze, do the gelatin trick on your beers. Search gelatin here on the forums to find the technique.

Now, for carbonating. There are several online carbonation calculators (here, mr. malty, etc.) that can help you calculate how much priming sugar to add to your beer. I always try to err on the side of using just slightly more priming sugar than I need. For example, for most ales, i'll use 3/4 cup of dextrose added to a cup of boiling water to make a simple syrup, which I pour directly into my bottling bucket right before I rack my beer from the primary into it. This ensures proper mixing and even distribution of the priming sugar in the entire batch.

Second, be sure to let your bottles condition a full three weeks to properly carbonate up. Most beginning brewers suffer from "gottahaveit-itis" and open their beers too soon. Be patient and let them condition the full three weeks in a warm, dark place (top shelf in an interior closet).

Last, make sure you chill down your beers a full 48 hours prior to opening them. The colder temperatures will cause more re-absorption of CO2 from the pressure built up inside of the bottle, so you get more carbonation into the liquid instead of escaping when you open the bottle.

Hope these tips help.

 

[Chinese]

I used Irish Moss with my recent Sweet Potato Ale. I have an artesian well. I imagined that my water would just be a subtle impact.

 

[mikescooling]

I like Whirlfloc tablets and cold crashing the wort and then cold crash the beer in the carboy and again cold crash in the keg. Got that!!! Kegging is cool, takes it to another level, lots of fun at party's.

 

[Atonk]

Four or five batches into this hobby is way too premature to quit, especially since patience is one of the hardest things to learn in homebrewing. I would suggest you take all the good, sound advice you've just been given and crank out a few more. It will be so worth it when you do brew that great one!

 

[Chinese]

Good stuff Aiptasia! . . . And YES, Atonk. What was I thinking?! I bottled my Houblonmonstre on Dec 5. I chilled a bottle for about two days and tried it last night. Very little carbonation. I am fairly sure I didn't use enough priming sugar. I used what the directions called for. I had half the pack that came with the kit left. I triple check the directions and measurements. I guess a hydrometer will prevent that in the future.

 

[Pappers_]

chilled a bottle for about two days and tried it last night. Very little carbonation. I am fairly sure I didn't use enough priming sugar. I used what the directions called for.

Here's the easy, fool-proof method to get standard carbonation for a five gallon batch:

1. Dissolve 2/3 cup of table sugar (no need for priming or corn sugar) in two cups of tap water. Boil for a minute or two to sanitize.

2. Let cool for a few minutes, pour into bottling bucket. Rack your beer into the bottling bucket onto the priming solution. Bottle and cap.

3. Let sit for two to three weeks in warmish temps (70F or higher is best).

4. Chill a bottle and give it a try. If its not carbonated, let the bottles sit another week and try another.

Hope this helps!

 

[cluckk]

I can't speak for anyone else, but what helped me along in the beginning was brewing dark beers (stouts & porters mostly). they hide any cloudiness & flavor flaws, which helps boost your brewing confidence. listen to the old hands on specific issues & apply to your process when possible. sometimes it's the little things that can make a huge difference. be patient with your beer. it will improve to your tastes & applying different techniques will take it even further.

This would be my advice. Start with the darkest beers that are the most forgiving. Build your techniques that make these good--fermentation temps, pitching rates, aeration, boiling, etc. Later start going lighter and lighter and working on the techniques that are needed for these.

 

[JLem]

Good stuff Aiptasia! . . . And YES, Atonk. What was I thinking?! I bottled my Houblonmonstre on Dec 5. I chilled a bottle for about two days and tried it last night. Very little carbonation. I am fairly sure I didn't use enough priming sugar. I used what the directions called for. I had half the pack that came with the kit left. I triple check the directions and measurements. I guess a hydrometer will prevent that in the future.

1) for how long did you let it ferment before bottling?
2) without a hydrometer, how have you determined when fermentation was complete?
3) how much and what type of priming sugar did you use?
4) for how long and at what temperature did you condition the bottles before chilling/drinking?

 

[osagedr]

1. Read "How to Brew" online. It's free.

2. Click over to the Beginners forum of this site and do some reading.

 

[feinbera]

How long are your beers sitting before you bottle them? Your beer's clarity will benefit a lot from letting it go at least four or five weeks (if not much, much longer) before you bottle it.

And, as other posters said, you also have to patient with the carbonation. It's gonna take at least three weeks. It sucks, but you can start another beer while the first one's carbonating, so, silver lining?

You'll always have dregs at the bottom of your bottles -- the yeast that carbonates your beer has to go *SOMEWHERE* after it's finished carbonating -- but, five weeks fermenting, three carbonating, and you'll pour crsytal-clear until that last half-inch of beer, which you can just leave in the bottle.

 

[snaps10]

If you bottled on December 5th, I wouldn't even be putting it in the fridge until now. Then I'd leave it in for a week at least. Time is your friend. I remember what it was like before I had a solid pipeline going. The waiting is a killer. Always brew your next batch at around the same time as you are bottling. It makes it easier to be patient and not rush opening them.

I haven't seen a kit (though I've only done two kits myself) that recommended too little priming sugar. I'm sure the sugar amount is fine. DON'T put too much. Too little carbonation is fine, too much can be dangerous.

Once again. Time is your friend.

Your beers will only get better, I promise you that.

 

[b-boy]

I felt the same way about a year ago. Just try to focus on improving one thing every batch. Start with tempuratures then move to your water then look into yeast starters, etc.... If there is one thing I've figured out it's that brewing is more of a marathon than a sprint. It takes a while to get there, but once you get there it's worth it.

 

[libeerty]

I felt the same way about a year ago. Just try to focus on improving one thing every batch. Start with tempuratures then move to your water then look into yeast starters, etc.... If there is one thing I've figured out it's that brewing is more of a marathon than a sprint. It takes a while to get there, but once you get there it's worth it.

Great advice.

 

[Braufessor]

You still have not actually answered any of the questions that people are asking you - you keep saying "I followed the directions." Well...... we don't know what those directions are. Sometimes, unfortunately, the directions that come with the kits are not the greatest in the world. Often, new brewers are in a hurry and operate around the fringes of the ranges they are given. For instance, fermenting at the highest or lowest ends of the ranges. Or, Fermenting for the shortest amount of time described, etc. I think a likely culprit to your carbonation issue could be your timeline, but unless you tell us the actual details of what you are doing, we cannot really do anything other than guess.
Temperature of wort after using chiller? ( I get it down to low 60's)
How long are you fermenting? (I do a 3 week primary, no secondary)
What temp? (I go with low to mid 60's if it is a regular ale of some sort)
Bottling? (I transfer to bottling bucket carefully and mix with 2/3 to 3/4 cup priming sugar that has been boiled in water) Mix thoroughly without splashing beer)
Bottle.
Store at temp in mid 60's to mid 70's for a minimum of 2-3 weeks.
Then check beer (This will be 5-6 weeks after the day you brewed it).
Give us some details or it is all random guess work.

 

[Zamial]

You need to make solid extract kits before moving to PM or AG. If you can not then you need to know why.

Get a Brewer's Best or Austin Homebrew Supply extract kit for a stout. Use distilled or RO water and follow the "cooking" directions. Then find a spot that is dark and stays at 60F that is not directly on concrete/brick. Put the fermentation bucket there. Use a sanitized wire whisk and aerate the wort then pitch the yeast. (Note: do not bang the whisk into the sides/bottom of the bucket.) Cover it up and install the airlock. Walk away from the fermenter for 3-4 weeks.

Take the priming sugar and dissolve it in a small amount of boiling water preferably bottled spring water. (You do not need much) Let that cool then dump it into the bottom of the bottling bucket, rack the beer to the bottling bucket. Clean and sanitize the bottles + caps and bottle the beer. Once the beer is bottled move the bottles to a place that is 70-75F for 2 weeks. After 2 weeks place one in the fridge and see if it is carbed up. If it is then you can store or drink the beer if it is not give it another week at 70-75F.

If your beer still turns out badly join a local homebrew club and get some help from people in your area that know what they are doing. I have never met a HBC that is not willing to help each other improve the beer they make.

 

[Chinese]

You still have not actually answered any of the questions that people are asking you - you keep saying "I followed the directions." Well...... we don't know what those directions are. Sometimes, unfortunately, the directions that come with the kits are not the greatest in the world. Often, new brewers are in a hurry and operate around the fringes of the ranges they are given. For instance, fermenting at the highest or lowest ends of the ranges. Or, Fermenting for the shortest amount of time described, etc. I think a likely culprit to your carbonation issue could be your timeline, but unless you tell us the actual details of what you are doing, we cannot really do anything other than guess.
Temperature of wort after using chiller? ( I get it down to low 60's)
How long are you fermenting? (I do a 3 week primary, no secondary)
What temp? (I go with low to mid 60's if it is a regular ale of some sort)
Bottling? (I transfer to bottling bucket carefully and mix with 2/3 to 3/4 cup priming sugar that has been boiled in water) Mix thoroughly without splashing beer)
Bottle.
Store at temp in mid 60's to mid 70's for a minimum of 2-3 weeks.
Then check beer (This will be 5-6 weeks after the day you brewed it).
Give us some details or it is all random guess work.

I appreciate the reprimand. I just needed a good pep talk to keep me going(thanks Atonk and B-Bomb!). I was hesitant to give details because I was speaking in general for the five kits I've done(1 stout and 4 ales). I will give the specifics for the Houblonmonstre that I recently did.as the various(and unfortunately "varied") responses come in, I will be able to glean a clearer picture of my failings. What tremendous tools these forums! Thanks for the help guys. Here goes:

I brewed on 10/21. The recipe called for 5 oz of Magnum, Saaz, and Cascade hops, but I added an additional oz of Argentine Cascade(early and mid) and an additional oz of Centennial (late). I adore hops. It took 3 hrs to get the temp down to 78 (as directed) to pitch the yeast(a wildly active Wyeast 3522 Belgian Ardennes). Fermented in primary until 11/5 at 68 degrees and gently transferred to carboy for secondary(a move that more and more sounds unnecessary, again, depending on who you listen to). Temp stayed at 68. On 12/9 I boiled up 2/3 cup of "priming sugar"(that is all the infornation on the label) put it in the bottling tub and gently transferred then bottled the brew(into growlers). Stored at 68(two six packs are in the cellar at 60. Earlier in the thread I said that I bottled on 12/5, but I was going off of memory. My notes are now in front of me.

 

[DrunkleJon]

Being as it has now been 3 weeks in bottles, if you lift one up and attempt to view through it is it clear? If not I would give it another week or so. If it is clear, the cloudiness is most likely in how you are pouring. With standard 12 oz bottles you pour it all into the glass in one smooth go and stop just beofr any of the sediment pours out.

Since you said you have been bottling in growlers, you most likely are mixing the sediment back into suspension. I highly reccomend giving it at least the 2 days in the fridge before pouring as it helps the sediment layer to compact and stick together better.

An other process related suggestion is to cool after the boil more quickly than 3 hours. Placing the pot in an ice bath and whirlpooling will encourage break to form and separate out of the beer which will assist in clarity as well. I suggest suspending the pot a little so you can get some ice water below the pot as well to speed this up. The faster you can cool it the better usually.

 

[JLem]

Bottling in growlers is definitely not recommended - they are not designed to hold liquid under pressure. They are designed to hold already pressurized beer and keep it carbonated for a short while. I suspect conditioning in growlers would have one of two possible outcomes - 1) exploding growlers if the glass gives out before the cap seal or 2) flat beer if the cap seal gives out before the glass. It is possible you are experiencing outcome #2.

 

[Braufessor]

+1 one on the growlers. To be honest, most everything in your process looks ok . . . . at least to the effect that the beer should be carbonated. I would chill lower than 78 - that is very high, but it should not effect carbonation.. The only thing that really jumps out to me is that you are using growlers..... I guess I would start with that, as they are not designed to do what you are doing. At the very least, try a dozen 22 ounce bottles and cap them when you do your next batch. Maybe up priming sugar a tad - between 2/3 and 3/4. Otherwise, nothing else is jumping out at me - could try only going primary, and make sure you get "some" sediment when you transfer to bottling bucket to ensure adequate yeast for conditioning. Not a lot, but a little bit.

 

[BadNewsBrewery]

The one thing in your process that stood out to me was the growlers. I've pitched yeast too hot or cooled too slowly and done all the rookie mistakes that people make and still wound up with drinkable, carbonated, clear beer (with the appropriate ammount of patience). The growlers, however... I've never heard them good for keeping beer carbonated for long.

If you're set on the growler idea, maybe next batch try a dozen standard bottles along side the growlers and do a comparison there.

-Kevin