Tired of being "close"!

[NeighborsBrewingCo]

I second the importance of the hydrometer!

Also look at what yeast you are using. All yeasts Have different levels of Flocculation ( higher the flocculation, clearer the beer)

Some yeasts also just require a bit more time to flocculate.
I have had white labs California finish in 4 to 5 days crystal clear.
An yesterday and bottled an ipa with us-05 that took three weeks to clear up.

Lastly, cold crash the day before bottling and don't try to save that last half a beer left in the trub as tempting as it may be.

 

[Pappers_]

The one thing in your process that stood out to me was the growlers.

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.

Bottle in bottles, not growlers, and see what happens. You're using the right amount of sugar, if you use bottles, with caps (not screw tops like most growlers) and give it enough time at 70F+, you will have carbonated beer.

 

[techbrewie]

If you really want to be successful at brewing, you need to learn and understand the entire process. I'd say buy a beginners book and run through it. I started with The complete joy of home brewing. It was an awesome book and it had tons of useful info. The instructions are just a guideline really.

Having a wort chiller is doing it right so you have that, but here are some more suggestions.

Get a hydrometer and testing cylinder.

Use gallon jugs of purified water from the store. This way you don't have to mess with water quality. Also it adds consistency to the process.

Make sure your fermentation temps are within range for the yeast and are consistent.

Do a secondary fermentation, but don't rack to it until primary final gravity hasnt changed for 2-3 days. This is the only way to know primary is finished. The instructions just give a rough estimate hence why the hydrometer is so important. If you do a full secondary and still have haze, use some super kleer in the secondary. Do it without your first time though.

If you cant get bottle carbing down, go to kegging. Makes everything go super smooth, just requires some investment. Chances are though, if you're putting in the right amount of priming sugar and you get bottle bombs, your fermentation wasn't complete. If your beer isn't carbed yet let it sit and remember you gotta keep the bottles at room temp. If you bottle then refrigerate the yeast will go dormant and you'll get flat beer.

Buy brewing software like Beersmith. It gives a lot of insight into ingredients and how they affect your brew. It is also an awesome way to track the progress of your recipes and revisions you make each time you brew them.

There are a lot of people the just do 1-3 gallon batches. This way they can brew often and not have way too much beer to drink. This would be the fastest way to gain experience

If you know someone more experienced with brewing ask them if you could hang out on their brew day and take notes on things he does that you dont.

Anyone can pitch yeast and make beer. To make Great beer you need to take the time to learn the process, keep consistency in your batches, and most of all brew as much as you can.

 

[Chinese]

Never thought about the growler as a "less than adequate" conditioning vessel, but it makes sense. Luckily I did bottle about a dozen bottles. I'm going down in the cellar and pop one. I'll be back with the results.

 

[BadNewsBrewery]

I'm going down in the cellar and pop one. I'll be back with the results.

The suspense is palpable...ipe:

 

[DrunkleJon]

The suspension is palpable...ipe:

Fixed it for you. Yeast in suspension... get it?

 

[BadNewsBrewery]

:smack:

 

[JLem]

Never thought about the growler as a "less than adequate" conditioning vessel, but it makes sense. Luckily I did bottle about a dozen bottles. I'm going down in the cellar and pop one. I'll be back with the results.

Everything OK? Did you make it back up from the cellar? Or should we send help?

 

[BobbiLynn]

Everything OK? Did you make it back up from the cellar? Or should we send help?

I'm getting worried... maybe he fell down the stairs?

 

[DrunkleJon]

Quick, we need 3-4 volunteers to help drink the growlers that fell on him so we can rescue him from the fallen shelving unit.

 

[mikescooling]

COME BACK, ARE YOU OK!!! I don't think he can hear me..

 

[BobbiLynn]

COME BACK, ARE YOU OK!!! I don't think he can hear me..

Maybe the shelving unit did fall on him, I'll volunteer to starting drinking up the spillage, help get him uncovered.

 

[Braufessor]

Maybe the first one was carbonated and he was so happy he stayed and drank the other 11...

 

[snaps10]

Fairly certain the yeast zombies got him.

 

[JLem]

Do you suppose he just stepped away from HBT for a while? Not sure why anyone would do that, but it would explain the silence. Then again, yeast zombies and being trapped under fallen shelving is so much more likely...

 

[ShepFL]

As pellis007 said get a hydrometer. Someone has a tag line about psychic brewing that is a hoot.
They are cheap enough so if possible get 2. One to use and one for when that "Aw $hit" momment happens.
As to cloudiness - don't sweat the small stuff. You made it, enjoy it and once you find something you like start looking for ways to improve.
Taste and quality is paramount - clarity is nice to have but not needed.

Think about cloudiness of heffs (wheat beers) or dunklewiesen (dark wheat) - murky but mmm, mmm good!
PS - I am not a hop head so I can't speak for those - Stouts, Red or Amber ales and wheat are staples in my shack.

 

[jbaysurfer]

LOL...OP is MIA!!!! LMAO @ yeast zombies!!

Jlem, the thread does read like he was uber attentive and intended to get right back to us. People are just funnin' around. He left like 7 hours ago for that beer afterall!

 

[Billy-Klubb]

Fairly certain the yeast zombies got him.

I TOLD you all!

 

[sudbuster]

LOL...OP is MIA!!!! LMAO @ yeast zombies!!

Jlem, the thread does read like he was uber attentive and intended to get right back to us. People are just funnin' around. He left like 7 hours ago for that beer afterall!

There's nothing wrong with him, it's New Years eve and his beer was good. He will wake up eventually.

 

[day_trippr]

Or he's lying dead in a pool of his own blood after barely touching the growler that exploded in his face.

Nah. Too dark...

Cheers!

 

[barmyarmy]

Tried to read all posts, but close is what most craft breweries get. They still over charge anyway. Rock on and make beer, you will get it. Good luck.

 

[sudbuster]

Or he's lying dead in a pool of his own blood after barely touching the growler that exploded in his face.

Nah. Too dark...

Cheers!

Yeah, whutever. Wimpin out and cryin' cause his beer doesn't win after two months experience. Big deal. He"s either a brewer or he's not. He'll either shape up or ship out ( as my old DI often said).

 

[Atonk]

Chinese - sixty in the cellar is kind of low for carbonating, but regardless if you've had a chance to pop one please let us know the results. The natives are getting restless.

 

[BobbiLynn]

Yeah, whutever. Wimpin out and cryin' cause his beer doesn't win after two months experience. Big deal. He"s either a brewer or he's not. He'll either shape up or ship out ( as my old DI often said).

Okay, come on, back off this guy... he tasted a few too many and the beer zombies got to him. I already drank the ones that hit him in the head, he'll come to soon.

 

[JLem]

Yeah, whutever. Wimpin out and cryin' cause his beer doesn't win after two months experience. Big deal. He"s either a brewer or he's not. He'll either shape up or ship out ( as my old DI often said).

Precisely...just stitch it up and get back in there...you're a homebrewer for christsakes!

Happy 2013 everyone!

 

[Frige]

Happy New Years everyone!
Dang yeast zombies? More stuff I have to worry about. Wheres my tin foil hat?

 

[boo boo]

http://www.howtobrew.com/ should be the first book you read.

Good luck.

 

[BWN]

Try leaving your beer in your primary for a month and don't use a secondary. You will be amazed at how much clearer your beer will be. Try to cool it faster than you have been. If can cold crash do it for a few days before you bottle. Don't worry about your water if you are doing extract. If it is good enough to drink it is good enough for extract. As for the zombies use head shots to kill them.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

Happy New Years everyone!
Dang yeast zombies? More stuff I have to worry about. Wheres my tin foil hat?

the tinfoil hats don't protect against zombies brewers beards do.

 

[moscoeb]

Maybe he had a bad batch and drank some and it killed him!!!!! Oh the humanity!

(Sorry Revvy, I just had to!)