Will color change much (if any) during fermentation?

[IDoBleedBrew]

The only reason I ask is my Irish Stout is looking much more like an Irish Red than an Irish Stout to me. I don't recall many or really any of the stouts I've had in the past having so much of a red hue to it. At the moment... it is almost looking like a marriage between a red and brown ale. This is about 68 hours into fermentation. Will this get more stout-looking or will it stay a reddish brown?

As long as it tastes good, I don't care either way. I'm just curious and trying to learn.

 

[Eh_Modern_Drunkard]

I've had the exact same problem before myself. Sadly, it's not going to darken up for ya. I've never seen much color change in my fermenters. Especially with that style, what you're looking at post-boil is going to be pretty much what you're looking at going into your kegs.
This "problem" was how I found my favorite CDA recipe though! Hahaha
I'd slap an Irish Red tag on it and roll with it hahaha

 

[WayFrae]

The only reason I ask is my Irish Stout is looking much more like an Irish Red than an Irish Stout to me. I don't recall many or really any of the stouts I've had in the past having so much of a red hue to it. At the moment... it is almost looking like a marriage between a red and brown ale. This is about 68 hours into fermentation. Will this get more stout-looking or will it stay a reddish brown?

As long as it tastes good, I don't care either way. I'm just curious and trying to learn.

It should look pretty dark if it is a stout. With a lot of yeast in suspension this early on it will definitely look lighter though. The first time I brewed a porter I forgot to get chocolate malt at my LHBS and ended up making an amber colored ale. It actually turned out really tasty and I still brew it. I call it an Unporter or an Amberish Ale.

 

[ImNoExpert]

The yeast will lighten the color DRAMATICALLY. Once it flocculates, the beer will darken accordingly.

Additionally, if you hold a Guinness up to the light it's not brown or black, but dark reddish purple/maroon.

 

[bobeer]

yup... it'll probably darken up a little once the yeast drop out. How dark was the wort when you put it in the fermentor? How much roasted barley did you put in the beer? Maybe post the recipe if you can.

 

[IDoBleedBrew]

It was very similar in color post boil and cooling. I'd say it was maybe the same color (or very close) when pitching. Here is the ingredient list... it was a kit from Midwest:

6 lb. dark liquid malt extract,
4 oz. Chocolate Malt,
4 oz. Caramel 10L,
4 oz. Roasted Barley,
4 oz. Flaked Barley specialty grain,
1/2 oz. Nugget,
1 oz. Willamette pellet hops,
Wyeast 1084 Irish Ale yeast

There may have been an ounce or two of LME that I didn't get out of the bucket... and I know how to correct that for next time.

The picture really doesn't do it justice... to my eyes it is surprisingly red. I may have to take advice from both of you (WayFrae and Modern Drunkard) and just call it a Dearg Irish Un-Stout. =)

 

[mrgrimm101]

After the yeast all settles it will look darker in the carboy. Suspended yeast will lighten it a lot. It also has to do with volume/what kind of container it is in. My recent milk stout looked more like a dark brown color when I was transferring and bottling. However, it poured nice and black into a glass. I figured it just had to do with the small volume in the hose. The larger the volume, the darker it tends to look.

 

[IDoBleedBrew]

According to the Brewer's Friend recipe tool... it is guessing the color to be very close to what it is showing in the fermentor.

 

[chickypad]

Only a 1/4 lb of roasted barley, and 1/2 lb total dark roasted grains is low for a 5 gal batch of stout. I know the dark extract should have a little but hard to know amounts, one reason to avoid dark extracts. I agree it may darken up when the yeast floccs out (then again beers always look darker in larger volumes). Next time I'd maybe go with all light extract and do a more typical Irish stout recipe like a full lb of roasted barley.

 

[A2HB]

It's not going to darken to black from the color it is now. As previous poster just said it looks like you were a little low on your roasted/black colored grains there. Chalk it up to learning and enjoy the red ale you have now

 

[Ladd]

I agree that it will likely darken up more once the yeast flocculates but probably not to what you are expecting. I bet it will be great regardless!

On a side note, having that heavy fermentor on that little stand would give me nightmares!

 

[Dixon9717]

Don't know about your color issue so much as how you store your carboy on that stand. Since one of my glass carboys broke they are always on the floor in a rubber tub...

 

[IDoBleedBrew]

Yeah... I have no idea what those little tables are rated at weight-wise. For over a year we've had one in the living room with a potted plant that weighs well over 60+ pounds. I'm sure they aren't rated that high. My fat rump has sat on one of those things before. Probably not the wisest decision. =)

 

[erick0619]

I'm just chiming into to tell you to throw a shirt over that fermenter we don't allow nudity here seriously tho light is bad for your fermenting beer.

 

[IDoBleedBrew]

I'm just chiming into to tell you to throw a shirt over that fermenter we don't allow nudity here seriously tho light is bad for your fermenting beer.

How much light is going to get into that closet with the door closed? Will the little bit of light from our dark hallway creep in under the door crack and rise up to the height of the fermentor and do something "bad" to my beer? That is the reason I chose the closet in the first place is because it is surely the darkest place in the house.

Serious question... do you think the tiny bit of light from underneath the door will infiltrate my beer? Or are you saying stop opening the door and taking pictures of my beer? =) My guess is since pitching the yeast and checking on the brew once a day... it couldn't have seen more than 5-7 minutes of light (total) over the past 5+ days.

 

[misled_drummer]

This is happening to me right now. I brewed a 10 gallon batch of lambic-style wort. The color is supposed to be around 5 SRM if I remember correctly. Half was pitched with a wild yeast starter, and the other half with Brett Trois.

As you can see, the wild yeast portion is brown:

I don't have a picture of the other half, but it is very pale.

 

[IDoBleedBrew]

Well those of you who said it would change color and start looking more stout-like were correct. It seems to be much darker now. There is still a hint of red, but it is no longer looking like an Irish red / nutty brown mix. Can't wait to try it. Like others have mentioned, the thing I'll probably be worst at when brewing is patience. =)

 

[Eh_Modern_Drunkard]

Glad it seems to be turning out for you!
I've never had a brew change that dramatically in color, from post boil to finished brew...or maybe I just never really noticed...
Either way, I'm glad the brew gods are shining upon you friend!
Hahaha

 

[IDoBleedBrew]

Yeah, it is quite interesting. I never expected it to change so dramatically. It has gone from a really red to an extremely dark (nearly black) with just a hint of red after only 9-10 days. Right now it is a gradient with the nearly black up towards the top of the carboy to pretty red towards the bottom of the carboy (but still darker than before). So whatever is red in there appears to be very slowly making its way down towards the bottom of the carboy. It looks like most of that red will probably be at the very bottom of the carboy by the end of the third week. It is my first stout. It is nice to experience it now so I will know for future stouts.

 

[WayFrae]

Yeah, it is quite interesting. I never expected it to change so dramatically. It has gone from a really red to an extremely dark (nearly black) with just a hint of red after only 9-10 days. Right now it is a gradient with the nearly black up towards the top of the carboy to pretty red towards the bottom of the carboy (but still darker than before). So whatever is red in there appears to be very slowly making its way down towards the bottom of the carboy. It looks like most of that red will probably be at the very bottom of the carboy by the end of the third week. It is my first stout. It is nice to experience it now so I will know for future stouts.

It is most likely the yeast dropping out of suspension. Since yeast are a creamy white color they make the beer appear lighter until they drop out. If you shine a light through your stout you will see that it has a reddish hue.