Infected beer...?

[fretlessman71]

Would a rather sour aftertaste be a sign of an infected beer, or just a sign of a beer that needs a little more time before it tastes right? It doesn't seem to have carbonated properly yet...

[brewmonkey]

Sour beer is a sign that it is contaminated and this infection can come from a number of sources. Usually sourness is from lactobacilli and/or acetobacters that have infected the beer. If this is the source of the infection then sadly it is there for good and will only get worse as the beer ages.

Possible ways to avoid this is watch the sanitation issue.

Is this a bottled beer and did you only have one when you noticed this? Sometimes you can pick up a bottle infection in just one bottle and the rest are fine. But if it is all the bottles then it was a prepackage infection.

[Tweek]

uh oh. Is this the worry wort porter? That sux man. I hope it is just a green beer flavor that you are referring to, and that in a couple of weeks you find out that you were just worrying again.

[fretlessman71]

Now, it's only an aftertaste... I guess if it DOES get worse, I'll just have to drink each one very fast and follow it with something else, right?

THIS is why I worry.... :rolleyes:

[S.F.B.]

Damn! After all you went thru to get to this point. I would give them some time and hope it is just an infected bottle as brewmonkey said. However, I will gladly test a couple for you. :p

[Fast_Eddy]

One thing I do in order to help minimize the risk of infections is to be very careful about handling grain(grain husks are loaded with lactobacillus) anywhere near where your wort will be cooled or fermented. I'm also very particular to sanitize any surface that grain touches.

[brewmonkey]

Good point Eddy. Milling and grain operations should always be kept in a different area then the brewery

[Beerconnoisseur]

Originally posted by Fast_Eddy
One thing I do in order to help minimize the risk of infections is to be very careful about handling grain(grain husks are loaded with lactobacillus) anywhere near where your wort will be cooled or fermented. I'm also very particular to sanitize any surface that grain touches.

That seems like a fairly significant problem. So I assume that the high mash temps and boil are what kill these critters off?

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by Beerconnoisseur
That seems like a fairly significant problem. So I assume that the high mash temps and boil are what kill these critters off?

For sure the boil does - not sure about the heat tolerances with regard to the mash.

[Stodbrew]

Generally, beer spoilage organisims, lactobacillus, pediococcus, etc., can't survive temps above 180. So mash temps are too low to kill them. As Brewmonkey said, keep your grain handling area away from the rest of the brewery.

Steve

[Stodbrew]

Sorry, and Fast Eddy, too.

[GunNut76]

Did this porter include any honey in the bill? I noticed a slight tartness with my honey ale, but it dissapeared after a couple weeks.

[fretlessman71]

Nope... straight kit instructions, and straight up failure to sanitize three out of three buckets (primary, 2ndary, and bottling). Don't know why I forgot...

[brewmonkey]

Originally posted by GunNut76
Did this porter include any honey in the bill? I noticed a slight tartness with my honey ale, but it dissapeared after a couple weeks.

Does it taste a bit like green apples?

[fretlessman71]

I suppose... it's ONLY in the aftertaste. The initial flavor isn't too bad, but the finish is decidedly sour. It wasn't terribly carbonated, either... maybe I'm tasting yeast and corn sugar that hasn't done its thing yet...?

[bigmf]

As I mentioned elsewhere, it might not be time to worry yet. You may have sampled right when the diacetyls are at their peak. Those would be mostly reabsorbed by the yeast as conditioning finishes out. This is one possibility, its not necessarily correct. First time brewers have a lower chance of infecting a beer because their brewing area is often more free of airborne infectants than people who have been doing it for a while.

M.

[fretlessman71]

What's a good timetable for all of that to be gone from the beer? One week? Two?

[bigmf]

Usually two full weeks at proper fermenting temperatures.

M.

[fretlessman71]

Ah! Christmas morning, we'll see if I got a present from the Beer Santa... :D

[toneyc]

Originally posted by fretlessman71
Ah! Christmas morning, we'll see if I got a present from the Beer Santa...

Yeah, Buddy!!!

This is the only hobby I know where even empty bottles are good presents!

:D
Toney.

[fretlessman71]

Heeheehee... I've even taken to heisting empty Samuel Adams bottles from the restaurant so I could use them at home! My wife is hoping I'll stop collecting them soon, I think...

[OldHooky]

I've been buying the Sam Adams bottles from one of my HBS for the deposit. $2.40/case versus 8 or 9 bucks. I found that if you soak them overnight in soap and water, the labels come off very easy.

[GunNut76]

Hell I can get a case of MTs for $1.20 around here...aren't the SA bottles the thinner ones?

Brewmonkey- No didn't taste like green apples...kinda like lemons...and it was a persistant taste too...I'd wake up to it in the morning after having a couple the night before!

[fretlessman71]

Tasting a Worry Wort Porter after 8 days of aging... that aftertaste is dissipating! It's MUCH better than it was before, and it's reasonably well carbonated. That aftertaste is still there, but not nearly as much - and I think this beer, while not a masterpiece by any stretch, is going to be drinkable at the very least! HOORAY!!!

[Tweek]

I had my suspicions that since this was your first beer, and with your knack for panicking what you were tasting was just a green beer flavor. New beer is all out of whack at first, the hops are too bitter and everything seems to be suspended rather than balanced. After a bit of time it all comes together.

[fretlessman71]

WHADDYA MEAN, PANIC??!?!??!?!?? I NEVER PANIC!!!! WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT??!?!?!??!?

Seriously, though... it's one of those things where I'm used to screwing things up. But now, I can FINALLY take Charlie P.'s advice:

"Relax... Don't worry... Have a Homebrew!" :D

Once again, thanks to EVERYBODY who helped me here! What a great way to celebrate my 600th post!

I raise my glass of porter to all of you who have responded to my whining and worrying...

PROSIT!!!

[kevin]

what ever happen to that homemade ole fashion rootbeer?

[fretlessman71]

After adding 2-3 grains of yeast to each bottle and waiting a long, long time, there is finally a little bit of carbonation in the root beer. It's more like a cola sort of carb.; very fizzy, no head retention. But it's far better than it was! It's even drinkable. Homebrew Root Beer Extract IS a little on the licorice side for me, but we added a little Honduran Vanilla Extract to the batch and that seems to have smoothed it out just a little bit.

They're not bad, and they're a good way to get new bottles ready for my NEXT batch, whatever that may be.....

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by fretlessman71
WHADDYA MEAN, PANIC??!?!??!?!?? I NEVER PANIC!!!! WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT??!?!?!??!?

Seriously, though... it's one of those things where I'm used to screwing things up. But now, I can FINALLY take Charlie P.'s advice:

"Relax... Don't worry... Have a Homebrew!" :D

Once again, thanks to EVERYBODY who helped me here! What a great way to celebrate my 600th post!

I raise my glass of porter to all of you who have responded to my whining and worrying...

PROSIT!!!

Fret I'm very happy to hear this batch is turning out okay for you. It's a breeze from this point out....

[GunNut76]

Originally posted by Fast_Eddy
Fret I'm very happy to hear this batch is turning out okay for you. It's a breeze from this point out....

Yeah it's real easy to empty the bottles...it's the getting to the point of filling them that blows! Congrats on a beer Fret! Maybe you should have just jumped right into the beer...you had that root beer lurking around in the back of your mind the whole time huh?

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by GunNut76
Yeah it's real easy to empty the bottles...it's the getting to the point of filling them that blows! Congrats on a beer Fret! Maybe you should have just jumped right into the beer...you had that root beer lurking around in the back of your mind the whole time huh?

Before you jump into your beer make sure you sanitize your feet ;)

[fretlessman71]

Well, part of my hesitation is being on a SEVERELY limited budget and feeling guilty anytime I buy beer or ingredients (my wife is SO cool about it!), so the last thing I want to do is mess something up and have wasted all of that time and money. So yes, I'm a little paranoid when it comes to this stuff. We make homemade, home recipe chili in 3-4 gallon batches, and we've had to throw an entire batch out because it scorched on the bottom and smoked the whole batch. BAD. That was a $45 mistake.

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by fretlessman71
Well, part of my hesitation is being on a SEVERELY limited budget and feeling guilty anytime I buy beer or ingredients (my wife is SO cool about it!), so the last thing I want to do is mess something up and have wasted all of that time and money. So yes, I'm a little paranoid when it comes to this stuff. We make homemade, home recipe chili in 3-4 gallon batches, and we've had to throw an entire batch out because it scorched on the bottom and smoked the whole batch. BAD. That was a $45 mistake.

Fret I'm sure everyone here can relate, from some point in their lives, to what you're saying. I really enjoy being able to help anybody out, especially when it comes to their beer - I'm glad to do it. That having been said - it's fun to give you a little good spirited ribbing, too ;)

[toneyc]

I haven't seen anyone else mention this, yet, so I'm gonna say it...

Ya need to get started on the next batch, Fret...

As I was explaining to my brother last weekend after buying a case of craft brew at $7-8 per six-pack, I usually make great beer for less than $15 per two cases, versus $30 for that one case. Sometimes I spend more, but I am saving money. I can't afford to buy the beer I like, so I make it. This hobby has really pleased both me and my wife. She used to bitterly complain about how much I spent on beer, now she helps me pick out recipes.

:)
Toney.

[fretlessman71]

All in good time for the next batch... there's just too much going on right now. I don't go through as much beer per day as most of the people on this board, so I'm sure I'll be just fine for now. I'll be able to buy something at the store and not be too brokenhearted if I run out of homebrew. Having said that, I think I'd like to make a big, chewy, kick-butt Imperial Porter for the next one... something where I can lay a few down if you know what I mean! I found a recipe and a kit for $35 or so, and I think that's the way I'm going to go here.

[tubetek]

Howdy All-
I'm with ToneyC...Get that next batch going ASAP! Especially if you intend to make ANY High-Gravity brews; They take a LOT LONGER to mature and the temptation will be great to drink them uo before they're really ready.(Personal experience...made an ImperialStout 8.5abv. and its been in the bottle over 3 months and is just now getting drinkable, but i've only got about 15 left. If i'd had other beers to drink, it would have been a lot easier to lay it down and leave it for a while.) So, fret... I suggest that you make one more regular strength beer and immediately make the high-grav. That way you'll have some that matures quicker to drink...
Happy holidays all!!!
TT

[DreamWeaver]

I have come close to tossing out a few batches of what I thought was bad (contaminated) beer but in time things always seemed to get better (or else I just aquired a taste for it) I have a batch (Muntons Gold IPA extract kit) I just bottled a week ago that smelled like whiskey (OG 150-FG120) and then calmed down to a diacetyl/butterscotch smell and now it is just kinda slightly cidery tasting. I hope this goes away but I doubt it. My sanitation is intense so idunno what it is but I won't toss it out! It is real close to being undrinkable. If it gets unbearable to drink, I will just drink some of it anyways to remind myself to do better next time. OR... hope big hair comes back into style and maybe sell some DreamWeaver HairCare Products or even DRW'S Beerbatter (goes great on catfish). I'm having one now! GAG! On to the next batch... -DRWeaver

[fretlessman71]

BRILLIANT signoff line! Welcome to the board!

The beer, after 3 weeks, is mellowing VERY nicely. I'm going to have to save a 6er for later so I don't waste it all before it ages!