help!

[livid]

Hello.. i'm new here and in need of help! I am also new to homebrewing and have only done 3 batches all from kits.. just to get the hang of it before i experiment. My first two batches were perfect, an ale and a bock.. But the 3rd batch, a porter, has issues. I have already bottled it.. its been conditioning for about 2 weeks.. I cracked open a bottle for a taste and it seems like there is no alcohol in it and and the taste is very bland.. is it possible that it didnt ferment properly.. i did have some issues with fermentation, but it appeared to be fermenting.. not as much as the other batches. Is it possible or heard of the repitch the yeast after it has already been bottled?
Thank you all in advance..

[Stodbrew]

First of all, welcome!

Did you take a starting gravity and a final gravity for the beer? This is the best way to find out if your beer fermented out properly.

[P-Train]

I assume from a kit you mean an extract?

What process did you go through?

A little more info would be helpful. Did you do something different than the last batches?

[livid]

Yes, from a kit.. extract.. yes.. the brand is Brewers Best

The starting gravity was 1.044 and finish was 1.02.. i admit, i am a little unclear about the meaning of the gravity reading.. i let it sit in the primary fermenter for 1 wk.. then transferred to a secondary fermentor and let it sit 1 wk.. temp was 66-75

The only things i did different, was adding Irish moss the last 25 mins of the boil.

Here is how my fermentation went:
Day1: no visible fermentaion in airlock, however foam visible on top ( i just peaked through hole in lid where airlock sits) .. pounded on lid to make sure it was tight..
Day 2: fermentaion visible in airlock
Day 3: fermentaion seems to have stopped in airlock.. foam still on surface.
Let it sit until day 7..
Transferred to secondary fermenter.. was activity in 2ndry fermenter.. first day.. (carbon dioxide?)
Sat for 7 day..

Now i live in high altitude.. and fermentaion generally is generally done by day 3.. with only 1 day of super visible activity.. i have checked with other home brewers in my area and they say that is normal..

Ok.. do you where i went wrong?
Thanks again...

[BluesHarp]

Base on gravities going from 1.044 to 1.020, you have about 3% alcohol by volume, so I think it is safe to say it did not finish fermenting.

...did it carbonate? If it did, it would seem the yeast is still viable.

If not, I would not add yeast to the bottles, you could kick-start fermentation and end up with bombs; as for emptying the beer back into a carboy and re-pitching, I believe you run the risk of oxidation and/or infection, but I will leave that issue up to some of those here who are smarter than I am about such matters...

By the way, welcome!! :)

[Sunriver]

I agree with bluesharp on this, it sounds like fermentation did not finish

Either way you are gong to want to open those bottles SOON. With the amount of sugar that is already in the bottles you have bombs/Gushers.

1. If it is possible fill a 5 gal with CO2, it weighs more then air and will protect a little more from oxygenation. Pour the bottles back into the fermenter, AS LITTLE SPASHING AS POSSIBLE!

2. Pitch another batch of yeast into the bucket once full, I like to add a little more DME just to make sure there is a good start, Better yet you could use a starter. Pitch with a yeast Nutrient if your LHBS has one.

3. ferment until gravity is around 1.008ish and re-prime and bottle, it is possible that this fermentation will take a longer time.

4. You will have a little oxygen taste to the beer but its better then chucking the batch. If you keep the splashing to a minimum there is no reason this couldn't be a great beer.

More questions Post them and someone will reply

[stronk]

I tentatively disagree with the above. I have routinely brewed dark beers which ferment down to over 1.015 (although, admittedly, they tend to be higher OG beers) and my fermentation is sometimes over in 2 days as well. I'd open a bottle and recheck the gravity before you do any repitching. Make sure that you do it at the right temperature and accurately.
Taste the beer: if it tastes a bit sweet, then fermentation probably has stuck.

Bear in mind that beer can still taste thin when it has alcohol in it.

[danno]

I was hoping to find an expected FG for the kit, but Brewer's Best (LD Carlson's prepackaged kits) doesn't seem to list that info anywhere online. what were the ingredients to the kit? (including yeast) then we can figure out what the FG should be, and see how you're doing.

[livid]

Thanks for the welcome and all your responses! I am so glad I found this forum!

I took the SG again.. it is 1.012.
According to the instructions that came with the kit.. the start gravity should be 1.050-1.055 and final should be 1.012-1.015. My start gravity was 1.044. So, i probably should not re-pitch.

Do you still want the ingredient list?

Ideas?.. do i need to just wait and let it condition more? I know porters get better with age..

I did taste it.. a little bitter and little sweet, but not to much.. great aroma though.. smells like a porter should..

Sunriver.. you live there or Bend? I am originally from Portland, OR

Am i posting this in the correct place?

[fretlessman71]

Well, you didn't quite get it into the correct place, but I think that can be forgiven... you'll get the hang of it soon enough! What do you drink when you're not drinking your homebrew? And is the Dillon Dam beer any good? You're closer than I am, and I'm curious...

[livid]

So.. where should I be posting this? Sorry, I was desperate and in a panic with my first post..:rolleyes:

I have never had the Dillon Dam beer. I will look for it next trip to the liquer store.. I might be closer, but I have only been in Colorado for about a year and a half and I don't venture out of my little town often. I have tried quite a few colorado beers and most have been good.. but i have a weakness for Deschutes Brewery's beers out of Bend, OR, i love their Black Butte porter and all their seasonals.. And although probably frowned upon by the beer connoisseur, I love an ice cold Grolsch lager any time..

[stronk]

Yeah, leave it. Repitching will do no good and has a very good chance of doing harm. The thin taste probably won't improve much with ageing, although other aspects will. Hop aroma will disappear with ageing, but malty and smoky aromas shouldn't.

[BluesHarp]

If you are down to 1.012, you are probably done.
How is the carbonation?

[danno]

livid, the correct place to post would have been further down in the homebrewing section. But as you can see, most of us regulars check out the whole board....

I do have one question though. extract kits are pretty tough to miss your SG (starting gravity). You were significantly lower than the expected, according to the instructions. I'm going to guess you did a partial boil, and added water at the end, then took your reading. I bet your wort wasn't fully mixed when you took the reading... 1.012 for a FG (final gravity) is right where you were expected to be, I'd just let it continue to condition. if you have the patience, I'd try a beer a week and see how it improves over time, because it will...

one other thing you may want to try, Brewer's Best kits are prepackaged by LD Carlson, one of the bigger Homebrew supply wholesalers. I'd recommend that at least once, you try a kit from a bigger, high volume homebrew store that packages their own kits, because ingredient freshness really does affect the final quality of your beer...

[HarkJohnny]

Originally posted by fretlessman71
And is the Dillon Dam beer any good?

It's Dam Good! hehe couldn't help myself.

I enjoyed the ESB while I was out there. I'm sure there was another but I don't remember.

p.s. if you like burritos try the Old Dillon Inn just down the road for some good eats!

[fretlessman71]

I do like burritos, but before I try them and report to you, you have to understand that I live in the home of the most unbelievably wonderful burrito you've ever had in your life: Big City Burrito! (www.bigcityburrito.com/) I find it very hard to believe that much could ever compare. But, if afforded the opportunity, I'll give 'em a fair shot. :)

[livid]

ok.. thanks for the advice.. I will leave it alone and pray to the beer gods. It is a little carbonated.. but not quite enough yet.

Yes, i did do a partial boil... used 3 gallons water for the boil then added two more before chilling.. it should have been mixed fully, because I took the reading after siphoning into the fermenter. The kit instructions tell you to use 2 gallons in the boil, so I wouldn't think it would affect the SG. Starting out with a lower SG, wouldnt that lower my alchohol content?
Does using less water in the boil really change it that much? I know it is supposed to make it darker in color due to the caramelization of the sugars.

I buy my kits at the fly fishing shop here in town.. hehe. Unfortunately it is all we have local, the next closest is 126 miles away, but I don't even know what they offer. I have been looking into internet suppliers but the choices are overwhelming.. I think i will try a few from the ones suggested elswhere in this forum.
I didn't realize that LD Carlson , Brewer's Best was so big.. maybe i will have to talk my local guys into bringing in something different.. I did notice that the kit instructions were rather generic.. however I cross reference with a book, Home Beermaking by William Moore..

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction of where to post.. next time i will get it.

[fretlessman71]

The only time we really have a problem with people posting where they're not supposed to is when people join up and spam every forum. And you never hear from them again. Most of us just check the New Posts when we log in, and no matter where you posted, it'll turn up for us if there's something new. No stress, okay? That's why we're here - we all get along so well!

[stronk]

Starting out with a lower SG, wouldnt that lower my alchohol content?
Yes, it would. And the amount you missed it by would have had a significant effect on the taste and alcohol content.
What I think probably happened is that you didn't get all the malt extract from the can into the boil (assuming you used liquid extract, that is). I pour boiling water into the can (after I've put it down!) and then mix that around to get most of the rest of the extract out.

[livid]

I will try that next time, Stronk. Thanks everyone for your time and input.. much appreciated!