First Brew

[watchUburn]

Well, I finally joined the party and bought a kit. Guy at the shop set me up with a Czech Pilsener fresh kit, so I'm hoping it turns out ok.
I'm up in the tropics so I figure it might ferment a little quicker?
I kinda stuffed up the brew (I think). It was hot and some sweat dripped in while I was mixing it all. Then I slipped and dropped the yeast packet into the mix! *Arggh*
Gonna be really peeved if my first brew is a stinker

 

[Cube]

:lol: Welcome to fine art of brewing :lol:

You should be ok, don't sweat it until you confirm/deny it's a gonner in a week or so. I doubt it if it ferments at a higher temp anyway.

Your second will be a more organised and planed affair I'm sure, as mine did.

I would only brew ales now it's summer unless you have a fridge to ferment in. Even then, keep it at 20 deg or 18 deg is even better. It's a effort, but easily done with a few coke bottles and salty water in the freezer and a few with the brew barrel in a tub of water ( not full, just a 1/3 way up works for me )

 

[buttersd70]

Welcome to the madhouse forum.

As cube said, one of the best things you can do is learn a way of controlling the temperature, and it doesn't have to be anything fancy. Don't stress the first one too much, if it does go pear shaped (and not saying that it will), don't let it discourage you, but use it as a learning experience. You can only improve on the first one...

And if getting temps down to 18 is an issue, there are other ways and means of tackling temperature problems....if you can get your brew temps down to the low 20's, but not any further, you can always change what you are brewing to suit. Whilst 18-20C is a good general ale temperature (and if in doubt, this is what you should probably aim for), there are certain beer styles and certain yeast types that actually improve with higher temps, up to as much as 24C in some cases...it's just a matter of knowing which yeasts benefit from higher than average temperatures. And that's one of the great things about this forum - ask the question, get the answer.

 

[watchUburn]

24 degrees? damn, it's been sitting at 28 for the last few days. Bubbling merrily away every few seconds.
I got home from work today to find my fermenter out in the hallway. I asked my brother what it was doing out, and he replied that it had stopped bubbling. So he thought he'd put it out in the heat to get it going again....

 

[buttersd70]

24 degrees? damn, it's been sitting at 28 for the last few days. Bubbling merrily away every few seconds.
I got home from work today to find my fermenter out in the hallway. I asked my brother what it was doing out, and he replied that it had stopped bubbling. So he thought he'd put it out in the heat to get it going again....

I'd bloody kill him!

I don't know of any yeasts that really benefit from temps above 24, as I said there are some that are great up to that, but for the majority of ales 18-20 is the way to go.
But, as I always say, whats done is done.

 

[Jase71]

So at what point will a beer become utterly undrinkable? Or I should rephrase that. If all other conditions are favourable, but for watchUburn's temp of 28c, is it still going to be 'a pretty good beer' (take the perfectionists hat off for a moment chaps, if you will) or would this be getting into the 'pretty much rooted' stage at these temps ?

Ive got a brew that's sitting at a consistent 25c at the moment, and while its always a learning curve when starting out, and having already formulated a cheapo method for cooling the tub that will be used in my next batch, what is the max. temp that's going to effectively ruin a batch for even the most forgiving of drinkers?

Mention should be made that Im using safale s04

 

[fergi]

So at what point will a beer become utterly undrinkable?

ok well at 25 deg it certainly wont be undrinkable but what you will get are flavors that maybe you wont like a lot but still drinkable,i have had fermentation in the early days up to thirty deg and still thought it was quite drinkable, what you will find also at higher temps the closer you get to the bottom of your glass and as the temp rises then the flavors that are not desirable will certainly be enhanced,, METHOD FOR DRINKING HIGH FERMENTATION TEMP BEERS,,,,'DRINK VERY QUICKLY IN THE GLASS

CHEERS
FERGI

 

[KGB]

So at what point will a beer become utterly undrinkable?

Too many variables to say when a beer is undrinkable, most importantly ones own tastes (standards...? ). Like Fergi said, idf it ain't that good just drink it fast and learn for next time. I remember some of my early brews tasty pretty damn average for the first couple of bottles but strangely started to taste better after that... Once I hit bottle five or so they started tasting fine!
Brew another batch straight away so you can start to build up some stock.


DWRAHAHB.

 

[Goofinder]

If it tastes bad at first, leave it for a month and try again. Time tends to help most beers a bit. I've had a Coopers Pale Ale brewed with table sugar at ridiculous temperatures (around 30C, definitely not one of mine!) that was surprisingly drinkable 8 or 9 months after it was bottled.

As has already been suggested, get the next batch on as soon as possible. And the next...

 

[buttersd70]

Fergi brings up an excellent point about serving temperature....as the beer warms (to what many consider desirable temps) the flavours 'open up' more, and this applies to off flavours as well as good flavours. So depending on what off flavours are actually present, chilling the beer to a cooler temperature can mask a lot of flavours that may otherwise be problematic.

Barring infections/oxidation and the like, there are few (homebrewed) beers I've had that have been utterly undrinkable....There is always a saving grace option, and that's blending. It's amazing what a dash of a stronger, darker beer or a stout can cover up. So dont worry yada yada yada.

 

[watchUburn]

Took my first sample today. Hydrometer was sitting at 1.02 (I think. The instructions weren't very helpful).
Sample smelt good. Very cloudy (opaque). Taste was very watery.
I was kind of expecting a fuller flavour, but I'll wait and see...

 

[buttersd70]

(I think. The instructions weren't very helpful).

I found a really annoying american guy on youtube, but he does explain it, and shows how its done, and how to read it.
link

Bear in mind that he talks about adjustments in Farenheit, not celcius, and that most hydrometers in the US are calibrated to 15C, wheras here they are usually 20C. There should be a temperature at the base of the stem, just above the bulb. It's probably easier as a beginner to cool or warm your sample to the temperature on the hydrometer than it is to try to make adjustments. Also note that his big scary warnings about sanitation when taking the sample comes more from the fact that most americans brew in carboys, which don't have taps on them, so they have to put something in their brew to draw a sample out.

Hope that helps

 

[watchUburn]

That is helpful thank you

 

[watchUburn]

Sampled the brew today Firstly - IT'S DRINKABLE
Which is promising. A bit light on flavour for my taste, and it's really really bubbly. Like drinking a soft drink.
But everyone else reckons it's nice if you pour it into a glass first.

So the first batch is a success, with room for improvement. Now onto the next one...

 

[silver_streak67]

Sampled the brew today Firstly - IT'S DRINKABLE
Which is promising. A bit light on flavour for my taste, and it's really really bubbly. Like drinking a soft drink.
But everyone else reckons it's nice if you pour it into a glass first.

So the first batch is a success, with room for improvement. Now onto the next one...

BOOYEAH the first must work for the will to keep brewing to survive-good work bro