Freshness Of Ingredients From Lhbs

[beernography]

For my first ever brew, I trotted down to the LHBS, bought my Brewcraft starter kit, ripped it open and swapsied the ingredients supplied with it for a "VB Clone" - Beermakers' Draught and Brewcraft kit converter #42 - Australian Bitter.

I lovingly brewed and bottled the mix, waited for it to age then tried to drink the brew - shithouse. Grainy, bitter, poisonous tasting filth. This beer actually got worse with age, and got to the point where it was undrinkable and an embarrassment when people asked after my homebrewing. I tipped it all down the drain taking note of its deep red colour and the filmy filaments which seemed to be suspended in the beer.

I was unscrupulous with hygiene when I brewed & bottled this, have been with all further brews (#7 is in the fermenter now) and all the beers since have been lovely.

I reckon the kit or the converter were past their prime freshness when I brewed, I noticed the sticker was aged like it had been in the sun for a while, and the guy's kit converters all sit on an open shelf in light, although far enough away from the shop window that the sunlight on them would be minimal.

Is this likely to cause such rank beer, combined with the Beermaker's can? I have been scared off since then and only use Cooper's Brew Enhancer + Cooper's Dry Malt Extract from the supermarket as the turnover seems quite high and they are sealed up in boxes.

This however disagrees with my corporation hating consumer self as I walk past the brew shop and into the MegaCorp to spend my money. But wasting a day brewing/bottling shit beer disagrees with my hedonist self more

 

[Steve]

For my first ever brew, I trotted down to the LHBS, bought my Brewcraft starter kit, ripped it open and swapsied the ingredients supplied with it for a "VB Clone" - Beermakers' Draught and Brewcraft kit converter #42 - Australian Bitter.

I lovingly brewed and bottled the mix, waited for it to age then tried to drink the brew - shithouse. Grainy, bitter, poisonous tasting filth. This beer actually got worse with age, and got to the point where it was undrinkable and an embarrassment when people asked after my homebrewing. I tipped it all down the drain taking note of its deep red colour and the filmy filaments which seemed to be suspended in the beer.

I was unscrupulous with hygiene when I brewed & bottled this, have been with all further brews (#7 is in the fermenter now) and all the beers since have been lovely.

I reckon the kit or the converter were past their prime freshness when I brewed, I noticed the sticker was aged like it had been in the sun for a while, and the guy's kit converters all sit on an open shelf in light, although far enough away from the shop window that the sunlight on them would be minimal.

Is this likely to cause such rank beer, combined with the Beermaker's can? I have been scared off since then and only use Cooper's Brew Enhancer + Cooper's Dry Malt Extract from the supermarket as the turnover seems quite high and they are sealed up in boxes.

This however disagrees with my corporation hating consumer self as I walk past the brew shop and into the MegaCorp to spend my money. But wasting a day brewing/bottling shit beer disagrees with my hedonist self more

cant you find another supplier?

 

[Hutch]

My advice - avoid Spewcraft like the plague.

Their shops (in Melb) are staffed with incompetant idiots, their ingredients are old and stale (hops and yeast not refridgerated),
and everything is WAY overpriced. The brew converter kits will set you back the better part of $50, which is more than a good fresh wort kit.

If you want fresh, quality ingredients, I would suggest you visit or shop online at one of the above sponsors.

 

[pint of lager]

Your description of filmy filaments sounds like a major infection to me.

Also, an infected brew will ferment further than a standard brew, this removes alot of the malty flavours, leaving the beer thin and lacking sweetness, which will be percieved as bitter. If your brew was old, the yeast may have taken a while to build up nambers, allowing infection to take over.

Many other flavours will also come to mind when tasting an infection: sour, phenolic and bandaid are the polite ones.

With brewing, after you nail sanitation and temperature control, using good fresh ingredients is the next step.

Usually, a HBS is the best place to shop. The owner will be a keen homebrewer, know heaps of good recipes and give good advice, plus have a decent range of ingredients. He may even have samples on tap. With a good turnover, the ingredients will be fresh. His prices may be a bit higher than the supermarket, but the level of service should be high. Unfortunately, like any business, there are bad apples.

If you include your location, I am sure that forum members will suggest a decent HBS in your area.

 

[tcraig20]

"VB Clone" - Beermakers' Draught and Brewcraft kit converter #42 - Australian Bitter. ... shithouse. Grainy, bitter, poisonous tasting filth. This beer actually got worse with age, and got to the point where it was undrinkable

Sounds like a perfect VB clone to me

 

[kabooby]

Hey Beernography

Keep an eye on this thread

There will be a few of us going from around the area if you want to meet up and talk beer. Probably drink a few as well

Kabooby

 

[Simon W]

...
I tipped it all down the drain taking note of its deep red colour and the filmy filaments which seemed to be suspended in the beer.
...

That rang alarm bells so I'm with POL on this one... you've had an infection.

Borrowed from How To Brew: (with Yoda-like clarity)
Symptom: It smells like vinegar.

Cause 1: Bacteria In this case, it probably is. Aceto bacteria (vinegar producing) and Lacto bacteria (lactic acid producing) are common contaminates in breweries. Sometimes the infection will produce sweet smells like malt vinegar, other times they will produce cidery smells. It will depend on which bug is living in your wort. Aceto bacteria often produce ropy strands of jelly which can be a good visual indicator, as can excessive cloudiness, after several weeks in the fermentor (although some cloudiness is not unusual, especially in all-grain beers).

 

[beernography]

Hey Hutch, the LHBS stocks brewcraft supplies only...Steve I only go to the city when I have to and haven't stumbled across a beeratorium. Hutch which sponsor gives you the best commission for my next purchases? ;P


That aceto bacteria sounds like the infection, the beer smelled like vinegar and tasted just rank. Problem solved but I still blame stale ingedients

Kabooby if I can make the piss-up I'll come along...

 

[Hutch]

Hutch which sponsor gives you the best commission for my next purchases? ;P

beernography, its just my opinion and advice - take it or leave it.
I've been brewing for over 15 years, and have come across a fair few HBS's.
Have used 3 of the 4 sponsors many times, but unfortunately no commissions as yet

Seriously, if you are happy paying the cost of a brewcraft conversion kit, then I strongly recommend you try a fresh wort kit (don't want to recommend any, cos that would have me affiliated, wouldn't it )

 

[Linz]

beernography,

Was the LHBS on Queen st, C'town or closer to you??


Still agree with the note saying you nailed the VB clone though

 

[dr K]

It is unlikely that the product you bought directly gave you the bad beer, there is not a lot that can go wrong with canned extract, if it is really old it "may" darken a tad, and if the extract was "infected" then you would have some serious cleaning up to do after you broke the seal !!!
Especially when you are starting to brew your LHBS will be a constant source of sensible advice and comment, and once you are making good beer your LHBS will become a meeting place for other brewers, a place to exchange and share information, and probably even the odd beer or two.
Perhaps when your first beer was disgusting rather than simply blaming the ingredients you could have gone back to the LHBS and asked for some advice?

K

 

[hando]

Sounds like a perfect VB clone to me

Hahaahahahaaaaa

 

[beernography]

Hey Linz,

It wasn't that shop on Queen St - is it any good though? I only go to Campbellhell when I have to so haven't ever bothered to drop in.

I've been getting supplies from my LOCAL home brew shop. Without saying too much, I find any information I get from there to be wishy-washy and vague. It isn't proffered with the passion of someone who knows a lot and wants to pass their knowledge on. Not what you would expect to hear from someone who knows brewing backwards, if you get my gist.

Dr K perhaps it wasn't entirely the ingredients fault, but I am less conscientious with cleaning now than I was when I did that brew and my beer is still good. Coming along in leaps and bounds even... The beer smelt bad from day 1 and was a russety red colour with a diarrhea looking krausen.

If Queen St has known fresh ingredients then I'll grab some stuff next time I'm up there. Otherwise I'll try the sponsors as suggested. Also need to check out that new beer factory on Blaxland and see what they have in there.

 

[Linz]

"check out that new beer factory on Blaxland and see what they have in there."??

the brew on premises in C'town?? dont sell ingredients

Ol' manfred gets a few thru the door..may not get what you wanted..but more like what he wants you to have,

but I guess it must get like that when guys arent too sure what they want to make, day in, day out..

 

[beernography]

Linz I just want to see the factory and the manufacturing process

Worth a trek to C'town to check Manfred out, I was mates with his kids a few years back. I'll keep yas posted.