3 batches of homebrew and still isnt right

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new_to_Breweing

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So far ive done 3 batches, 2 truebrew kits which were octoberfest and a belgian Ale. The last batch I did was a homebrew brand honey ale. The 1st 2 I did not use a wort chiller and may have pitched the yeast a little to early. ALL 3 batches have a funky astringent/fusel aftertaste that is harsh and not worth drinking. The last batch of the honey brew I used a wort chiller an did everything by the book, temp never went over 73degrees the whole time, pitched at 71 degrees.

I have been reading about under pitching the yeast, and maybe this is the case? All batches I used dry yeast and these packs may have been 2+ months old.. can anyone relate or advise why 3 batches can have a solvent taste? I almost want to give up brewing after 3 times undrinkable beer :(
 
Well if you rehydrated the yeast and its a standard kit most give you sufficient yeast to get the job done ...depending on the yeast you did use fermenting in the mid 70's is too high for most ales (Belgian yeast the exception) and may attribute to the off flavors you have... You may want to check your water profile too.... I did 2 batches with tap and had the same off flavor checked it out and ... my city uses chloramines (spell ?). Doesn't evap in the boil like chlorine so I'm screwed, still in the market for a primo filter.... yea I know about Campden tabs I'm buying spring water now so I'm buying something (tabs) either way....
 
I've never done an octoberfest, but I've read they are a lager and need to be fermented cold for a longer amount of time than ipas, stouts, etc...
 
Try lowering your ferment temps into the 60s. I ferment many ales at 60-62F but if you can keep if to 68 or under that might help. You can do a search for "swamp cooler " or put your fermenter in a rubbermaid tub with water and a floating thermometer. Swap out frozen repurposed juice bottles once or twice a day.
 
What was the brand of the yeast, how did you prepare it, and at what temps did you ferment? Smart money is your answer being in those data points.
 
Sounds like high fermentation temps to me as well. When you say it never went over 73 degrees F, is that inside the beer or the room temp? I agree with Pappers, the first year's worth of brews I did without temp control were always a little fruity and 'hot' tasting, since building a fermentation chamber around a mini-fridge, I keep most of my ales in the 63F-67F range and get a much cleaner finished product.
 
Kaz said:
Sounds like high fermentation temps to me as well. When you say it never went over 73 degrees F, is that inside the beer or the room temp? I agree with Pappers, the first year's worth of brews I did without temp control were always a little fruity and 'hot' tasting, since building a fermentation chamber around a mini-fridge, I keep most of my ales in the 63F-67F range and get a much cleaner finished product.
Click to expand...

This ^^^^^^. The problems you are describing are most likely a result of pitching and/or fermenting temps being too warm.

Ales - typically pitch at 62-65*F, ferment at the same temp (measured on the fermenter, not the surrounding air) the first week and then you can let it come up a few degrees to finish.

At this point, I'd suggest you steer way clear of lagers (which are generally handled in the upper 40's to low 50's) until you have the means to control your temps (like a freezer or fridge with a temp controller).
 
I always pitch my yeast at 78-80 deg. Never had a problem with any of my brews. After my boil, I used my wort chiller to get below 80, aerated by pouring into buckets back and forth, pitched the yeast, sealed, and have not had a bad bath yet.

Brewing is simple so don't over think it. BTW the octoberfest is a lager so if your setup for it then it was doomed to fail from the start. Just keep it simple.

Steep, add extract, boil, add hops, whirlfloc (if you use it), and at flameout add remainder of extract, cool below 80, pitch, seal enjoy in a few weeks.
 
BigFloyd said:

This ^^^^^^. The problems you are describing are most likely a result of pitching and/or fermenting temps being too warm.

Ales - typically pitch at 62-65*F, ferment at the same temp (measured on the fermenter, not the surrounding air) the first week and then you can let it come up a few degrees to finish.

At this point, I'd suggest you steer way clear of lagers (which are generally handled in the upper 40's to low 50's) until you have the means to control your temps (like a freezer or fridge with a temp controller).
Click to expand...

I have just about given up on brewing the warmest part of Summer for this very reason. I live upstairs and have no A/C and no room to chill a fermenter. About the only thing I can brew in August is a wheat beer with weihenstephan.
 
thanks for all the advise everyone posted. It looks like I wont be attempting anymore batches until I get a mini fridge conversion to keep the temp in the sixties. Im in Nor Cal so it is too warm to brew beer 7-8 months out of the year without a temp control device anyway.
 
new_to_Breweing said:
thanks for all the advise everyone posted. It looks like I wont be attempting anymore batches until I get a mini fridge conversion to keep the temp in the sixties. Im in Nor Cal so it is too warm to brew beer 7-8 months out of the year without a temp control device anyway.
Click to expand...

You can put together a swamp cooler for under $20. If you have low humidity it can drop the temps 10 degrees or more. I'm in Georgia, so humidity is higher, but I still get a 5 degree drop.

My swamp cooler is just a big plastic beverage bucket from walmart, etc., a small desk fan, and towel.

You sit your fermenting bucket/carboy inside the beverage bucket and fill it with water, then wrap a towel around the top of the fermenter and use the fan to blow on the surface of the water and the towel. The towel should placed to wick up water.

The fan blowing on the water causes it to evaporate, when water evaporates it pulls heat out of the water left behind and carries it away (that's why we sweat). The less humid your environment is the more water evaporates and the better your swamp cooler works.

If the swamp cooler on it's own is not doing the job, you can freeze big blocks of ice and drop them into the water once or twice a day. I use empty plastic nut jars from costco, but it could be frozen plastic water bottles or whatever.
 

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