Color is not even close.

[Billy Sergeant]

Hey y'all. Brand new brewer here from Austin TX. On Thursday I threw my clone Bell's two hearted IPA into secondary fermenter. I followed all the directions and instructions. My question is, the IPA I am cloning is way lighter in color. Mine has been in the carboy for 4 days now and it is super dark. Is this normal? Thanks!

 

[camonick]

Is your beer all grain or extract? Extract beers tend to be quite a bit darker than expected, especially if you used LME for the full boil. Seeing the full volume in the carboy also appears darker than a pint sized sample like your 2nd picture. Did you pull a small sample in a hydrometer test jar? Did it look too dark in it?
Regardless, it should be a tasty beer if everything else is fine.
Sláinte

 

[Qhrumphf]

Is your beer all grain or extract? Extract beers tend to be quite a bit darker than expected, especially if you used LME for the full boil. Seeing the full volume in the carboy also appears darker than a pint sized sample like your 2nd picture. Did you pull a small sample in a hydrometer test jar? Did it look too dark in it?
Regardless, it should be a tasty beer if everything else is fine.
Sláinte

Based on the carboy color, you're probably pretty close to correct. As said, a full volume of beer in a carboy will look a lot darker than a pint- a lot more light gets absorbed traveling through which makes it look darker.

Conversely a hydrometer sample (at least for small homebrew sized triple scale hydrometers) will more closely resemble how it'll look in the glass, it'll actually go the other way and be a bit lighter in color.

 

[Immocles]

^
Pretty much exactly what he said

 

[Billy Sergeant]

Y'all are awesome. Thanks so much! Bottling today!

 

[ESBrewer]

What Qhrumphf said + that a lot of yeast in solution makes it look lighter in color (but more opaque). So it looks darkest when in fermenter & yeast has dropped to the bottom.

 

[pantherburn]

Delete post

 

[Saunassa]

So how did it look during bottling? I am assuming you poured a sample into a glass when done bottling like many of us do. Always need a taste of a finished brew, I just cannot help it.

 

[Billy Sergeant]

So how did it look during bottling? I am assuming you poured a sample into a glass when done bottling like many of us do. Always need a taste of a finished brew, I just cannot help it.

It looked perfect! And yes I did taste Cant wait for carbonation. 2 more weeks!

 

[kh54s10]

It looked perfect! And yes I did taste Cant wait for carbonation. 2 more weeks!

Maybe 3 more weeks. Carbonation like fermentation doesn't abide by your schedule. A little cooler and it will take longer, a little warmer may speed things up. I sometimes have good carbonation at 2 weeks, sometimes I don't. IMO, all of my bottled beers have tasted better at 3 weeks or longer. IPAs, though, may be the exception. They start to lose hop flavor and aroma quickly compared to other styles.

 

[balrog]

Also, why the secondary? Just wonderin'. Esp w a hop-fwd brew, keep it away from transfers and oxygen as much as possible, like, having all that head space in a secondary for several days.