My third brew ever, a little nervous

[Anonme]

Hi everyone,
I am new to this forum, I am about to attempt my third brew, I am a little nervous as the first two didn't turn out at all. I am not sure what I did wrong but I am hoping I get it this time round.

I will be brewing a Munich black lager from a brew house kit. Any last minute tips?

~Cheers~

 

[Rhumbline]

Hi everyone,
I am new to this forum, I am about to attempt my third brew, I am a little nervous as the first two didn't turn out at all. I am not sure what I did wrong but I am hoping I get it this time round.

I will be brewing a Munich black lager from a brew house kit. Any last minute tips?

~Cheers~

Sanitation.

Attention to detail in the instructions.

Patience.

 

[thelastleroy]

Make a list for your brew operation. I consistently forget to add my irish moss. I blame beer, and the lack of a list for my brew day. Don't "wing it". Plan what you need to do and do what you plan.



Oh, and keep brewing. One good batch, and you'll be hooked. I promise.

 

[TechyDork]

Good advice on making a list, focus on good sanitation and the details in the instruction.

Why do you think your first two didn't turn out? did they taste bad or just not ferment out?

Maybe if you list the steps you followed on your first batches we can help point to some trouble spots in your process.

 

[Yesfan]

"Relax, don't worry, have a homebrew". This is a repeating theme here at HBT. I've found this out after reading The Joy Of Homebrewing.


I've not finished the book yet, but the title says it all. This is a hobby and it is a "joy". It is a time to relax and not let it get you worked up (not saying you're worked up btw).

The main thing is don't sweat it. Make out a list like what has been mentioned. I've been brewing for a little over three years now. I do NOT have the knowledge that some of the members here have, but brewing for me is a relaxing time. To be honest, some of my best beers have come from those not so great brew days, so if the last two and/or this one doesn't go as planned, don't worry about it. It's a great possibility that a 'bad' brew day could equal some of your best beers.

The short? Don't be nervous.

 

[kh54s10]

Is this a true lager? Does it have a lager yeast with it? If so do you have a plan for fermentation temperature control. Usually true lagers are fermented cold allowed to raise in temperature for a couple of days then slowly lowered in temperature for about a month to 34 - 35 degrees.

I suppose you could do a California Common style of fermentation and go with a lager yeast at ale temperatures.

Looked it up and could not find what yeast.

Details of your procedure might give clues to what could have been done better on the first two and what to concentrate on this one.
Don't rush things. Sanitation and fermentation temperature control are things to take care with.

 

[aprichman]

Good sanitation and temperature control are the first hurdles that need to be addressed in order to make pretty good beer. Everything after that is just getting it from pretty good to awesome.

 

[ChefRex]

Good sanitation and temperature control are the first hurdles that need to be addressed in order to make pretty good beer. Everything after that is just getting it from pretty good to awesome.

^^^ This!

 

[locolorenzo22]

Be diligent in your cleaning and sanitation. Every time I brew, I spray star san consistantly every time I check temps of grain/wort/etc, cups for measure hydrometer samples, etc.

What went wrong in your other brews? Was it after fermentation or during the brew? Myself, I put 2.5 gallons in a 6 gallon bucket with a poor seal during my first batch, kept checking it, no temp control, and by the end it tasted like acetone. Hydrometer samples made me close to vomit when I tasted them.

Next ones, I got the bucket to seal well, covered with a piece of sanitized foil and taped. Put it in a water bath at 62-65 to start, kept it there throughout fermentation (2 weeks), did a d rest, and the sample tasted great...flat, but great. now cold crashing it to keg it.

Give us a heads up, and I bet we can help you find the problem. Write out this next brew and post it, process and recipe. There is a lot of help here.

 

[Anonme]

That's great I will, I'm not sure what happened but after bottling I tasted some and it was in drinkable

 

[JonM]

It may be your third beer ever, but it won't be your last beer ever. This hobby has a learning curve. Your first couple batches don't have to be perfect - only practice makes perfect. Figure out what went wrong with those first two, then do something different on subsequent batches, then repeat - i.e, practice and learn. Before you know it, you'll be making killer brews.

 

[Anonme]

Thanks everyone for the motivational comments, I am going to do the brew on Monday as I have the day off and can take my time on it. I will update everyone on what I did etc.

 

[Anonme]

Is this a true lager? Does it have a lager yeast with it? If so do you have a plan for fermentation temperature control. Usually true lagers are fermented cold allowed to raise in temperature for a couple of days then slowly lowered in temperature for about a month to 34 - 35 degrees.

I suppose you could do a California Common style of fermentation and go with a lager yeast at ale temperatures.

I was told it was more like an English brown ale then anything, it's a kit by brew house

 

[GHBWNY]

You didn't specify "the first two didn't turn out at all." I suspect you're talking about off-flavors and not infection. My biggest challenge when starting was ferm temp control. I just let the beer ferm at whatever temp the cellar was at, whether it was warm, cool or fluxuated. I got some beers that were so-so, with definite off-flavors (solvent-like, diacetyl, etc.) Once I began to appreciate how critical ferm temp was and understood the exothermic reaction principle, I began to control ferm temps, which resulted in better beers. Another thing I under-appreciated as a beginner was both rehydrating the yeast and aerating the wort after pitching the yeast. Tons of threads on here dedicated to how best to do both. Careful attention to ferm temp and ultimately, yeast happiness, can --- make that WILL --- improve your beer. Welcome and cheers!

 

[RM-MN]

That's great I will, I'm not sure what happened but after bottling I tasted some and it was in drinkable

Your post is lacking some details that would help us to give good advice. What beer did you try to brew? What temperature did it ferment at? How long did you leave it in the fermenter? Did you use a secondary? How long was it in the bottles before you sampled it and pronounced it undrinkable? How long did you chill the beer before sampling?

 

[Anonme]

The beer was a lager, I don't remember the temperature, I left it to ferment for about 3 days I used a secondary. It was in bottles for about 3 weeks before I sampled it. Sorry it was about a year ago since the last one and I'm just able to afford to start doing it again

 

[Rhumbline]

The beer was a lager, I don't remember the temperature, I left it to ferment for about 3 days I used a secondary. It was in bottles for about 3 weeks before I sampled it. Sorry it was about a year ago since the last one and I'm just able to afford to start doing it again

Lagers are tough. They do require careful temp control.

A good choice to start with would be a Saison.

 

[Psylocide]

The beer was a lager, I don't remember the temperature, I left it to ferment for about 3 days I used a secondary. It was in bottles for about 3 weeks before I sampled it. Sorry it was about a year ago since the last one and I'm just able to afford to start doing it again

3 days is MUCH too short to be moving after initial fermentation.

You need to read this first to start:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=99139


1. Do not even think about touching your beer for the first 10 days. And don't move it to a secondary at all (for this one).

2. Sanitation is very important, get yourself some starsan and don't miss anything that will touch your beer post boil.

3. Treat your tap water with campden tablets if you are using tap water. They are too cheap to skip, unless you like drinking band-aids.

4. Temp control. If this is a true lager with lager yeast, you may be ill-prepared to brew it.

Even so, if it is actually an ale, you need to still be able to keep the temps of the wort below 70° for sure, a tad lower is even better. That's probably 6-8° lower than ambient temp during initial fermentation.

I use a wet towel wrapped around the carboy and a fan on the basement floor. Works well enough.

5. Read more.

 

[cannman]

My beers didn't start turning out "great" (I'm my worst critic) until I got my sanitation locked down and my fermentation temps under control.

I'd buy a freezer chest on craigslist or mini fridge, with hot/cold monitoring like the STC1000 before upgrading anything you already have. But since you're diving in on monday, look up fermentation control with a tee shirt and a fan

Good luck! and keep us posted!

 

[robertus]

While not undrinkable, my first couple of batches were pretty lousy. I found that these two things have made the biggest differences:

• fermentation temperature control (swamp cooler)
• patience with respect to fermentation times

My brew days have gotten a lot smoother as a result of practice and repetition, but I'm not sure how much that's actually improved the results. It's certainly made it more enjoyable and less nerve-wracking.

 

[Anonme]

3 days is MUCH too short to be moving after initial fermentation.

You need to read this first to start:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=99139


1. Do not even think about touching your beer for the first 10 days. And don't move it to a secondary at all (for this one).

2. Sanitation is very important, get yourself some starsan and don't miss anything that will touch your beer post boil.

3. Treat your tap water with campden tablets if you are using tap water. They are too cheap to skip, unless you like drinking band-aids.

4. Temp control. If this is a true lager with lager yeast, you may be ill-prepared to brew it.

Even so, if it is actually an ale, you need to still be able to keep the temps of the wort below 70° for sure, a tad lower is even better. That's probably 6-8° lower than ambient temp during initial fermentation.

I use a wet towel wrapped around the carboy and a fan on the basement floor. Works well enough.

5. Read more.

That's a great article thanks.
I will be taking my time in this one for sure. I think I may have rushed the last batch.

 

[Anonme]

A little update, just transferred the Munich black lager into a car boy for second fermentation, I just want to say thanks to everyone, the tips I got and this forum have been amazing, it's going a lot better this time and I'm really enjoying it. I think I'm going to try a grain kit next, I'm hooked! The only issue I have had which is my own fault is the primary fermenters lid broke so I had to use cling film on it. Seems to have worked just fine though. I decided to start keeping a brew journal for all my batches here it is so far with readings (in Celsius sorry canada here) View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1440890507.447291.jpg
Edit:I know the book says couldn't find but I found it shortly after broken.

Second edit spelling

 

[estricklin]

Your going to do fine.

Remember, brewing is FUN, not WORK.

 

[Anonme]

I went into it with that frame of mind which is why I think it's going better.

 

[Anonme]

Bottled it today. I can't believe how clear it is. I tasted it, it's kind of tastes like a black lager but I think I should have tasted it before I mixed the dextrose in. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1441664923.404504.jpg

 

[King_Coaster]

The kit you were referring to is a 15L bag of wort, correct? I have done Brewhouse before and used 8L of spring water instead of tap water and it worked great. Just follow the instructions except sprinkle the yeast on top instead of mixing it. I go 2 weeks in primary them 2 weeks in secondary adding gelatin fining 3 days before kegging and they have all been great.

 

[Anonme]

What's gelatin fining?

 

[RM-MN]

What's gelatin fining?

Gelatin clings to the particle in your beer and makes them settle out faster so you get clearer beer sooner. If you chill the beer well before adding the gelatin, the proteins that cause chill haze can be dropped out by the gelatin too.

 

[Anonme]

Ah I see thanks

 

[Subdivisions]

I decided to start keeping a brew journal for all my batches here it is so far with readings (in Celsius sorry canada here)
Second edit spelling

It's OK. Most of us aren't like our european counterparts that b!tch about recipes in the format that we don't understand. We can find the google Kg to lb or C to F calculators easier for some reason.

EDIT: If you're a european or someone who uses the metric system and easily converts recipes over without complaint then I apologize wholeheartedly!!! There are some that will espouse the benefits of the metric system to their last breath. The problem is that they don't realize that this is a whole country raised on the imperial system. Please don't judge us for the faults of our forefathers!!

I remember in 3rd grade learning the metric system and the teacher telling us that it would be used exclusively in the future. This was in the mid 70s. I can tell you now that it's not the case. I still send drawings to machine shops in thousands of an inch measurements!!

EDIT2: I don't mean to insinuate that our european brothers are all bitching about measurement values. I just happened to notice this a little more on Reddit where there is a stupid effing bot that converts simple measurements to metric regardless of the fact of whether the user is capable of doing the conversion themself or not. If you need a bot to do it then you're not worthy of this hobby!