Need Help Please

[drillsergeant]

Hello everyone, I need your expertise. I am a beginning brewer who wants to keep going but is extremely frustrated. I will try to provide appropriate details.
First batch was German Hefe. Turned out good, but, many of my friends don't like the taste of import. That makes it not the best for sharing which is part of the reason I started. Second batch- American wheat which came with beer making kit. Third batch- cream ale. Batch 2 and 3 never cleared up and had unpleasant aftertaste. Primary 2.5 weeks. secondary about a week.
whirlflox and bofine used as clearing agents
star san used for sanitization
Recipe Kits from reputable company
1st batched bottled, 2nd and 3rd batch kegged
2nd batch seemed to get worse as it sat in keg
3rd batch just kegged last night but hasn't started out well taste wise

Are there any suggestions for why beer isn't clearing up? Any recommendations for an easy, no bad after taste beer recipe kit that most would enjoy? Again sharing is one of my primary reasons for brewing.

Thank you for any help.

 

[Yooper]

If the quality kits aren't providing good results, it makes me consider the water used for brewing. Are you using tap water, by any chance?

 

[unionrdr]

Do you clean & sanitize every mit-picky lil thing that touches the beer?

 

[forstmeister]

I find that my kegs tend to get really clear after 2-3 weeks in the kegerator. I use Irish moss at the end of the boil, typically primary for 2-3 weeks and go straight to keg. Once I started to use Irish moss my beers got much cleaner, which I like.

Wheat beers will always be cloudy. It's from the wheat. Try doing a simple blonde ale with mostly 2-row and small amounts if hops. It is usually very clean and easy to drink. Do a search on here for Centennial Blonde (by Biermuncher).

 

[drillsergeant]

I used tap in first 3 batches. I failed to mention that I have a 4th batch (Hefe) in primary. I used distilled bottled water for it.
I try hard to make sure everything is sanitized. I think I'm doing it right.
I am about to look up the moss and blond ale.

Thank you for these and any more suggestions.

 

[Yooper]

I used tap in first 3 batches. I failed to mention that I have a 4th batch (Hefe) in primary. I used distilled bottled water for it.
I try hard to make sure everything is sanitized. I think I'm doing it right.
I am about to look up the moss and blond ale.

Thank you for these and any more suggestions.

Let us know how the distilled water batch comes out. I have a feeling that since these kits are quality kits, and the only common factor is the tap water, that it's the tap water that is causing the off-flavor.

 

[drillsergeant]

Looking on the web site I order from, I see a lot of beers that say "blonde" Irish, German, Belgian, ect. Are all blond ales the same concept.

 

[Yooper]

Looking on the web site I order from, I see a lot of beers that say "blonde" Irish, German, Belgian, ect. Are all blond ales the same concept.

No, a "blonde ale" is a distinct style of beer.

6B. Blonde Ale
Aroma: Light to moderate sweet malty aroma. Low to moderate fruitiness is optional, but acceptable. May have a low to medium hop aroma, and can reflect almost any hop variety. No diacetyl.

Appearance: Light yellow to deep gold in color. Clear to brilliant. Low to medium white head with fair to good retention.

Flavor: Initial soft malty sweetness, but optionally some light character malt flavor (e.g., bread, toast, biscuit, wheat) can also be present. Caramel flavors typically absent. Low to medium esters optional, but are commonly found in many examples. Light to moderate hop flavor (any variety), but shouldn’t be overly aggressive. Low to medium bitterness, but the balance is normally towards the malt. Finishes medium-dry to somewhat sweet. No diacetyl.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light to medium body. Medium to high carbonation. Smooth without harsh bitterness or astringency.

Overall Impression: Easy-drinking, approachable, malt-oriented American craft beer.

Comments: In addition to the more common American Blonde Ale, this category can also include modern English Summer Ales, American Kölsch-style beers, and less assertive American and English pale ales.



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Of course, I don't know where you order from but if you're seeing "Irish blonde ales", I'd double check their kits.

 

[drillsergeant]

TY Still looking

 

[freisste]

I'm not trying to sound like a jerk, but the other common factor is the brewer. (That's certainly not to say there is something wrong with you or that you CANNOT make good beer.)

What I'm saying is if you are just starting out, there are some practices that will make your beer better that you may never have heard of.

Do you do yeast starters? You may not need to for your beers, but under pitching can cause off flavors. Yeast quality is also important. While these may be high quality kits, yeast goes bad. Maybe they were a little old.

Pitch temperature and fermentation temperature also play an important role in making a good beer. Cool your wort as fast as possible down to the low end of the yeast range, if possible. Then hold it there after yeast has been pitched at least for a few days. Then let the temperature ramp up a little.

Oxidation can also make a good beer taste bad. Make sure you don't do any splashing after pitching the yeast. Before pitching, splashing is great because it provides oxygen for the yeast.

Also, I'm guessing these were extract brews. Nothing wrong with that, but there is a specific taste linked to extract. Also, if you boil the extract the whole time, it can lead to more of the "cooked flavors."

I'm sure there are other common beginner pitfalls. The important thing is to keep brewing because you will most certainly get better. And keep asking questions. It's how you learn.

 

[drillsergeant]

You do not sound like a jerk at all and thank you for the response. Here's some more information. Any help appreciated.

I try to get the best yeast for that kit. All yeast so far has been liquid with the smash pack on the inside. The packs have inflated so I assume they are good.
60 minute boils. Extracts are boiled according to recipe times.
Cold crash after boiling as fast as possible.
I shake up the cooled wort before pitching but try not to move it much after that.
Stored in a closet, dark, temp 68-74
never used a starter. The recipe hasn't called for them
Interesting you mention under fermentation. I have not had a batch yet that did much bubbling. Maybe a day at most if that. They have had a foam head but not much on the bubbles. I use buckets for fermentation.

 

[Yooper]

I think the temperature of 68-74 may be a problem, if that's room temperature.

That's really too warm for most ale yeast strains, and I'd suggest trying to keep a fermenting ale much cooler. If you have a "stick on" thermometer on the fermenter, a good temperature to target for most beers will be 66-68 degrees for the beer temperature (not the ambient air temperature, which can easily be 10 degrees cooler!).

 

[freisste]

Next time you brew, try to get it a little cooler. I personally prefer staying in the low 60s. Also, keep in mind that active fermentation will heat up the beer. So you might be in the mid 70s. Even if you don't swap out ice bottles to actively cool the water, sitting in water will keep the beer from heating up as much. Again, good luck.

 

[drillsergeant]

Wonderful advise so far. I just went and wrapped a wet towel around my primary to start some evaporation. Will search for more effective ways. The batch in the primary is on day 2 and still not bubbling. Should I try to pitch more yeast or ride this out?

 

[unionrdr]

I've had batches ferment out that never bubbled once. Had maybe 1/2" krausen tops. So look & see if there's any krausen in the fermenter.