Should it taste like that?!

[BrickBrewHaus]

My very first brew has been in the primary since Jan 24. Bubbling in the airlock stopped ~4days later so I took a gravity reading on Sunday at which time I also gave it a quick taste. The taste and aroma brought me back to my college days and reminded me of a can of Natty light that had sat out all night. There was a very unpleasant, almost solvent-like, aftertaste and the aroma was equally unpleasant.

Since this is my first batch I don't know what is normal. Is it normal for harsh tastes/aromas early in the fermentation process? Will these very off-flavors get cleaned up after some additional time in the fermenter and after bottle conditioning? Obviosly I'm not gonna give up on this batch, I'm just trying to get a feel if its gonna turn out as hoped.

[Dubba_Brew]

Let us know a few things about the beer. What style are you going for? What temp did you ferment at?

If it is a bit "solventy", that sounds to me like your ferment temp is a little high. Like you said yourself, don't give up on it just yet. You never know what a beer is going to do. I would definitely give it more time in the fermenter (at least two more weeks depending on the style, but that's me). Give us some more info to work with and we'll see what we can come up with. Maybe even a recipe.

[FreakBrothers]

Your uncarbonated fermented beer should taste like the beer style you were shooting for. Judging from you initial reaction something may not be right.

Go ahead and finish fermentation (if not complete) and bottle as normal using good sanitation and by all means get a 2nd opinion from someone with more brewing experience in case you might be over reacting form the initial sampling.

Good luck and keep brewing!

-"E"

[BrickBrewHaus]

Its an American amber kit from Brewers Best. I fermented in a closet that is consistently 70 F (65-75 F was the temp range given) but the carboy was wrapped in a blanket (maybe trapping in some residual heat from the fermentation process?). Looking back I don't think the blanket was necessary since the closet temp is pretty well regulated.

JP says in "How to Brew" that solventy tastes most likely come from high fermentation temps so I also thought the cause is in the temp, but I didn't think 70 F was too high. My only thought is that I measured 70 F floor level (which originally I thought I would ferment) but decided last minute to put the carboy on a shelf to conserve space and didn't take a temp reading there. Maybe it was a bit warmer higher in the closet. I'll have to check as soon as I get home from "work".

[Dubba_Brew]

Well the room was 70F, but what was the temp of your wort when you pitched your yeast? Do you have a temp strip on your carboy? Fermentation can raise the temp of your beer a good 5-10*F if you're not careful. I wouldn't worry about it too much. If your first beer is really that good... then you suck

If I were to go back and try a bottle of my first beer, it would probably make me a bit ill

Keep at it and let this one finish out. Learn from your mistakes. I would also take FreakBrothers advice and see if you can find another brewer to try your beer... once it has finished out and bottled up.

[TheTodd]

I just have to reiterate what Dubba said. Room temp does not equal fermentation temp. Fermentation is a chemical/biological process which generates its own heat. Get a stick-on temp strip for your carboy. They are cheap and amazingly accurate.

Also, don't touch it for at least one more week, if not two. You've probably heard about primary and secondary fermentation. The bubbling airlock phase is primary fermentation. When that is done, you enter secondary fermentation. At this point, the yeast run out of sugar to eat and start eating other compounds, an important step that which cleans up your beer.

As you said, don't give up on it. At least not until it's bottled and you find out that it is completely undrinkable. Then give it to your friends at the next poker night.

[BrickBrewHaus]

Dubba...I didn't record the temp of wort when I pitched the yeast but I have a feeling it was fairly cool. I had 2 gal of wort and filled to 5 gal with cold tap water.

TheTodd...Thats good to know for future brews, I just assumed the temp range (ie 65-75F) was referring to the room temp. In either case, I don't have a temp strip but looks like I know what my next purchase will be.

So for future batches, I'm aiming to keep the temp of the carboy between 65-75F (or whatever is optimal for the given yeast I'm using) and not just finding a room 65-75F? What do you recommend for ways to store the carboy during fermentation? For example, if I see the temp of the carboy is getting too warm what is the best way to get the temp under control?

Thanks for all of your help. I guess no matter how many times you read things (How to Brew twice for me) you don't get a good feel for the actual process until you get your hands dirty and make a few mistakes of your own.

[brewinhard]

Most styles of ale will benefit greatly in flavor by keeping the actual fermentation temperature (use a fermometer strip on your fermenter as a starter) under 68 degrees F. After a few days, if the temp starts to rise then that is okay, but try to keep the temp down at first if not at the lower temps the entire fermentation. 70 degrees is too warm to run a fermentation from the get go and can lead to fusel alcohol production (tastes like harsh booze, nail polish, paint thinner, etc. DISGUSTING, and gives brutal hangovers the next day.

Be sure to cool your wort to temps below the 68 degree range and then pitch your yeast. Once the yeast is fermenting, an exothermic reaction will create heat and bring the fermentation temps up a few degrees higher hopefully right around 68 or so. If it gets too hot, put it in a cooler area of the house (basement, or even outside for 30 min. or so) to cool the temps down. If you need to warm it up, wrap a towel/blanket/jacket loosely around the fermenter or move it near a heater.

Temperature control is one of the most crucial things a starting homebrewer can do to make their beer come out better than average. It just takes a bit of attention to detail and willingness to move 5 gallons of beer around the house for a tasty finished product. Good luck and keep brewing!