Is my beer ruined?

[mrbubba213]

I tried brewing a Amber Steam beer, just as an experiment. It was windy outside and had a hard time keeping a boil going. I tried it yesterday and it was not good at all, tasted metallic and infected. Is there anything I can do to salvage it? I thought about souring it but not sure if that will work. It had a funky smell during fermentation, but it was the first time I used lager yeast so I thought that was how it was. Thanks Brew Compatriots

[EL TIZZO]

You will have to give some more specifics if you want help...you gave very little information in your post...

It was windy outside and had a hard time keeping a boil going.

how much of boil did you do?

I tried it yesterday and it was not good at all, tasted metallic and infected.

how are your cleaning and sanitation practices?

I thought about souring it but not sure if that will work.

this will most likely not work...good sour beers start from good beers to begin with

It had a funky smell during fermentation, but it was the first time I used lager yeast so I thought that was how it was.

what kind of funky smell...lager yeasts can be sulphery but in my experience SF lager yeast is not that sulphery

[spiderwrangler]

You might as well let if ferment all the way if you haven't yet. If it is still undrinkable, dump it and brew another. Spending the $ to get bugs to try to sour it is probably going to leave you with a sour metallic not good beer instead of just a metallic not good beer.

[mrbubba213]

It has a metal like taste, and a funky bitter taste. My taste buds aren't that good so that's the best I can do. I boiled 6 3/4 gallons. There was some scorch on the bottom from the last batch. The yeast had been un-refrigerated the day before, the refrigerated and un-refrigerated again before pitching. My carboy sanitation was good, filled with star-san right upuntil wort was placed in it. Tools and airlocks were all in a star-san solution. Fermented at about 68 degrees. I was a little rushed, so I guess Ill just have to remember to slow my process down and make sure I do everything the right way.

[brewinhard]

Did you taste/smell your spent starter wort before pitching? Are you able to scrub off the bottom of your kettle?

[mrbubba213]

Yeah a few people did. The general taste was horse barn like in the taste and like tea in the smell. I didn't think it was bad at all, so maybe something happened in ferment?

[brewinhard]

Yeah a few people did. The general taste was horse barn like in the taste and like tea in the smell. I didn't think it was bad at all, so maybe something happened in ferment?

Horse barn to me sounds like a brettanomyces infection. If your starter smelled like that and you pitched it into your cooled wort then your beer could be infected. What yeast strain did you use for this?

[mrbubba213]

It was WLP840, and I didn't do a starter, just pitched it. The wort was barn like by the way.