Sour taste - ruined?

[Foggy Scruggs]

Hi All

Complete novice here - first attempt at brewing.

I've fermented my wheat beer for 6 days @ perfect temperature, thought I'd do a gravity check. It has hit finishing gravity, after a very vigorous initial fermentation.

Thing is I took a sip from the trial jar and it is not good, very sour.

Any chance this will disappear? Should I leave in the fermenter a few more days? Should I just bin it? Most likely cause? Poor sanitation?

Any advice gratefully received.

 

[phettebs]

The first thing I would tell you is that beer rarely tastes amazing after 6 days in the FV. I usually leave my beers in the FV for two weeks. Once the sugars are all consumed, the yeast will clean up other fermentation byproducts (within reason) and leave you a better final product.

Was this all grain or using extract? If extract, was it liquid? Older liquid extract can have a sour twang to it.

What yeast and what temp do you ferment?

 

[Foggy Scruggs]

The first thing I would tell you is that beer rarely tastes amazing after 6 days in the FV. I usually leave my beers in the FV for two weeks. Once the sugars are all consumed, the yeast will clean up other fermentation byproducts (within reason) and leave you a better final product.

Was this all grain or using extract? If extract, was it liquid? Older liquid extract can have a sour twang to it.

What yeast and what temp do you ferment?

Thanks Phettebs for reply
Festival German Weiss kit liquid malt extract.
Yeast came supplied
Temp 21.5c (70.7f)

I'd be unconcerned if it didn't taste amazing (tasting vaguely like beer would be good) but this sourness is a worry, but as a noob i'm unsure if its bad or has potential.

Should I leave it another week and if the sourness is decreased go ahead and bottle?
And if it remains sour? Bin it? Or bottle anyway?

 

[phettebs]

I would leave it another week. I really hate to bin a beer.

If it remains sour, it comes down to whether or not you think you'll drink it. If you know it's not something you could stand, then I wouldn't spend the time and energy on bottling. With that said, time can do some amazing things to beers.

Also, do you live near anyone who has been brewing for a while? You could have them taste it and provide feedback. It never hurts to get another opinion.

 

[Foggy Scruggs]

I would leave it another week. I really hate to bin a beer.

If it remains sour, it comes down to whether or not you think you'll drink it. If you know it's not something you could stand, then I wouldn't spend the time and energy on bottling. With that said, time can do some amazing things to beers.

Also, do you live near anyone who has been brewing for a while? You could have them taste it and provide feedback. It never hurts to get another opinion.

thanks dude, appreciate you getting back to me

i think it'll take a miracle but i'll give it some more time

i'll try get a second opinion, though i'd be amazed if they don't instantly declare it vinegar

bit off putting for first brew having tried to do everything correctly. i am trying not to be too discouraged.

 

[-Bezza-]

The quickest I have been able to drink a beer is 2 weeks after starting fermentation, and even that was pushing it. There's still so much going on until then.

 

[chris-s]

Whoa. Hold your horses.

I have done many Festival kits but not this one. They have all come with hops to add and on bottling day they are seriously sharp if you use them all.

I read the description of this one and it mentioned cloves!

Imagine raw cloves. Is that what you are tasting?

The Father Hooks bitter was so citrus orange from the hops, I could hardly drink it for nearly three months. After 4 or 5 months it was really, really nice and kept getting better. I'll definitely be ordering another some time. And leaving it alone for 6 months!

Of course, it could be something else but it might only cost you a little bit of time and effort to find out.

 

[Foggy Scruggs]

Whoa. Hold your horses.

I have done many Festival kits but not this one. They have all come with hops to add and on bottling day they are seriously sharp if you use them all.

I read the description of this one and it mentioned cloves!

Imagine raw cloves. Is that what you are tasting?

The Father Hooks bitter was so citrus orange from the hops, I could hardly drink it for nearly three months. After 4 or 5 months it was really, really nice and kept getting better. I'll definitely be ordering another some time. And leaving it alone for 6 months!

Of course, it could be something else but it might only cost you a little bit of time and effort to find out.

hey chris

thanks for responding

This kit doesn't come with hops to add. Apparently not all festival kits do

I love cloves (strangely enough i occasionally eat them raw) and this is not that clove kinda peppery taste, this is sour (that kinda sourness that fizzes on your tongue if that makes sense)

When i fermented (ideal temp 21.5c) it went crazy after about 16 yours - nearly exploded - found a bucket oozing krausen, airlock gunked up. Couldn't control rising krausen. even though i filled to less than advised 23 litres as i'd read it's a vigorous ferment.

I did what i could to keep everything sanitary but...

Reading around worried i have a "sour bug" and that my equipment is all now quite possibly compromised, as this is super difficult to get rid of. Sound like a ghost story to me, but as a first time brewer it has me worried.

Maybe i'm being paranoid about that

Anyway i'd like to think my first effort hasn't been a complete disaster live and learn i hope

 

[chris-s]

I would definitely bottle it anyway. It's not that much time and effort and you might be rewarded.

I never use an airlock for beer and plenty of times I've found the lid raised and foam slopping down the side of the bin. Once it has settled down I just clean the exterior. I reckon you would be unlucky if that was the cause.

What sanitiser did you use?

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Always be paranoid about cleaning cold side stuff I reckon.

That said I agree with chris, bottle anyway, time changes things a lot. I did a Nelson sauvin smash which was absolutely dreadful when young, very sour/wine but after a couple of months was very drinkable.

 

[damienair]

6 days is really early, another week in the FV will make a big difference. I am doing a blonde ale at the moment. I thought the fermentation had stalled and took a reading after 6 days, it had not stalled but just looked inactive as the airlock was not bubbling. I took a sip from the trial jar, tasted off, sour, not great at all and very watery. I’m just about to dry hop it now, 4 days later. Took a reading 30 mins ago, it looks great through the trial jar and tastes great too. A completely different beer after just 4 days. I’m going to dry hop in now in a muslin bag and leave it for another 4 days before I bottle it.

It’s hard when you first start. I was the very same, anxious and worried that I would mess up. All I do now is sanitise all my kit, mix up the brew, add the yeast and forget about it for 12 days, take a hydrometer test, and another 48 hours later. Then I transfer to a bottling bucket after adding priming sugar mixed with 400ml of hot water and bottle. I leave the bottles for 2 weeks at 20 degrees C and then at least 2 weeks in my garage to condition. I’m on my 6th brew now and so far so good. Just be patient and good luck.

 

[Foggy Scruggs]

I would definitely bottle it anyway. It's not that much time and effort and you might be rewarded.

I never use an airlock for beer and plenty of times I've found the lid raised and foam slopping down the side of the bin. Once it has settled down I just clean the exterior. I reckon you would be unlucky if that was the cause.

What sanitiser did you use?

I used Brew Safe - a no rinse sanitiser, contains sodium percarbonate. I think the problem may be that when everything gunked up I didn't do a great job in remedying the situation.

I'm gonna try the same kit again. I'll fill to under the recommended 23litres, maybe 21, to avoid the krausen rising through the airlock again. I'll use a blow-off tube which I didn't have before.

Just had another sample - vinegar - pretty sure it's beyond redemption. I'm gutted but gonna start cleaning and santising, then some more cleaning and sanitising.

Fingers crossed for the next batch.

 

[chris-s]

What a shame.

Brew Safe shouldn't be a problem. And if it's vinegar then some bacteria probably got in somewhere along the line.

I keep a tub of VWP handy in case I think something might not be perfectly clean. Otherwise I just use a no rinse sanitiser.

Just a thought. Why not try a cheap one can kit first so that you can establish that the problem has gone. It will also give you something to drink while you wait for the good stuff to age a bit.

 

[Foggy Scruggs]

What a shame.

Brew Safe shouldn't be a problem. And if it's vinegar then some bacteria probably got in somewhere along the line.

I keep a tub of VWP handy in case I think something might not be perfectly clean. Otherwise I just use a no rinse sanitiser.

Just a thought. Why not try a cheap one can kit first so that you can establish that the problem has gone. It will also give you something to drink while you wait for the good stuff to age a bit.

Yeah man I am gutted.

Not the Brew Safe I'm sure, but the brewer.

Just poured it away - the rank smell almost made me heave - like REALLY potent cider.

Now I've cleaned everything spotlessly, first just soap and water, then with diluted bleach, now everything is sitting in Brew Safe - FV, hydrometer, airlock, blow off tube.

That should do it ? Do you think?

Anyway, back to square one.

I am kinda determined to brew this wheat beer kit, but I'm sure you are right, try something else get 1 success under the belt at least.

 

[chris-s]

That should do it ? Do you think?

I am not an expert, but I know there's tons of stuff on here. And probably dozens of different methods and products people use. But it comes down to 1-clean, 2-sanitise which you have done.

I am kinda determined to brew this wheat beer kit, but I'm sure you are right, try something else get 1 success under the belt at least.

I know. But I would be sick if another £22 went down the drain.

Good luck whatever you decide.

 

[Jordang]

Just came across this - how did it end up for you?

I brew this kit very frequently, it’s my favourite and it definitely benefits from a higher fern temp…. I start at 23 and finish at 25! Brewed at 21 litres