Bad beer

[Biernut]

Just tapped a new keg Dortmunder Export and its crap. Cloudy and a slight medicinal taste, I knew I was going to have trouble with this beer as I it wasn't quite right when I racked it so I dry hopped it. Aroma on the nose is ok but the taste no no. Ok so I stuffed up with this one, happens sometimes dunno whether to chuck it or hold my nose and try and get through it and just cry. Definitely a HB downer. Hey it still beats paying 38-40 bucks a slab

[Longwood-65]

Just tapped a new keg Dortmunder Export and its crap. Cloudy and a slight medicinal taste, I knew I was going to have trouble with this beer as I it wasn't quite right when I racked it so I dry hopped it. Aroma on the nose is ok but the taste no no. Ok so I stuffed up with this one, happens sometimes dunno whether to chuck it or hold my nose and try and get through it and just cry. Definitely a HB downer. Hey it still beats paying 38-40 bucks a slab

When I do a bad one I mix it with a commercial beer which usually makes it drinkable

Cheers
Ron

[Biernut]

I don't know about that Ron but worth a try. I have a nice London Ale that has been in the keg for a couple of weeks. I put a bit of work into it and it is a cracker. Shame to use it on this brew that has gone wrong. Can't complain really I have had a good run over the past few months so it was a bit of a let down.

[James L]

Yeh mate i've had a few go wrong lately, I am having trouble hitting my mash temps, and i ususally overshoot the mark. I think i'm also managing to introduce oxygen into the system and therefore wort oxidation when the beer is passing through the plaste chiller as i dont have the capacity to drop my wort temps to 20C using tap water.

I have a long list of possible causes, and i'm slowly eliminating them with each brew i do, but if i try everything and i still get these problems, i think i'm going to snap.

As for these bad brews, I never chuck them out, but i never give them to people to drink... they just sit in the shed until i have nothing better to drink.. They can sometimes come good after a month or two..

The problem for me is, the pile in the shed is really starting to grow (150L +), and i'm getting complex where i dont want to brew anymore cos i dont want to get another 24L of average beer. its a vicious circle because i know i wont get any better unless i continue to brew...

[WSC]

Maybe you need a pilot brewery for your micro micro brewery?

I have been thinking of dropping my batch size as when you start experimenting with other ingredients you never know how it is goign to trun out.

And beside I like massive amounts of varierty so the more different brews i have the better.

[bensfarm]

i tip the dregs and the bad one on the missus roses they seem to like it..

[Biernut]

Yeh mate i've had a few go wrong lately, I am having trouble hitting my mash temps, and i ususally overshoot the mark. I think i'm also managing to introduce oxygen into the system and therefore wort oxidation when the beer is passing through the plaste chiller as i dont have the capacity to drop my wort temps to 20C using tap water.

I have a long list of possible causes, and i'm slowly eliminating them with each brew i do, but if i try everything and i still get these problems, i think i'm going to snap.

As for these bad brews, I never chuck them out, but i never give them to people to drink... they just sit in the shed until i have nothing better to drink.. They can sometimes come good after a month or two..

The problem for me is, the pile in the shed is really starting to grow (150L +), and i'm getting complex where i dont want to brew anymore cos i dont want to get another 24L of average beer. its a vicious circle because i know i wont get any better unless i continue to brew...

James if anything is going to go wrong it is usually after the boil and into the fermenter. Oxidization is usually rough handling of wort (splashing) when it is over 80C and shows up as a wet cardboard taste in the finished beer and believe me I had a few of them in the early days. Just had a handle of this rough beer and you maybe right, it might come good, medicinal taste not as pronounced as it was. I have found AG brewing is more forgiving than K&K was, so seem to have less stuff ups. Work through your problems and remember cleanliness is next to Godliness and you will come out on top.
I have an idea brewing at adjusting mash temps in an insulated mash Tun without an immersion heater and will lay it on you guys when I get it up and running & try it out .....if it works that is.

Cheers

[James L]

Yeh mate, i'm usually really careful with my splashing, but i occasionally get turbulence of the wort when transferring from the kettle through the plate chiller and into the fermenter... this is what i am really going to work on to get the oxidation down....