Starting a Pale Ale Today

[SuperBroo]

I reckon the green stuff floating on the top is just some residue from the hops bag, harmless.

[DzRBenson]

Cheers

I was more worried about the particles, the yeast on the lip and not sure about the smell, maybe its because its an Ale its sweet

[Tourist]

Everything sounds in order to me. Don't worry about particles, as they will settle-out in the bottle. Just go ahead and bottle when you are sure it has finished fermenting, making sure that everything is nice and sanitary.

Once it's been in the bottle for 2-4+ weeks, then you can really assess whether the beer has worked out. I'm sure it's all fine.

[DzRBenson]

Ive just had a look at the brew and will taste a bit later, but even though the beer as been clear and lost the Krausean these bubbles have started 2 appear about 11 days from start of brewing.

Il post photos later, but why would it go from above pic to getting these now

[Bum]

Just sounds like CO2 coming out of solution. Gasses don't really like being held in a liquid (or somesuch) and over time the CO2 produced will leak out unless kept pressurised (i.e. in a sealed bottle). Assuming the picture looks like I'm imagining there is nothing at all to worry about.

[DzRBenson]

Well I think this one may be lost, no sure why, but its been in about 2 weeks now and checked today and this.

[Bum]

Doesn't look unusual to me. The white bits in the middle of some of those bubble clusters look a little more dense than I'd ordinarily expect but that picture certainly doesn't scream 'infection' to me. Have a smell and a taste of a sample and see. Nine times out of ten the smell or taste will let you know. An infection won't taste like beer you don't like - you should be looking for something much more vomity or a genuine sourness (although the most common sour infections have very visible signs and you don't have those now). I really don't think you've got anything to worry about but a taste will let you know for sure.

[matr]

A crash chill @ 1C for a few days will drop that out. I doubt it's infected but will be if you keep taking the lid off.

Chill then bottle.

Cheers, Mat

[Oliver]

Looks OK to me, too. As Bum says, smell and taste it. If it's OK, then you're right.

Bear in mind that the smell will probably be overpowering if you stick your head over the fermenter. This is normal. And beer at this stage will taste still not quite right. But you should be able to tell if there's an infection present.

My feeling is that there's not and you'll be drinking a quite enjoyable drop in a few weeks.

As I've said before, the No.1 rule of homebrewing is to not worry because everything usually turns out OK.

Cheers,

Oliver

[speedie]

nothing like surface area v volume for oxygen pick up
keep at it and you will be amazed at your beers

[billybushcook]

I doubt it's infected but will be if you keep taking the lid off.
Mat

+ 1 ON THAT

Every time you take that lid off you are giving the bugs a chance to get in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brewing is simple, no need to keep playing with it. I understand you are keen & interested but you need to relax & let it do it's thing.

At this stage of your brewing addiction you should be doing just 4 simple steps.

Sanitise.
Mix your ingredients & cover.
Wait two weeks.
Bottle.

You may get the odd dodgy one (which I don't think you have) when you first start out if your sanitation is not up to scratch but if you keep opening it up you will get MANY dodgy ones.

Remember, bacteria are all around us, in the air we breathe & almost every thing we touch. Even the air we breathe out will be laden with more bacteria than when it was breathed in. There will be a layer of Co2 sitting on top of your beer which helps protect it but it is by no means a barrier if disturbed.
You need to keep that space inside the fermenter totally isolated from the outside atmosphere.

Some of us use ClingWrap & a big rubber band in place of a lid so we can see in without taking a lid off.







Cheers, mick

[Tourist]

...its been in about 2 weeks now...

I find it puzzling that you've not put it into bottles already - what are you waiting for? At 26C, most of the activity looked done after 4 days. Have you taken a hydro reading?

Maybe time to put the camera away and get some bottles happening...

[matr]

What the hell is that hanging out of your beer Mick? Is it a heater? Or maybe an eel trying to escape?

[Bum]

...its been in about 2 weeks now...

I find it puzzling that you've not put it into bottles already

Many people find that the beer will improve if you leave it a little longer than primary takes - this gives the yeast a bit of time to clean up after itself. Another factor is that beer conditions more quickly in larger volumes than it does in bottles.

[Tourist]

Bum is correct.

As one of the laziest brewers I know, I often have beer in primary for 2+ weeks and am aware of some of the benefits (which are not always evident in my products). I guess my puzzlement comes from:

1) The consideration that it is his 2nd ever brew (I think) - my first brews were into the bottle ASAP (and all gushers, thankfully no bombs). I am not recommending this approach, but as a beginners, I assume that people want relatively quick results first up. Could be wrong there, but bottling immediately after hitting terminal gravity is not entirely bad practice.

2) He never mentioned the intention to "condition" the beer.

3) My practical assumption that putting the beer into sanitised, sealed bottles is, at this stage, preferable to repeatedly opening the fermenter and subjecting it to bacteria, wild yeast, dandruff and light strike from your camera's tungsten filament. Being a bit silly now - hangover.

4) He is only going to determine whether there actually is an infection by furthering the brewing process to the final product OR delaying the process until there truly IS an infection.

Hope it all works out, whatever you do. General rule is also correct - RDWHAHB!

[DzRBenson]

Hi,

I will prob bottle today or tmw, Ive left this in longer as I want the particles that were in there to drop out a bit, and also for the beer to clean itself up a bit.

Was going to wait another week, but since its looking pretty clear and tastes good, il get it going soon

My first brew I bottled after 7 days, and I just feel it was way to quick by about 2 weeks.

[billybushcook]

What the hell is that hanging out of your beer Mick? Is it a heater? Or maybe an eel trying to escape?

Damn, I wondered where that brewing spoon got to!!



These are old pics, before I had the Tempmate.
I used frozen bottles in the box & a fishtank heater in the fermenter.

Mick.

[DzRBenson]

Cheers guys, ive bottled this

Will see how it goes, had a taste last night, tasted very clean