OVHA Chat

I am trying to get the acid tast out of my beer.

i have bought a new supply.
1 can of malt wheat 3.3
1 can of malt amber hopped 3.3
1 LB of torrified wheat
2 LB of spakling dry malt amber

i am a new brewer of less than one year, looking for help.

e-mail (gale_ritchie@hotmail.com)

ritchie

What yeast are you using?

this batch i am trying a Windsor (gold package).

ritchie

ok, at what temperature are you fermenting ?

i have my frig set from 65'-70' . trying to keep it at 68'.

ferment for a week (weekend to weekend).

ritchie

My advice: Stay away from pre-hopped extracts and add real hops instead. You will be able to control the bitterness of your beer and also add some hop aroma. Also use the lightest extract available and rely on steeped grains to add color and flavor complexity. Winsor is a good yeast, but I have had very good results with Nottingham in American-style wheat beers.........just my 2 cents.

+1 on everything Dwayne said.

Temps seem right. You could get extra ferulic acid if you were doing all grain and doing a rest at a certain time, but that doesn't seem to be the case here. I have had a sort of acidic taste when I used hops that were too old but that really doesn't apply.

Next question, what are you using to sanitize your equipment? Are you thoroughly cleaning and sanitizing everything that touches your beer after the boil?

thanks for your info. yes you are correct the amber was to make it darker. the LME amber w/hops was on the shelf.

i am cleaning my equipment with B-Brite but i just bought a new container of
LD Carlson, and boil all water.

ritchie

+2 on Dewayne
Don't use pre-hopped extract...and use the lightest extract available, utilizing steeping grain for flavor and color.

Your acid taste could come from bad hops in the kits. Don't use the hops and yeast from kits from places that store them on the shelf. Trust larger mail order stores like Northern Brewer, More Beer, Midwest, Williams, Austin, Listermann, etc for kits.

+1 for Alvey

Your acid taste could have come from infection.
B-Brite contains clorine....not good for stainless. I used it about 15 years ago when it was free from the homebrew store..I wasn't impressed.
I've had stuff grow in 1 step cleaner that I let set too long soaking....smelled really bad.
Best cleaning/sanitizing method I've found is utilizing 2 steps.
1. clean with oxygen based cleaner either oxy-clean, or best PBW from 5 star. (I'm about as cheap as they come so I buy the generic oxi-clean from dollar tree. I'll use about a dollar's worth a year).
2. Star San sanitizer from 5 Star mixed with distilled water and kept on tap in a cornie keg and spray bottle (It doesn't stain like other iodine containing sanitizers, and just as cheap. I'll use about $5/year of this). It's ok not to have it in a cornie. Just mix up what you're going to use right away utilizing tap water and pour it out when you're done. You'll have no problems.

I've had 0, I repeat Zero! infections using this cleaning method in years.

+1 on John "(I'm about as cheap as they come )

Keys to good brewing-
1 Need to have a good solid brewing practice. (this will come with time)
2 Need to have a good sanitation practice.
3 Need to be able to control the fermentation (Good yeast handling, wort handling, and temperature control)
4 Need to use fresh ingredients.

Yea, B-brite is a good cleaner and a somewhat iffy sanitizer.

StarSan, Your new best friend: [link]http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/star-san.html[/link]

I will try to get to the co-op (Evansville) before the end of the march so get a can of amber w-out hopes. what hope might i try if it is on the shelf. this is a project the me and the boy are going to do when he comes home of vacation.

i am cheap to; that is one of the reasons i started to make my own beer.
i will get some oxy-clean from the cheap store.

next is there any self brewers in Princeton IN.

ritchie
e-mail gale_ritchie@hotmail.com

my October fest and Weiznebeir no acid tast.

ritchie

May be when the boy is home Gail will let you in the kitchen, and you can have access to hot running water and the dishwasher lmao

march 30 2010

Thanks to all the members that gave me advice on this "wheat beer".

The boy and I had a good time making and drinking some beer.
He might get back into brewing back home in Oregon. He found a place that will let
him use there equipment. (LETSBREW.COM)http://ovha.net/phpBB3/posting.php?mode=reply&f=2&t=916#


ritchie