Home brew smells more like cider

[stuarty007]

Hi I have purchased a starter kit to start home brewing and got a Czech pilsner kit with everything bunged together so I just need to put the extract into the fermenting bin and add water etc. It has been fermenting for 6 days now and I took a hydrometer test and was 1.014. The smell coming from it is more like cider than anything. I plan on doing another hydrometer test this evening but is it worth bottling or leaving in fermentation bin for longer? The temperature has been steady at 20c throughout the process everytime ive checked it.

 

[Covrich]

I would certainly leave it longer.. I usually keep mine in for a min 2 weeks.. Helps the yeast to clean up and helps some of the beer to clear Prior to bottling.

I wouldn't worry too much about smells.. My fermentations kick up all sorts of smells, my cider smelt like a sweet bile and vomit but tastes lovelly

 

[stuarty007]

Hi thanks for your reply, strange it smelling like cider but I am new to the world of home brewing so I guess I'm to expect the same and sometimes worse results.

I will continue to leave in fermentation bin for up to 2 weeks then and attempt to bottle it after this period.

 

[stuarty007]

Oh how long would you recommend conditioning the beer once bottled?

 

[Cwrw666]

Don't sniff the gas in the top of your FV - it's mostly just CO2 plus a little aroma from the very immature brew. And the CO2 is very acidic when it hits the lining of your nose - I think that's what's giving you your cidery smell. Even when you crack open a matured bottle of homebrew you can get this if you get a whif of the gas coming out of the top of the bottle. But the beer won't taste the same, nor smell the same once that CO2 from on top has gone.

 

[stuarty007]

Don't sniff the gas in the top of your FV - it's mostly just CO2 plus a little aroma from the very immature brew. And the CO2 is very acidic when it hits the lining of your nose - I think that's what's giving you your cidery smell. Even when you crack open a matured bottle of homebrew you can get this if you get a whif of the gas coming out of the top of the bottle. But the beer won't taste the same, nor smell the same once that CO2 from on top has gone.

Thanks that's helpful, much appreciated, how long would you recommend conditioning the beer once bottled? I've been told 3-4 weeks should be sufficient and that was with leaving in the fermentation bin for around 6-7days, but will now leave in this for up to 2 weeks as previously suggested.

 

[Scaff]

Leave bottled for as long as poss, or until you are clucking like a junkie leaving cash converters.

I've done 200+ bottles and 3 kegs in the last few months and the earliest one has been drunk, and I'm on a keg and 2nd bottled brew. I will say as you get into it they do taste better with age.

Drink a few, pop a few away for later on.


Scaff

 

[stuarty007]

Leave bottled for as long as poss, or until you are clucking like a junkie leaving cash converters.

I've done 200+ bottles and 3 kegs in the last few months and the earliest one has been drunk, and I'm on a keg and 2nd bottled brew. I will say as you get into it they do taste better with age.

Drink a few, pop a few away for later on.


Scaff

Thanks for the advice much appreciated.

My plan is to leave in fermentation bin another week now and bottle it all next week with the hope that could welcome the new year with a nice wee cheeky bottle or 2, even tho I'm Irish I couldn't handle 48 anymore

 

[Brewtus]

The problem with these kits is that they have generic instructions for a whole range of beers. If the yeast is a lager yeast then fermenting anywhere above about 14° will give off fruity esters (you really want somewhere closer to 10°). Unfortunately the kits never tell you this!

 

[Brew2Day]

Did you add any sugar? In my experience cidery taste/smell is using too much cane sugar (1kg or more).

It's deffo worth letting it sit for a week after fermentation and even racking to secondary (via a siphon) for an extra week before bottling.

 

[stuarty007]

Did you add any sugar? In my experience cidery taste/smell is using too much cane sugar (1kg or more).

It's deffo worth letting it sit for a week after fermentation and even racking to secondary (via a siphon) for an extra week before bottling.

No didn't add any additional sugar. The kit I had didn't require any to be added in the first instance. It had to 2 cans and 2 small bottles of hop extract or something and sachet of yeast. Followed the instructions for it with a constant temperature of between 18-24 recommended and have had it consistently at 20c