[bluesman]

Some things to do for the next batch:

Make a starter using this calculator - mrmalty.com
inspect all ingredients for quality/freshness
Review your cleaning/sanitation practices and make necessary adjustments
buy swamp cooler and chill using ice - aerate/pitch yeast accordingly
pitch ales in the low to mid 60's and maintain fermentation temp <70F
keep everything clean/sanitized that comes in contact with wort/beer after boiling

[tonyp]

You could also make a cheap fermentation chamber. I got the idea from Euge and its worked out perfectly for me, even in the summer.

Here's the Thread

[klickitat jim]

Speaking of aftertaste,  I just bottled a batch of Belgian blond... two full cases of 12s... seemed to have a funky odor. Put the cases away. Then found that I primed it with hotdog water instead of sugar water.

Glad it's my last batch to bottle!  All keg from here out.

"Freedom is temporary unless you are also Brave!" - Patriot

[jeffy]

Speaking of aftertaste,  I just bottled a batch of Belgian blond... two full cases of 12s... seemed to have a funky odor. Put the cases away. Then found that I primed it with hotdog water instead of sugar water.

Sounds like something from the Three Stooges.

[erockrph]

Speaking of aftertaste,  I just bottled a batch of Belgian blond... two full cases of 12s... seemed to have a funky odor. Put the cases away. Then found that I primed it with hotdog water instead of sugar water.

Ouch. Next time add the hot dog water to secondary with some mustard seeds.

[mripa]

Another idea for the next batch:
Put your top off water in the freezer while brewing and get it to almost freezing.
This will help cool your wort a lot.
Cool the smaller amount of wort first then add the very cold water.
This should put you around upper 60's.

You should read up on Secondary - probably are wasting time and increasing infection chances.

I don't have the $ for a fermenter...I use 18 gallon rubbermaid bin...place fermenting vessel inside.. fill with water.. Take Gatorade bottles and fill 3/4 with water and freeze....add these in the morning and after work...keeps it around 67 degrees or so.

Hope this helps...

[brianselvy]

So I tried a couple of these beers again over the weekend, and this time I was really trying to discern if I could taste something like "bandaid".  I don't think it has that taste.  It has a bit of a harsh aftertaste, which it sounds like is attributed to higher fermentation temperatures, and it has a bit of a metallic taste, which Jeffry said could be from the Willamette hops. 

So, for next time I think I'll make the following changes:

1) Use RO water
2) create a starter
3) Place the wort in a tub filled with ice and use cold topping water to get to a pitch temperature much sooner
4) Keep the fermenter in the tub and use frozen plastic bottles to keep the temp in the 60's.

How long does the temp need to be in the 60's when fermenting?  I've read some posts that say the temp should rise a bit after the first few days.

[garc_mall]

All of those are good ideas.

Also, don't throw out your harsh beer, if it is simply fusels, they will fade to esters over time and the beer should be more pleasant. I would give it about a month or so at room temperature.

RE: temps, I would keep it tightly controlled for the first 72 hours or so, and then just leave it in the tub, so it has some temperature buffering capability. The first 72 hours are really important because the growth phase is when undesirable flavors are formed (Esters, Phenols, Fusels).

[thatgeekguy]

You may want to check out the Cool Brewing bag, it's a giant round insulated softside cooler. I used one for my first six batches and it worked great. You just use a couple of two liter frozen bottles to keep temps in the low 60's, and swap them out once or twice a day. I didn't like the idea of using a tub, and this had a much higher WAF (which is important when it's sitting in the guest bedroom)....