Irish Stout - Smells like wine

[TimothyW]

Hi All,

 

I'm all the way in South Africa and brewing my second batch of Coopers. Tried the Coopers Irish Stout as follows:

 

1 tin Coopers Irish Stout

1 tin Coopers Dark Malt Extract

500g local dry malt extract

1 packet Safale 04

 

pitched yeast at about 22 degrees C on 27 April (forgot to take SG)

temperature in fermentor for first 7 days was 18 degrees C

since the 4 May temp at 22 degrees C.

It's still bubbling although very slowly.

 

My worry is that to my nose there is a slight smell like wine on the sample I took. I took a sip and it wasn't great but smelt like beer.

 

Should I be worried?

 

[PB2]

Ignore the airlock. Where are you, Muddy?? [biggrin]

 

The brew has finished fermenting when the specific gravity does not move over a couple of days.

 

You might have a bit too much of one of these going on...

Some signs of spoilage:

a white film developing over the brew

smells like almond essence

smells vinegary

smells like a band aid (this may sound weird but it is the best likeness to the smell)

tastes sour

a ring and /or film on the top of the beer inside the neck of the bottle

becomes hazy in the bottle

gushes out of the bottle

 

If your beer displays any of these signs it is not likely to get any better with age - expect it to become worse!

 

 

[Muddy Waters]

Ignore the airlock. Where are you' date=' Muddy?? [biggrin']

 

Sorry Paul - I must be off my game [lol]

 

[Brenton Brewer]

I agree with the other bloke. Don't worry about the airlock. I don't even bother with the Hydrometer, just wait 4 days. I brew 1 tin Irish Stout with 2 tins of Sparkling Ale (following the recomended Coopers recipe), in a 60 litre fermenter and then into kegs. Done this about a dozen times and never had a bad brew. Having one right now. I use Iodofor to sanatise, works a treat.

[Muddy Waters]

If your kegging it may be ok not to use a hydrometer but if you are bottling you need to be sure fermentation has finished. Otherwise bottle bombs will be par for the course. SOme brews take longer than others. My last sparkling ale took 6 days to ferment out so I would have been in trouble if I'd bottled it at the 4 day mark.

 

+1 for Iodophor. Great stuff!