Bitter tasting worts

TheTower · 03-28-2009, 04:31 AM

I've noticed a trend in my last couple brews....the wort sample tastes really bitter. When I put together the recipe for my IIPA, I purposely limited the bittering hops because I don't like bitter very much, and the wort tasting had me a little scared because of how bitter it was. I tasted it when I moved it to secondary, and the bitterness was mostly gone, it was just a hop-punch to the face...delicious. And I just brewed a porter tonight and that wort was also surprisingly bitter. I got the roasty, chocolaty malt flavors before and after the bitter, but still....

Does anyone else notice their wort is surprisingly bitter? Is there a reason for this? I would think it should taste sweet because of all the unfermented sugars, but apparently not.

DrinksWellWithOthers · 03-28-2009, 05:06 AM

Almost all times my wort gravity sample is weird and bitter tasting. But I drink it every time... I think its a rule.

Orangevango · 03-28-2009, 12:19 PM

Mine never is, perhaps you are over-sparging (if you are all grain) or something.

**Yooper** · 03-28-2009, 12:52 PM

Mine is always bitter, and sweet too! Remember that the bittering hops are harsh then, and smooth out during fermentation and conditioning.

Danek · 03-28-2009, 01:03 PM

I find it varies a lot depending on the recipe. But yeah, I have had a couple of beers that were undrinkably bitter when I tried the first hydrometer sample, and which turned out to be lovely when they were fermented, carbed and aged.

k1v1116 · 03-28-2009, 01:11 PM

As strange as it sounds I think the sweetness accentuates the bitterness too, in regular food things like sugar and salt bring out other flavors it stands to reason that this could happen in wort as well.

**Nurmey** · 03-28-2009, 04:20 PM

All my wort tastes like really bitter Southern sweet tea. (Big oxymoron!)

Why are you making an IIPA if you don't like bitter?

**Dr_Deathweed** · 03-28-2009, 04:24 PM

Rule #1: RDWHAHB

Rule #2: Never try to judge your beer by the taste of the wort, the yeast have not even had a chance to do their magic yet!

double_e5 · 03-28-2009, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nurmey

Why are you making an IIPA if you don't like bitter?

I was wondering the same thing.

TheTower · 03-28-2009, 04:58 PM

This was all more of a curious observation that any type of worrying. And I'm making a IIPA because I like hop flavor, and I figured a big beer with a lot of flavor/aroma hops and dry-hops would remain malty enough to offset the bitterness and have a lot of hop flavor. Plus it made my house smell awesome.