After Taste

Hello--New to forum. Recently brewed, bottled and drank our first batch of beer. We brewed an Amber which came with our kit. It was very good but had a bit more bitter after taste than we like. Now I am going to brew another batch with my son ( same Amber - New kit ). Is there any thing that I could add that would take away a little of the after taste. Thanks for the help. Should add that we are very new to the home beer making.

When you say "bitter" do you mean just plain bitter or astringent-like?

That might add a little piece of info that will help everyone give advice.

How much hops are you using?

Assuming there's no problems with the kit (extract is fresh) or the brewing methods, I would ease off on the hops or stage them later in the brew. Hop acids are different depending on where they're harvested, etc. (I had a recent batch of Cascades at 7.6% AAs and another batch at 5.5% AAs). It's possible the makers of the kit haven't adjusted their kit, but it's hard to tell... Where did you get your kit?

If you post the recipe, along with the techniques you used, we could probably pinpoint where that aftertaste is coming from and help you prevent it in the next brew. Without knowing the ingredients or how you made it, it would really just be a guess.

I find a bitter/chemical aftertaste in most homebrews that I try. Now, none of my friends are making any stellar beers to begin with, but call it the "homebrew aftertaste". My theory is that it tastes like the plastic bucket it was fermented in. Any thoughts? Would fermenting in glass/better bottles eliminate that taste?

I find a bitter/chemical aftertaste in most homebrews that I try.

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That is because most new home brewers use bad kits with old extract and follow instructions which in most kits are WAY WAY WAY horrible. (I've read two kits that tell you to BOIL the grains). Make sure you get the best ingredients and everything DOES matter in good making beer. All the tiny mistakes do add up. You can make drinkable beer but until you really LEARN the correct way (read books - not instructions) your beer will have flaws.

WITH THAT SAID!

Sounds like maybe some tannins? Did you squeeze all the juice out of the grains after you were finished? Don't do that. Handle the freshly soaked grains with kid gloves. Don't squeeze. Just let it drip out naturally.

Water temp when soaking or partial mashing can be a problem also. Too hot can hurt.

Also - Aftertaste goes away. If it is to much just set it aside and it'll calm down. I have had undrinkable beer twang that is WONDERFUL after 6 months.

Sorry it took me so long to get back. The kit I use is from Monsterbrew.
The amount of hops I put in is pre-measured in a small bag. The after taste is not terrible aand it seemed that the longer it sat in bottles it was not quite as bad. I will have to wait to get my next kit to get exact receipe.

Could have just been a little early. Things tend to mellow.

My first All Grain, I didn't account for some of the grain loss and ended up with a full two gallons less wort than I planned (five gallons rather than seven). I was dreading that the hops would be overpowering. When I tasted my first hydrometer sample, it was mega-bitter.

Now, it's almost three weeks later and I can't keep from checking the SG nightly because it's really good! I can only imagine what a few weeks in the bottle will do.

Time is as much of an ingredient in beer as water, grain, hops, and yeast.

I would stay away from any kit where you do not know exactly what you are brewing.

Brewing is a learning experience and you get no learning if you don't know what it is you are cooking. I see a few bad things in the ingredients.

* Easy To Read Instructions
* Hopped Amber Malt Extract (1 can)
* Light Dried Malt Extract (2 lbs)
* Hop Pellets (1 oz)
* Ale Yeast (1 pack)
* Priming Sugar (5 oz)
* Bottle Caps

Lots of unknowns - love to see the instructions.

I have no experience with MonsterBrew but Austin Home Brew has fresh ingredients and not in a can ( cans scare me) and their kits are outstanding.

Grinder12000 said:

That is because most new home brewers use bad kits with old extract and follow instructions which in most kits are WAY WAY WAY horrible. (I've read two kits that tell you to BOIL the grains). Make sure you get the best ingredients and everything DOES matter in good making beer.

Sounds like maybe some tannins? Did you squeeze all the juice out of the grains after you were finished? Don't do that. Handle the freshly soaked grains with kid gloves. Don't squeeze. Just let it drip out naturally.

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Thanks for the tips. I recently got back into brewing and it is very possible that my impatient college buddies and I squeezed the grains (to get all the beer out! haha) back then. My first two batches since coming back I have studied up more and only let them drain. They're in primary/secondary at the moment, we'll see if I notice a difference.

I've also found a great supply store in my town with fresh extract (not out of a can) which I assume will make a big difference. I am looking forward to mashing next!