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fatbob

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Just tasted my first & second batches tonight & they both have a bitter after taste that overwhelms the flavor. 1st batch is a extract cream ale. the OG was 1.043 and it finished at 1.011. It was in primary for 10 days and was in secondary for 3 and a half weeks. was in the bottle for 3 and a half weeks.
When we bottled, the beer seemed to come out of the bottling bucket pretty fast, so when I turned the spigot to slow it down it seemed to get air bubbles in it. When we had the valve wide open it didn't get bubbles in it but it seemed to run in the bottles fast enough where they seemed to foam up. We were very careful at every step to have everything sanitary and everything seemed to be going OK. there was no sign of anything being infected.
The second batch was an oatmeal stout, also an extract kit. It was in the primary for over 3 and a half weeks then racked to bottling bucket the bottled.
I also have a Irish Red Ale in secondary and a Hophead Double IPA in primary. I know that these won't taste like a BMC but these are a very bitter taste that I can Smell when I open the bottle. Any help or advice will be appreciated. I'm thinking that I may have gotten oxygen into the beer when I bottled and I'm thinking when I bottle again I will have my bottles only a foot or so under the bottling bucket to slow down the flow.
 
Hmm, never heard of bitterness coming from oxygenation. Besides, you wouldn't notice the effects of oxygenation for quite some time. I really don't think it's that. Do you know what the IBUs are supposed to be for the beers? Without tasting it, I couldn't really give a definite answer. Can you describe the bitterness a bit? Yea, i know strange request. But is it a back of the tongue bitterness, roof of the mouth? Or is it like a tongue squeezing bitterness? Sort of like sucking on a tea bag.
 
I don't know how to describe it, maybe a kind of sour taste? They both smelled good when they where in the fermenter. Before I transfered from primary to secondary I tasted it when I took my hydrometer test and it seemed to taste pretty good. When I transfered I used a auto siphon and I practice first and had no trouble doing that.
 
Get a bottling wand and that will solve your valve issues. I am not sure where you got that off-flavor from though. Like Natas said, give us a little more insight about this flavor.
 
I don't know how to describe it, maybe a kind of sour taste? They both smelled good when they where in the fermenter. Before I transfered from primary to secondary I tasted it when I took my hydrometer test and it seemed to taste pretty good. When I transfered I used a auto siphon and I practice first and had no trouble doing that.

Is it sour like green apples? Check the link in my previous post and read about the common off flavors and pick the one that best describes what you are tasting.
 
I clicked on the link about astringency. When we steeped the specialty grains we went 20 minutes when the recipe called for 10-20 minutes. we were careful not to disturb the sides of the bucket when we racked to secondary.
 
After reading about all those off flavors I guess that astringent would be the closest to what it tastes like. We did use a bottling wand.
 
We did use a bottling wand.

If you did, you shouldn't have to mess with any valve. If you used a bottling wand just the gravity should fill the bottles and there shouldn't be any flavors from oxygen then. You rinsed the bottles very well after you cleaned/soaked them? What did you use to sanitize and clean?
 
Yea, it sounds like an astrigency. That's where i was getting to with the questions about a tongue squeezing bitterness like a tea bag.
 
I'm serious when I say this, let those bottles sit for a couple of months and then try them, they will probably taste a whole lot better after they age for a while.
 
Perhaps an infection? I steep specialty grains for 30 min and never have problems with bitterness due to that. What are you putting in your airlocks and what are you sanitizing with? What temp are you fermenting at?
 
What Fred sed.
If it is tannins causing the astringency they will mellow after some time in the bottle. Also, make sure to refrigerate your beer for 2 days before drinking it. For some reason this really helps my somewhat astringent wit beer.
 
34.7 IBUs is fairly high for that gravity, so the beer would definitely be on the bitter side. I'd try tracking down some craft ales with a similar IBU/ABV ratio for comparison.
 
How long did you wait to open the bottles? If it's under a month more than likely your beers are simply green....I recommed that new brewers NOT diagnose a "problem" in their beers if they are drinking them under a month in the bottles...Have an experienced brewer taste it after...Anything below a month is usually NOT something from you/they read in a book or on here...because there actually is probably nothing wrong, it is just "green." SOmetimes green-ness can last even a couple of months.

Here's some info on that issue...https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showpost.php?p=558191&postcount=101

Even if it isn't geen, +1 on what everyone said about waiting time and yeasties does some great things....let me tell you a story :D

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=73254
 
also about the steeping. You haven't mentioned what temperature you steeped at. Generally want to go no higher then 170 before tannins begin to leech. At least that is the general rule.

+1 to Revvy. Time can heal All (most) Wounds
 
+1 to Revvy. Time can heal All (most) Wounds
and +1 to that.

The thing is...he said 10 days primary, 3 1/2 weeks secondary, and 3 weeks in bottle....that SHOULD be pretty drinkable.

Look at this as a sound experiment. Chill off a few bottles every week and see how they progress. I have had this same issue and time (few Months) had started to work it's magic. Also Revvy has written some GOOD advice in his NEVER DUMP BEER thread. We're all destined to a batch or 8 that needs to sit a lot longer than we'd planned.
 
34.7 IBUs is fairly high for that gravity, so the beer would definitely be on the bitter side. I'd try tracking down some craft ales with a similar IBU/ABV ratio for comparison.

I was going to say that. I'd say either it's still green or maybe the OP just doesn't like that much AA bitterness. I hop all my recipes way down at the low end of the style range, and like it that way.
 
How hard is your water? If you have very high bicarbonate levels, you can get an unpleasant, harsh bitterness in the aftertaste from higher IBU beers. High levels of chloramine may also cause astringency.

My advice is to try switching to bottled water for your next batch, and if it is better, consider getting a water report and following the guidance in HowToBrew on adjusting your brewing water.
 
First of all much thanks for all the help. A little more info; I used EZ Clean that came in the kit, I have since gotten Starsan to use from now on. For hops, I used .5 oz Columbus for the 60 minute boil and 1oz Cascade for the last 2 minutes for the Aroma hops. The specialty grains never got above 160 F. The water I used was 3 gallons of well water for the boil and then topped off with bottled spring water. The bottles were only in the fridge for about 4-5 hours so I'll try another one today & see if that makes a differance. Maybe they just need to sit in the bottles for a little while longer. I'm not going to give up but want to know if there is anything different I can do with the other two batches, one of which is almost ready to bottle. Thanks again.
 
I hate to ask, but are you an experienced drinker with these kinds of beers? It may just be that they style you brewed is more bitter than what you are used to.

My second thought may be a dumb one. I never brewed from kits, but do they assume you are boiling at a certain size? For example, does the kit assume you are doing a 2 gallon boil then diluting? If so, maybe you boil was larger so you got better hop utilization and have a correspondingly higher bitterness? (All speculation)

In any case, bitterness will mellow over time. Keep brewing and reading, I have found experience to be the best teacher in this hobby, and try to improve your method with each batch. Goos luck and Happy brewing! :mug:
 
My second thought may be a dumb one. I never brewed from kits, but do they assume you are boiling at a certain size?

YES THEY DO!
In all of my infinite wisdom and excitement to try my new Turkey Fryer out before I went AG, I decided to do a 5 gallon boil on a BB Cream Ale Kit with no hop timing correction.....It's so freeken bitter I mix it with Tomato Juice to even choke it down.
 
First of all much thanks for all the help. A little more info; I used EZ Clean that came in the kit, I have since gotten Starsan to use from now on. For hops, I used .5 oz Columbus for the 60 minute boil and 1oz Cascade for the last 2 minutes for the Aroma hops. The specialty grains never got above 160 F. The water I used was 3 gallons of well water for the boil and then topped off with bottled spring water. The bottles were only in the fridge for about 4-5 hours so I'll try another one today & see if that makes a differance. Maybe they just need to sit in the bottles for a little while longer. I'm not going to give up but want to know if there is anything different I can do with the other two batches, one of which is almost ready to bottle. Thanks again.

Columbus hops are going to be pretty hard on you if you aren't a hard core IPA drinker already. It may be the hops. :D

Is your well water good enough quality to drink? If not, or if there is visible sediment or extreme hardness... that is probably a factor. Everything else sounds right-on.
 
YES THEY DO!
In all of my infinite wisdom and excitement to try my new Turkey Fryer out before I went AG, I decided to do a 5 gallon boil on a BB Cream Ale Kit with no hop timing correction.....It's so freeken bitter I mix it with Tomato Juice to even choke it down.

Haha I'm glad I'm not the only one. I made an Irish Red hop-bomb. After four months it's good now. :D
 
I did the same thing with a BB Altbier, for which I don't think the recipe was meant for a 3 gallon boil. F-ing bitter in the carboy, a little less when I bottled. Hopefully this will mellow out some.
 
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