How bad is my first batch going to taste?

mthompson · 11-03-2008, 03:34 PM

So I brewed the batch yesterday, everything went fine. A few hiccups with my digital thermometer reading increasing temps the longer the wort chilled....but we got it fermenting away. The yeast starter I made kicked in and was fermenting in <12 hrs.

THEN....I get on here this morning and the first thing I see is that you should NOT squeeze the steeped grains! Well, each time I checked the temp on the stove, I mashed the bag down with my stir spoon! And then squeezed most of the liquid out after I dumped the steep water into the brewpot.

The OG sample I took was super bitter....kinda like day old super strong coffee. So my question is, will this mellow out a bit? If it won't I don't think we'll be able to drink this stuff, well maybe with some cream and sugar!

Thanks, MT

**Warped04** · 11-03-2008, 03:36 PM

Everything changes during fermentation and aging. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

**Mutilated1** · 11-03-2008, 03:42 PM

I wouldn't worry about it, I'm sure it will be fine.

There has probably never been a brew session where a brewer didn't have the "Oh I shouldn't have done that" or "Oh I should have done this" ephipany after the yeast is pitched and the cleanup is underway.

As many times as I've screwed up and done something wrong I've yet to make anything that was undrinkable.

**Revvy** · 11-03-2008, 03:45 PM

Just let it finish out, then bottle it, then let it condition for 3-4 weeks and you will be fine

mthompson · 11-03-2008, 03:46 PM

Alright,

I won't fret (hopefully). I just got me a little worried, after I read post after post about how bad it is to do what I unknowingly did....i.e. - squeeze tannins out. Even after I made sure the steep remained at 160 for 30 min. in order to avoid this problem.

Thanks, MT

Parker36 · 11-03-2008, 03:46 PM

You will be fine.

**Revvy** · 11-03-2008, 03:51 PM

Beer is a pretty magical thing...no matter how much we often #$@# up...it always turns out fine....just walk away from it...and leave it alone in primary for a month...if there were any off flavors from squeezing, the yeasts will try to scrub them clean after they are done fermenting the sugars...they like to clean up the messes THEY make...so if you made some it is likely they will clean those up as well.

Pivzavod · 11-03-2008, 04:15 PM

I am currently drinking my 1st batch. Some bottles I can taste a bad after taste and some are ok. I know I made mistakes with the wort & early fermentation temperature especially since its a lager. You learn from your mistakes but I think you are totally fine. I didnt even use a thermometer on my first batch. I did batch #3 and now I keep everything under control and so will you with a lot of reading and practice

BTW why do you say that you are not supposed to squeeze the grains? I know many instructions say to dip the grain bag and let it drain like a tea bag. Squeezing it would be done to let it drain more but you are still letting it drain one way or another.....

dontman · 11-03-2008, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pivzavod

BTW why do you say that you are not supposed to squeeze the grains? I know many instructions say to dip the grain bag and let it drain like a tea bag. Squeezing it would be done to let it drain more but you are still letting it drain one way or another.....

Water draining out of the grain bag is not the same as squeezing it out. When you squeeze you are applying pressure which will force some tannins out of the husks which would otherwise have remained.

Fact is, though, temperatures above 170 is the main thing which will get those tannins out and squeezing will only relase a small amount.

If your squeezing had an affect that you can actually notice in the properly fermented properly conditioned finished product I will eat my hat.

**Revvy** · 11-03-2008, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pivzavod

BTW why do you say that you are not supposed to squeeze the grains? I know many instructions say to dip the grain bag and let it drain like a tea bag. Squeezing it would be done to let it drain more but you are still letting it drain one way or another.....

The general consensus in books and online is that squeezing the grain back could possibly cause tannins to be extracted from the grains, resulting in a POSSIBLE iced tea taste...That's become part of the verbal lore of the brewer that has been perpetuated in books to become nearly canon...However, someone recently posted info on here that contradicted this idea....So who knows.

A lot of crap get thought of as canon...until some other piece of info come along..

So not knowing either way, it's a good idea to simply rinse rather than wring...but not to freak out if you did squeeze.