physast

Recipes 

Hey everyone. I just transferred my northern brewer Nut Brown into the secondary. It has been in primary almost two weeks.

Before primary the aroma and taste was sweet. original gravity at 1.045

Going into secondary the gravity is at 1.010 and has a more alcohol aroma and taste. I have never had a beer smell like this. Is this bad? I wouldn't say it is a vinegar smell/taste but it is a strong slightly bitter alcoholy smell taste.

Thanks

RCCOLA

Recipes 

It'll probably age out in the bottle.I've had alcohol flavors diminish over time and carbonation helps out too.The bitter is probably a combination of the hops and dark grain in the recipe,which will also mellow over time.After about 3-4 weeks in the bottle you will probably be golden.If they gave you 3/4 of a cup of corn sugar for bottling I personally would cut it to 2/3 to be closer to the style, and lower carb. levels seem to come across smoother in mouthfeel.

Donner

Recipes 

sometimes those types of flavors can happen if your fermentation temps get too high. The alcohol flavor anyway.

I had this happen to a stout and for a while i thought it was terrible. Then one day it mellowed and became amazing.

Also, i had a nut brown that was very harshly bitter for a long time, but after a while in the bottle it has mellowed into a fine beer.

RDWHAHB. Chances are the beer will improve, but if they don't, you'll have a better understanding of the process.

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ChickenSoop

Recipes 

I don't think it means anything until you wait 4-6 weeks after bottling.

My IPA at 2 weeks in the fermentor smells like somebody burnt a rubber tire in there.
It is different every time. If you are a pro with 50 brews under your belt, who knows what is right until 4-6 weeks after bottling. There is nothing to do but wait and see.

physast

Recipes 

Yeah, I need to learn and wait. It's amazing how even after 10 batches new things happen every time.

I have also read that the taste and aroma might be from not enough yeast. I am going to leave it in the secondary for maybe two weeks then keg it and gas it for another two weeks or so and see what I have.

I have done nut browns before, but have never had a batch smell or taste like this.

I will keep you posted.

Thanks

snailsongs

Recipes 

+100 on not judging until it's had time to carb up in the bottle....I worried my ass off for the first several batches I made, scrutinizing the different flavors at various stages of ferment, conditioning and carbonation......I now realize that, unless it makes you want to outright vomit just to stick your nose by your brew, you just can't tell what it's going to taste like until it's finished, bottled and carbed. Your beer is alive, and it doesn't like to be imbibed underage......let it grow up into the fine specimen it wants to be.