Question about William's Brewing Triple Hopped Ale

the_wrath_of_Khan · 11-26-2007, 01:07 AM

So I brewed my first batch of Triple Hopped Ale for William's Brewing http://www.williamsbrewing.com/TRIPLE_HOPPED_ALE_P298C183.cfm over the last month. It fermented vigorously and I saw no mold. I was impatient, I won't be again, and I bottled the beer at 7 days instead of 14 as the instructions stated. I did check the gravity to make sure my bottles wouldn't explode and if I remember right it was 1.014 or so. After bottling the beer I tasted what was left in my priming tank and it was very bitter and tasted a little like cough syrup. I got very worried.

So I opened my first beer after 7 days in the bottle, again too early. Too me it tastes okay, but very, very bitter. Does this bitterness mean that I had a bacterial infection? I used bleach and some of William's BREWER'S EDGE CLEANSER. I no longer taste the medicine flavor but I had my Japanese relatives over for Thanksgiving last night and they all were eager to try my beer. My sister-in-law described the beer as くすり or medicine tasting; however, again it just tastes bitter to me. One of my friends that introduced me to home brewing said he thinks it is fine, but he is by no means an expert.

So my main question is did I screw something up or is this the way the beer should taste? Thanks in advance.

**Yooper** · 11-26-2007, 01:20 AM

I don't know, since I don't know how it's supposed to taste. But, I can tell you this- it will be much, much better in 3 weeks. Some of the bitterness will mellow (and the medicinal flavors might, too) and it'll be better. Green beer is always bad compared to beer that's been allowed to mature a bit.

Medicinal flavors often come from too-high fermenting temperatures, so be sure to keep an eye on that in your next batch.

**eddie** · 11-26-2007, 01:23 AM

Can you post the recipe you used? That'll help us nail it down.
*edit*
I just noticed that you said you used Bleach. Do you mean you used it as a sanitizer? Chlorine can lead to a medicinal flavor if it isn't thoroughly rinsed away.

rdwj · 11-26-2007, 01:24 AM

7 days is way early to bottle. What was the target FG? Hopefully you're right around where you were trying to be or you could have some trouble. Let it sit for at least a month - should taste better after a little time.

**RichBrewer** · 11-26-2007, 01:46 AM

The web site says the starting gravity will be about 1.060. A beer that starts this high will need time to condition and get better. I' guessing that you are at least 3 weeks away from it getting good. As far as being bitter, it's got 48 IBUs so it will taste pretty bitter until it has aged for awhile.
I'm betting this beer will be much better in 3 weeks to a month.

Let us know how it turns out.

the_wrath_of_Khan · 11-26-2007, 03:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eddie

Can you post the recipe you used? That'll help us nail it down.
*edit*
I just noticed that you said you used Bleach. Do you mean you used it as a sanitizer? Chlorine can lead to a medicinal flavor if it isn't thoroughly rinsed away.

I did use bleach as a sanitizer. I then thoroughly rinsed everything after bleaching it. I used the kit that I linked too.

Thanks for the information everyone. I will let this beer sit, and hopefully it will get better after a few more weeks. I have some IPA brewing right now that I hope turns out well.

**cubbies** · 11-26-2007, 02:27 PM

Wow, I am surprised they would give you directions like that. Your beer will be fine, you are just going to have to wait a while.

First of all, I wouldn't recommend drinking any beer in less than 3 weeks. Some people have drank their wheat beers as young as two weeks, but 3 is always better IMO. However, with high gravity (1.055 and above) and high IBU (35 and above) you are looking at AT LEAST a month and 6-8 weeks would be better. So here is my advice:

Buy yourself another kit and get another beer going. Let is sit for at least two weeks before bottling. In the meantime, get yourself some microbrew and let the triple hopped ale sit at room temp in the bottles for a couple of weeks, then chill and drink and see if it is better (it will be).

the_wrath_of_Khan · 11-26-2007, 09:34 PM

Thanks I will take your advice. There is only 1 good microbrew in the area I live in and it is pricey and a 2 hour drive away. Back to drinking 生ビル Orion.

the_wrath_of_Khan · 12-11-2007, 03:00 PM

Thanks for the advice everyone. The beer turned out much better after letting it sit a few more weeks.

**Yooper** · 12-11-2007, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the_wrath_of_Khan

Thanks for the advice everyone. The beer turned out much better after letting it sit a few more weeks.

Glad to hear that! Now, wait another two weeks and just about the time it's almost gone, you'll say, "this beer is great!!!!". That's the way it always seems to go- the best tasting ones are the last ones.