Any way to make beer less bitter after the fact?

So I made a Haus Pale and tried FWH. The only thing is I didn't adjust my hops. The beer is just too bitter for my taste (otherwise it's damn good). I was thinking dry hop and turn it in to an IPA (it's in a keg). What if I added some Bourbon I have in a jar on oak chips and vanilla beans? Do you think the vanilla would sweeten it up some? What else could I do?

Thank you.

If you have, or made, another pale ale that was lightly bittered you could blend them?

I have a an Irish Red Ale lightly hopped but it's so delicious I hate to mess with it.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f65/irish-red-1st-place-hbt-comp-141086/

I thought about brewing another batch to blend it but I will probably have drank all of this by then - I get numb to the bitternes after a couple.

Try a pinch of sugar in the glass before you pour. Or a little honey. Just a touch of sweet to offset the bitter.

From what I understand, time will help. It's said that hop bitterness drops off by around half after 6 months (don't quote me on those exact numbers) and keeps going down from there. Maybe stick this batch in the back of the fridge and forget about it for a while...

Salt reduces the bitterness, just don't add too much.

ChshreCat said:

Try a pinch of sugar in the glass before you pour. Or a little honey. Just a touch of sweet to offset the bitter.

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Thanks, this actually worked. Although it's taking more like 3 pinches per pint.

yodalegomaster said:

Salt reduces the bitterness, just don't add too much.

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This helps too. 1st pint I added a pinch...too much. 1/2 pinch - much better(+3 pinches sugar). Thanks

BoogieBrandBooze said:

From what I understand, time will help. It's said that hop bitterness drops off by around half after 6 months (don't quote me on those exact numbers) and keeps going down from there. Maybe stick this batch in the back of the fridge and forget about it for a while...

Click to expand...

+1 this. I have a huge pipeline of finished beer (7 kegs) so I think I'll just BMBF this into bottles for some long time storage. If it doesn't improve it'll be give-away beer. Thanks

Amazing, the 4th one's not bitter at all!!!

Ya know, might have just been the bite from getting too much yeast on the first few pints.

edit: or you're getting too druk to tell anymore.

ChshreCat said:

Try a pinch of sugar in the glass before you pour. Or a little honey. Just a touch of sweet to offset the bitter.

Click to expand...

A splash of sprite might do it, the sugar is already absorbed into the liquid, plus it's carbonated

Actually, I'm getting too druk to care anymore. The bitterness is still there, but this is still a good beer. Just wanted to drink this one as it's the latest one to come into it's prime. I'm have more of a malt preference than hop, but that may be evolving. I'm off work tomorrow as well as today so I'm going to have a few more samples!

Turns out the water used by Briess to make extract has a high sulfate loading but a low sodium content. Otherwise the water is typical to soft. With the sodium to sulfate ratio set at a high sulfate, the bitterness comes through too strongly. That is why salt seems to help. However that brings chlorine into the picture which messes with another ratio.

You need to add about 2 small pinches of sodium bicarb (baking soda) to a glass. The extra carbonate helps to lower the bitterness also while adding some body.