Crap! Another learning experience!

Brewed my first self-designed batch the other day, a California Common. Went pretty well, used my new 10G kettle and 55K BTU burner for a full-volume boil and my new "ghetto-look" immersion chiller. Took my OG reading, nailed my target, and was feeling like I was starting to get this brewing thing down. Then I tasted my sample and WHOA! Much more bitter than I was anticipating. Oh well, maybe it'll mellow I figure. Then I was playing around with my new copy of Beersmith and setting up my equipment and noticed when I plugged in my 10G pot the IBUs on the beer I was playing around with went through the roof! That was when I learned that hop utilization is much higher with a full-volume boil. Sigh. Now I've got some hopped-up Frankenbeer and I'm not sure how it's going to turn out.

TL;DR: Discovered the hard way that hop utilization is higher with full-volume boils.

Don't worry, that taste you had could have been significantly more bitter and sweet than what your beer will end up being after the yeast gets to it. It's going to change completely.

That said, you did a 10 gallon batch? What was your hop schedule?

I bet your beer will be fine. I don't think the utilization will be so much that it will make your beer undrinkable. How many IBU's did beersmith calculate?

Almost every batch I brew tastes more bitter than I want when it's fresh out of the kettle.

10G Pot would be able to boil 5-7 gallon batchs so ill assume thats your batch size

What was you hop schedule? Like theve has said bitterness right out of the kettle will be percieved to be higher because of the sugary wort.
The yeast will also dull the hops slightly depending on which strain you use.
Post your recipe up, im sure your fine with your CSB (Cali Special Bitter)!!

More bitter? No problem with that!

mcbaumannerb said:

More bitter? No problem with that!

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+1000

frazier said:

Almost every batch I brew tastes more bitter than I want when it's fresh out of the kettle.

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Me too. I use pellet hops so I always assumed I was getting some in my sample before they settled into the trub

Ditto on the more bitter, no problem. Let the beer age for few weeks after you bottle and it should be great!

Learning experience? Sounds more like a learning opportunity. I do full extract boils all the time with a 15gal pot and your beer will turn out fine.