Hit OG and FG and tasted good a bottling little flavor after 4 days in the bottle

Howdy folks,

Long time lurker, first time poster.

Recently, I tried my hand at brewing a Terrapin Golden Ale clone (available in GA). After the boil and prior to pitching, the wort seemed great (sweet/good color). I pitched yeast at 68F and fermented at 68-70F for two weeks. I hit my projected OG and FG and the beer tasted great (flavorful, tasty, great color). It even almost seemed to have a slight carbonation, but unless that is relevant, it may have been my imagination. Finally, I bottled the beer and primed using pure organic cane sugar as I have in the past.

In an effort to try to understand the conditioning phase better, I thought I would try a beer every week or so to see how it changes. Upon opening my first beer after 4 days in the bottle, it tasted weak and had a tiny fraction of the flavor of what I experienced. It didn't seem to be overly alcoholic (original estimated abv: 4.6%), just weak with a decent carbonation but no where near finished priming phase.

What's going on here? I cant see that the flavor would return after the typical two week recommended conditioning phase and can't explain why it had the flavor strength of a light lager style beer if it tasted great at bottling. I am really careful about being sanitary and not contaminating my batch and have brewed multiple All-grain batches with no issues, just never tasted one this early after bottling.

I've considered a gusher bug, but wouldn't the abv rise as the bug did it's thing?

Details of brew below. Let me know if there is any other relevant info that might help.

Thanks for reading through the long post.


All Grain

OG: 1.049
FG:1.014

-Seep grains @ 152F for 75min
-Sparged @165F over 30min period
-Soft rolling boil for 60min
-Pitched @68F
-two weeks in primary
-bottled and primed

If he beer didn't gush then there is no "gusher bug", whatever that might be....

4 days in the bottle is just not long enough to develop carbonation or condition, you are just tasting a beer that simply isn't ready to be consumed yet patience..... Try another after 2-3 weeks

Never drink a bottle conditioned beer before 2-3 weeks in the bottle. It's just not ready. It might taste ok, it might not.

keep with your original intention of trying a beer every week. It's a great experience to note how the carbonation builds and the tastes mature. Also make sure that it has a good few days in the fridge before tasting it. I have found flavors really coming out after spending some time in the cold following carbonation.