When Is Beer Supposed To Taste Like Beer (or what do hops "taste' like)?

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Super64

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I know, odd question.

Just after Thanksgiving I brewed a Pale Ale (see thread "A Picture Is Worth 1000 Words")

All the numbers looked correct, and after racking to my secondary, a taste test revealed an odd taste I could only describe as "solvent" like.

3 weeks in the secondary and things have improved, only slightly.

Yesterday, I brewed a simple 2.5 gallon of APA using Munton's Light LME, some Crystal 10L, some Carapils and one 1/2 ounce of Northern Brewers hops.

Steeped wort tasted fine, like what I would expect.

Added LME, got to hot break, taste test was fine (sweet - malty)

One 1/2 ounce of hops, everything looks good.

20 minutes left in the boil and another taste test had that same odd, back of the throat odd/off flavor.

Did not use bleach on the second batch (San Star)

One 1/2 oz of Northern Brewers batch #2 versus NB, Cascade, Cascade on Batch #1.

Could I be tasting the "bittering" hops and not know it?

Should beer taste like beer without carbonation, prior to the carbonation step?
 
Beer will taste different without carbonation. It's known as "green" beer. Generally, you can get a good idea of how the beer will turn out by tasting green beer. I'd let the beer sit for a month or more after bottling, then try it. Hops shouldn't give off a solvent flavor. What kind of equipment are you using?
 
Should beer taste like beer without carbonation, prior to the carbonation step?

No - carbonation for a Pale Ale means a LOT!!! Seriously - probebly had like zero taste and ANY tiny problem will show up. That probebly will probebly go away with age and carbonation.

When I brew a brown I just have to compared the pre bottle taste with previous results because it tastes like . . . . nothing.
 
Suthrncomfrt,

I use a stainless steel pot about 3 gallons in size, glass carboys and a plastic spoon. All were sanitized with San Star.

My point about non-carbonated beer was aimed more toward the question of "is pre-carbonated beer (ie flat beer) what I should expect to taste before priming and bottling?"
 
... or what do hops "taste' like?

Next time you brew, put one of the hop pellets in your mouth. That will give you a pretty good idea.
 
I guess my first question would be, what types of beers do you normally drink? American Pale Ale is a hoppy beer style.

Hops can come across as harsh to some people, especially in a younger beer. I would suggest bottling it and letting it condition for a while, then trying one.
 
Beer will taste different without carbonation. It's known as "green" beer.

I would also add that my beer is carbed by about one week in the bottle. But it only loses that green beer taste at about 3 weeks. So I'm not entirely sure that green = uncarbed.
 
Am drinking an Irish Red right now. (I work nights, give me a break).

It is fully carbed, but still has a slight green taste to it. After tasting many hydrometer samples, both during fermentation and at bottling (when it tastes sweeter from the unfermented sugar) I have to say that for me, the "green" taste comes from hops. It's an almost floral/herbal taste. I've tasted hop pellets (as has my 11 yr old brew partner daughter) and I think that honestly that's what makes green beer taste the way it does. The beer may be carbed in a week, but it takes about 2 more weeks for that fresh hop taste to subside. I may be crazy however.
 
Special Hops,
Yup, done that. Tried the Northern Brewers hops prior to adding on my first batch. Perceived a bitter to grapefruity taste. This was a single hops leaf. I'm wondering if what I'm tasting is the combination of all the hops addition just before I read the OG.

Brookdale,
I will typically drink anything from the famous Irish Stout to once having Stone's IPA, which I found very strong, until I got thru to the 3rd one. It does kinda grow on you , but IPAs are not my normal beverage of choice.

Herot,
I tasted my second batch from steeped grain water thru end of boil. It was fine until I tasted it 40 minutes after the Northern Brewers hops addition. Then the sweet malty taste went to what I interpret as an off flavor. No chance to screw it up by over temp fermentation. Yet, not as strong a flavor as Batch #1, I assume because Batch #1 had 3 hop additions.
 
I know, odd question.

Just after Thanksgiving I brewed a Pale Ale (see thread "A Picture Is Worth 1000 Words")

All the numbers looked correct, and after racking to my secondary, a taste test revealed an odd taste I could only describe as "solvent" like.

3 weeks in the secondary and things have improved, only slightly.

Yesterday, I brewed a simple 2.5 gallon of APA using Munton's Light LME, some Crystal 10L, some Carapils and one 1/2 ounce of Northern Brewers hops.

Steeped wort tasted fine, like what I would expect.

Added LME, got to hot break, taste test was fine (sweet - malty)

One 1/2 ounce of hops, everything looks good.

20 minutes left in the boil and another taste test had that same odd, back of the throat odd/off flavor.

Did not use bleach on the second batch (San Star)

One 1/2 oz of Northern Brewers batch #2 versus NB, Cascade, Cascade on Batch #1.

Could I be tasting the "bittering" hops and not know it?

Should beer taste like beer without carbonation, prior to the carbonation step?

this is a bit unrelated to your question, but I am just curious, how are you doing all these tastings throughout the brewing process? Isn't this stuff hot? I mean, it's boiling water??
 
From what I read, you're talking about the taste before you even let it ferment. The hop bitterness is very harsh an unrefined at this time. Let it ferment, then try it again. You'll notice a cleaner taste. It wouldn't taste like uncarbed beer right now, because it's not beer yet. The first pale I made had a similar taste when I tried the sample I took for the OG, but the beer came out fine.

**Edit- Re-read the post, and I see the first time you mentioned it was in secondary. I'd just carb it up, and give it time in that case.**
 
Anchor,
I usually have the stirring spoon that I used to stir in the extract with. I use that to take small samples and put them in a shot glass until they cool. After cooling and putting the wort into the primary, I will pour off enough for an OG/Temp reading and taste that.

She...blue,
In Batch #1 I discovered the taste in the Secondary, which is why I was very careful to sample Batch #2 each step of the way. It was after the hops addition that I tasted it again, effectively ruling out bad fermentation.

It's been bottled and I'll wait a couple of weeks before testing it again.
 
Herot,
I tasted my second batch from steeped grain water thru end of boil. It was fine until I tasted it 40 minutes after the Northern Brewers hops addition. Then the sweet malty taste went to what I interpret as an off flavor. No chance to screw it up by over temp fermentation. Yet, not as strong a flavor as Batch #1, I assume because Batch #1 had 3 hop additions.

Honestly I think it's the hops. They can introduce some whacky flavours when you add them. That's why so much time in the bottle helps. It mellows the harsh hop flavor and lets it meld into the malty goodness of the beer.
 
Thanks guys,

I'm beginning to believe it is just the hops that I am tasting. I say that because .5oz of Northern Brewers in Batch #2 prior to fermentation gave me the same taste as 3 additions of NB and Cascade did in Batch #1, but to a much lesser degree.
 
I only taste my brew when I take an OG reading, when I transfer it to a secondary, and when I bottle it. And even then, it's just out of curiosity; I know ultimately it will not taste the way it does before I even add yeast to it. I'd suggest not taking so many taste tests; you're probably psyching yourself out a little. RDWHAHB.
 
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