Expert needed !!!!

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mtrogers14

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So I just finished bottling my first extract brew it's an Irish red I've decided to call "Hurricane Red" ( I live just north of NYC ) Anyway brewed and bottled the batch exactly by the recipe. Upon bottling I couldn't help but take a small taste, I assumed it would taste like warm flat beer. Well it was NOT GOOD !! It was quite bitter and had a very sour after taste. Does this mean that the batch went bad somewhere along the way ? or will it taste normal after it finishes bottle conditioning ?
I am going to be very unhappy if this batch is no good. Mainly because I have no idea what went wrong and therefore wouldn't know how to avoid it happening again.
 
Let it bottle condition for 3 or 4 weeks and then taste it again. You might be surprised.
 
It's probably fine. Just stick to the process and judge it once it's finished. Green beer is not exactly what any of us could call "tasty" - it needs to sit for 2-4 weeks before it's going to be ready. It needs that time in the bottle to settle down, mix the flavors and condition out.
 
Since it's in the bottles let it be and taste it periodically. If it is very sour and smells like vinegar you have acetobacter in it. If it is sour and does not smell like vinegar you have lactobacillus in it. Both microbes are ubiquitous in the environment and the key is to be scrupulously clean with everything that ever touches the beer. Wash and sanitize all equipment, resist the urge to stick your nose in the fermenter and give it a sniff, etc.

Some people enjoy lactobacillus in their beer. I don't think anyone likes acetobacter in their beer, unless they are making hop flavored vinegar.
 
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