Taste of Beer Before Bottling

This is the first brew I have ever done. Milk Stout that has been fermenting for about 2 weeks now. I went to check the FG and tasted the little bit that was in my thief and it tasted very bitter and not in a good way! Will it taste better when it is bottled?

I also (regrettably) racked it into a secondary after a week. I was not careful when i syphoned it in to the second (regrettably again). I had no idea what oxidation was until about a day ago, could that be a possibility?


PS. Thanks for the great site, i wish i would have read more before i brewed.
Thanks!
Adam

I'm a newbie myself, so take this with a grain of salt. Oxidation is usually evident as a flat, one-dimensional "cardboard" quality, so I doubt that's what is going on.

Racking to secondary so quick is a mistake, but you're probably not going to suffer too bad for it. I miscalculated and made that same error myself with my Irish Red (actually, racked it after five days) and the main issue that's cropped up is that it's cloudy as heck. Tastes fine, though.

I suspect that your flavor will clear up after carbing and conditioning. It often takes some time for the beer to sort itself out, and the various flavors need to mingle and mellow. Is the bitterness you taste hoppy, or do you suspect that the flavor comes from elsewhere?

I dont know if the taste is hoppy. I am fairly new to the beer world but it is not like a bitter i have ever tasted before. It almost tastes like it is skunk! But i dont think i have the palate yet to know.

Haha and is Carbing letting it sit? Thanks!

You beer is not carbed and more importantly conditioned yet.....see it through the process.

It will be completely different when it's carbed and conditioned.

Sorry bout the stupid question, what is carved mean?

Carbed

husker said:

Sorry bout the stupid question, what is carved mean?

Click to expand...

Carbed.. carbonated

husker said:

Sorry bout the stupid question, what is carved mean?

Click to expand...

"carved?" Cut with a knife.....I don't know what that has to do with beer.

But "CARBED" means carbonated....You know, fizzy.

My first brew tasted the same way, I am entering the 4th week in the bottle and it tastes like a completely different beer. Relax....you are experiencing newbian jitters...it's gonna be good beer. At least that is what this newb keeps telling himself.

Thanks for all the help! Is 3 weeks total in the fermenter before I bottle enough time?

The ole newbie jitters... I must be a saint when it comes to brewing beer... I haven't jacked with my first batch fermenter since I put it in there on brewing day 2.5 weeks ago! The Rye Ale will come out this weekend and I am sure I will be able to wait for it to bottle condition!

It is weird cause in my normal everyday life, I am impatient as all get out! Ask my last few girl friends!

husker said:

Thanks for all the help! Is 3 weeks total in the fermenter before I bottle enough time?

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Alot of guys will leave their brews in primary for at least a month. Personally, I'm not that patient, so I usually bottle after 2-3 weeks. For me it really depends on the gravity and the type of beer, though. I'll take a gravity reading around a week after I pitch just to see/taste how the beer is going. I take another reading around 10-14 days. If it's the same as my 7 day reading I'll give the yeast a few more days to clean up. Then, I confirm the terminal gravity and bottle. If the reading is significantly lower at 10-14 days, I'll give it around a week and check again periodically until it's petered out. As a beginner, though, these are just my .02.

-Frankie D.

I just just had the same thing,,,my american lite had a chemical bitterness at 2 weeks,,I thought it was ruined with bleach or something but let it sit for 2 more and now it's gone,,in fact I think it will be my best beer yet! good luck from a fellow noob!!

The best way to get rid of most off flavors is let it sit in the primary for at least three weeks. Even though your airlock isn't bubbling anymore the yeasties are still working on cleaning up after themselves. I don't even bother with a secondary anymore unless im dry hopping or adding fruit. Secondary fermentation is way over rated. Then the other half of the battle is letting them condition in a bottle for 3 or 4 weeks. Any off flavor present when bottling should be gone after 3 or 4 weeks in a bottle.

It will be MUCH better after it sits in bottle for a few weeks. My first batch, I made a point to taste it at bottling. it was Meh. Two weeks later is was better, but not great. 4 weeks in the bottle, was VERY NICE. After that it just got better and better.

I do at least 4 weeks in fermenter (last batch was in there for 6), no secondary, and at least 3 weeks in bottle. Be patient, it's hard, but you can do it.

You get the fizzy by adding sugar at bottling time. Prime the beer to carbonate or she be flat.Cheers