First IPA is Harsh!

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chase

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I just bottled my first IPA. It was NB's Three Hearted Ale extract kit. Here are the ingredients:

Specialty Grains
* 1 lbs. Briess Caramel 40
Fermentables
* 9.15 lbs. Gold Malt Syrup
Boil Additions
* 1 oz. Centennial (60 min)
* 1 oz. Centennial (20 min)
* 2 oz. Centennial (5 min)
Special Ingredients
* 1 oz. Centennial Hops (dry hop)
Yeast
* Wyeast #1084 Irish Ale Yeast.

OG 1.064
FG 1.020

I bottled it on Dec. 19. I opened one today to see if it was carbonated. It was, but it was really harsh. The bitter was really bitter and the sweet was really sweet. I know I didn't get the percent attenuation I'm supposed to get with the yeast, but I wouldn't think that that would be the problem. It had a wonderful creamy head.

I've heard many times that IPAs are best when you let them age, but I had no idea it would taste like that when it was green. Wowzer! It tasted like I had just bitten into a Tylenol! Can I expect this to mellow?
 
It will mellow. Wait a couple weeks. Four oz. of Centenial is a lot of hops. Looks like a good IPA to me!
 
Great!

I've been having trouble with every batch. Off flavors, low attenuation, etc. This was the first batch that I thought I had done everything right.

I pre-boiled my top-off water, I sanitized really well, I fermented at the right temp, I check all the gravity readings.

There was also this very slight off flavor on the first couple drinks, that I've had in every other beer, but it went away. I still haven't figured out what that is. Other people say they don't notice it, but I do. Maybe it's just in my head. I want to say that it is solventy, but part of me says that isn't it.

I've heard that solventy tastes come from stressed yeast, at too high a temperature. Could that flavor also come from low oxygenation to begin with? If so, that would agree with my low attenuation.

Now I just need something to drink in the mean time...
 
In general, most beers will taste better if you let them age for a couple of months - IPA's included. The bitterness will mellow over time, but don't let it age too long or it will almost disappear altogether.

I'm a major hophead so I like to drink my APA/IPA/IIPA's while they're still a little green and the majority of the bitterness is still there to kick me in the arse.
 
ohiobrewtus said:
In general, most beers will taste better if you let them age for a couple of months - IPA's included. The bitterness will mellow over time, but don't let it age too long or it will almost disappear altogether.

I'm a major hophead so I like to drink my APA/IPA/IIPA's while they're still a little green and the majority of the bitterness is still there to kick me in the arse.

So, what exactly causes this? I know that the activity of the yeast causes the carbing, but why does the hop flavor change over time? Is it due to the yeast activity, or is there other chemical reactions occurring in the bottle as well?
 
9/9 said:
So, what exactly causes this? I know that the activity of the yeast causes the carbing, but why does the hop flavor change over time? Is it due to the yeast activity, or is there other chemical reactions occurring in the bottle as well?

It is my undertanding that the iso-alpha acids simply break down over time.

I had one of my APA's (65 IBU) a couple of days ago that was bottled 4 months ago and compared it to the same recipe from bottles that were only about 6 weeks old and there was a noticable difference in bitterness, flavor and aroma.
 
ohiobrewtus said:
It is my undertanding that the iso-alpha acids simply break down over time.

I had one of my APA's (65 IBU) a couple of days ago that was bottled 4 months ago and compared it to the same recipe from bottles that were only about 6 weeks old and there was a noticable difference in bitterness, flavor and aroma.

Interesting, thanks (I am a science geek as well as a beer snob). I have my first brew, an IPA in the fermenter now. I hope that it will be drinkable by the superbowl, but I guess I will just have to see.
 
Two things strike me in what you said:

1) Bottled on the 19th and by the 30th, bottles are carb'd.
2) OG was 1.064, FG was 1.020

For a beer to only attenuate 68% before bottling and then be carb'd in less than two weeks, my fear is that you might have bottled with some residual sugars in the wort.

You're liable to have some gushers on your hand. What temp are you conditioning those bottles?

As far as the hops bite...time my friend...time.

That beer will be very good in about 7-10 weeks.
 
chase said:
OG 1.064
FG 1.020

Can I expect this to mellow?

The bitterness will certainly gradually mellow over time. The sweetness might be more of a problem. Did you use an Activator or Propagator pack of yeast? and if a Propagator, did you make a starter?

I've generally been happy with #1084 but it does need a good pitch rate - probably not the best choice for a Pale Ale though.

Also, how long was it in the fermenter for? It may simply not be finished, in which case you may have bottle bombs waiting. I generally give at least 3 weeks before bottling just to make sure.
 
BierMuncher said:
For a beer to only attenuate 68% before bottling and then be carb'd in less than two weeks, my fear is that you might have bottled with some residual sugars in the wort.

You're liable to have some gushers on your hand. What temp are you conditioning those bottles?

I am definitely worried about bottle bombs. They are bottle conditioning at 63º. When I poured one it was well carbonated. That scares me. I don't know what the FG was supposed to be (not included in the instructions). I just know that I checked it a few days in a row and it didn't change. So I figured it was done.

What could have happened to make it stop fermenting early?
 
chase said:
I am definitely worried about bottle bombs. They are bottle conditioning at 63º. When I poured one it was well carbonated. That scares me. I don't know what the FG was supposed to be (not included in the instructions). I just know that I checked it a few days in a row and it didn't change. So I figured it was done.

What could have happened to make it stop fermenting early?
Sometimes the fermentation doesn’t “stop” early…it just stalls.

Agitating the yeast a bit in the fermenter can wake things up. I usually will make sure the gravity holds steady for 4-5 days straight…the krausen has fallen…and the beer appears to be clearing when sampled.

What may have happened is that when you racked to the bottling bucket then to bottles, you re-awakened the yeast and fermentation restarted in the bottles. A bit more concerning is that your beer has carbonated in a short period of time at just 63 degrees. Usually, it requires 70+ degrees to get adequate carbonation.

Test another one of those bottles in a couple of days and test the carbonations again.

If it appears the beer is on a runaway path, you can take a few steps to counter:

Take all of the beers and remove the caps.
Cover all of the beers with a sheet of plastic wrap…not tightly…just snug enough to keep unwanteds out.
Let the beer sit for several hours to degass.
Recap.

Continual CO2 production will push out and prevent oxidation and protect the beer.

Recap and let sit for several days and test again.
 
BierMuncher said:
Sometimes the fermentation doesn’t “stop” early…it just stalls.

Agitating the yeast a bit in the fermenter can wake things up. I usually will make sure the gravity holds steady for 4-5 days straight…the krausen has fallen…and the beer appears to be clearing when sampled.

What may have happened is that when you racked to the bottling bucket then to bottles, you re-awakened the yeast and fermentation restarted in the bottles. A bit more concerning is that your beer has carbonated in a short period of time at just 63 degrees. Usually, it requires 70+ degrees to get adequate carbonation.

Test another one of those bottles in a couple of days and test the carbonations again.

If it appears the beer is on a runaway path, you can take a few steps to counter:

Take all of the beers and remove the caps.
Cover all of the beers with a sheet of plastic wrap…not tightly…just snug enough to keep unwanteds out.
Let the beer sit for several hours to degass.
Recap.

Continual CO2 production will push out and prevent oxidation and protect the beer.

Recap and let sit for several days and test again.


Will aerating help in the future? Do those fish-tank pumps work?
 
chase said:
Will aerating help in the future? Do those fish-tank pumps work?

The three most important points are: sufficient yeast, sufficient aeration and sufficient nutrients. Get these three right plus hold the right temperature and your fermentation will work 99% of the time.

For aeration shaking the fermenter, using a stirrer on an electric drill or a fish tank pump should all work.
 
Well, I followed biermuncher's advice and checked some more bottles. It is a good thing that I did, when I did, because they all gushed when I removed their caps.

I then covered them with plastic wrap, and let them sit overnight to de-gas. I recapped them in the morning. I think I'll give them a week or so and check on them again.

Several of them bubbled a lot and I lost nearly half the beer in half the bottles. I didn't want to recap them so I decided to pour them (slowly) into a growler. I figured it might oxidize, but maybe not. Worth a shot to save a 1/2 gallon of beer...

Thanks for the tip.
Live and learn.
Next batch gets a big healthy starter, and the wort gets oxygenated.
 
You certainly do want to aerate your wort (and shaking the carboy for five minutes works fine), but you really need to check your SG before bottling. That is the ONLY way to know when the beer is ready.


TL
 
TexLaw said:
you really need to check your SG before bottling. That is the ONLY way to know when the beer is ready.
TL

Would you mind clarifying? I always check my SG, and the FG for three days in a row. But I don't know what the FG should be. I just wait until it doesn't change, and figured that meant it was done. What does the SG tell me about when it is done?
 
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