Super sweet first sample (at OG)...normal? I'm sure my beer is fine... :)

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Tripod

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Hello All!

You guys just have too much knowledge to not ask the silly questions! Thanks in advance for passing any knowledge you're willing to share. Please allow me to ask yet another noobie question. :D

First, I'm certain my batch is A-OK and that what I experienced is completely normal. I have no fear about ruining this batch nor am I in a hurry of any kind so I'm fairly sure everything will mellow with time. But since it is my very first experience and since I am fascinated by what exactly is going on through the entire process, I have to ask you all if you have experienced this and whether you think it is normal. So, here goes:

When I brewed up batch #1 (Red Ale DME kit...), I took a sample immediately after the wort had cooled for a hydro reading, just prior to siphoning to the Primary. Since I have read many times that this is an excellent time to sample/preview the goods, I decided to give it a taste. What I tasted was sweeter than any sweet-tea in GA! So my question is not "is my beer OK" but rather is it normal to taste all of the sugar before the yeasties eat it all up?

My inexperienced noobie instinct is that the sugar has not yet been consumed by the yeast so my sample is uber-sweet right now. It was way too sweet to finish but I could taste the potential so I'm not worried at all. I believe everything will blend. Have any of you experienced this before...super sweet first sample?

-Tripod
 
is it normal to taste all of the sugar before the yeasties eat it all up?

My inexperienced noobie instinct is that the sugar has not yet been consumed by the yeast so my sample is uber-sweet right now. It was way too sweet to finish but I could taste the potential so I'm not worried at all. I believe everything will blend. Have any of you experienced this before...super sweet first sample?

-Tripod

Yes. It should taste god-awful sweet. But under that should be the bitterness that you can taste, as well as some hops "nose". If you keep sampling, you'll be able to drink that first sample and think, "Oh, boy, this one is going to be a great one!" just from knowing what is going to happen during fermentation.
 
Yes. It should taste god-awful sweet. But under that should be the bitterness that you can taste, as well as some hops "nose". If you keep sampling, you'll be able to drink that first sample and think, "Oh, boy, this one is going to be a great one!" just from knowing what is going to happen during fermentation.

That was precisely how it went, YooperBrew. Once I got past the sugar-shock (OG = 1.054), the aftertaste was exactly the bitter/hoppy that I expected. I didn't pour it out, by the way. I let it chill a few minutes in the fridge and then returned for sips here-and-there while I cleaned up my gear and I always got the "undertaste" that was more like the preview I expected.

I'm really looking forward to sampling in a few days when I'm ready for another hydro reading. It has only been 8 days in the primary so I'm going to let it hang out for at least another 4 to 6 days before disturbing it.

I'm betting the yeasts will work their magic and my second sample will be a beautiful thing....mmmmmm.

-Tripod
 
Hi All,

Just in case a future noobie wants to know what the results were, I'm posting again. On that note:

I took a hydro sample yesterday which marked 14 days undisturbed in the primary. Hit my target almost precisely at 1.011. Bottled that sample and capped it...just so I could chill it for a few minutes in the fridge before tasting.

After about 30 minutes, I took my sample outside and sat in the sun with the puppies while trying it out. HUGE DIFFERENCE!! I mean there was no comparison at all from the "sweet-tea" I sampled two weeks ago! Clearly most of the fermentables were consumed and besides being flat, all I tasted way yummy beer...mmmmmmm.

I think I'm going to leave alone in the primary for one more full week just so it can clear itself a bit more. After that I'll bottle and brew another batch so I don't go stir-crazy waiting for the bottles to carbonate...

Thank You HBT! I would never have been half this confident without talking to other, more experienced brewers...

:mug:

-Tripod
 
Yes, sweet is normal and indeed good! When I worked at Frankenmuth Brewery, I would always hit the brewmaster up for a glass of wort every time he brewed. He'd dip it straight out of the whirlpool for me. I love that sweet-bitter liquor!!
 
You are tasting all the sugars that the yeast eventually eat up.
After you bottle it, you can try a beer after two weeks but do your self a favor and wait 4-5 weeks before you start drinking them and you will be happy you did.
Nice job!
 
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