Variance within batch

Have any of the HBT members noticed any significant variation from beer to beer within the same batch? I have noticed this in the brown ale I’m drinking right now. Last night, for instance, the first one I had was pretty mediocre. But the one I drank right after that was as different as night and day. I thought it was me but that was the first time I noticed a difference back to back. Maybe it has something to do with order being bottled?

I've seen a trend wherein may people reported inconsistant carbonation because they did nor stir the added corn sugar sufficiently in the bottling bucket.

I've never stirred the beer in the bottling bucket. I thought that any agitation at that point would be a bad thing. I usually just pour the boiled and cooled sugar into the bottom of the bottling bucket and then syphon the beer on top of it. I figure the whirpool effect created by the beer mixes it enough and I've never had any issues with inconsistent carbonation.

I always used a large SS spoon (sanitized) and gently swirled the beer in the bottling bucket. As long as you don't agitate air into the beer, a slight mixing is fine and helps wth consistency.

If you're a slow (aka meticulous) bottler, it is probably a good idea to repeat this gentle mixing because it desn't take long for the beer to "settle" into its various layers of density. You could end up with a thinner beer towards the end of the batch.

I never stir. I pour the cooled, dissolved sugar-water solution into my bottling bucket, then rack the beer into it. There's plenty of motion to fully distribute the sugar without me having to stir. Never had inconsistent carbing... my 2¢

Can you describe the taste differences? There are a few other things that are possible. One might have staled prematurely if you aerated the beer when you poured it in the bottle. You might also not have cleaned one bottle quite as well, and it is developing an infection leading to off flavours. If one was in a clear bottle and the other a brown bottle, then the clear one might have been light struck (skunked). Inconsistent carbonation is certainly possible, especially if you are someone that prefers to use little water in your priming solution.

Anyways, I am guessing it is the first - bottling aeration. Did the second beer just taste a lot 'fresher' and more flavorful?

I have actually noticed that if I bottle in 22oz. they tend to taste better sooner. The 12oz bottles tend to be 2 weeks behind as far as flavor mellowing. This makes me believe in the bulk conditioning theory and motivates me to keep beer in the secondary as long as I can stand.

The first one I tried that day didn’t really have any off flavors it just tasted bland. It didn’t have the malt character I sometimes experience with this batch. Keep in mind that I’m not good articulating what I’m tasting sometimes. The second beer had it. I thought “Damn! This is what it should taste like.”

I think BierMuncher might be onto something. The beers might have come from early and late in the bottling. Like most, I add my priming solution to the bucket then rack. As far as infection, I don’t really taste off flavors….just bland, if that makes sense (green maybe an apt description of flavor). I sanitize my bottles right before I bottle (w/starsan). I will try gently stirring during the bottling procedure.

Something just dawned on me while I was out and about working this morning. It might have something to do with how careful I pour. Would having a significant amout of the yeast in the bottle in a beer 'mask' some of the flavor?

Hey proofman, is it a big beer?
Maybe you caught a buzz off the first one so you just thought the next one was better. :fro:

Actually, I'm leaning towards the bottle aeration theory.

Proofman said:

Something just dawned on me while I was out and about working this morning. It might have something to do with how careful I pour. Would having a significant amout of the yeast in the bottle in a beer 'mask' some of the flavor?

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yeast can add really bad flavors. i have a hefe (sort of..weird experiment) right now that is just getting finished. if i pour the yeast into it, it tastes like crap, but if i pour it carefully and leave the yeast in the bottle, it's a really good beer.

this is not always the case with me. usually i really enjoy the yeast.

DeathBrewer said:

yeast can add really bad flavors. i have a hefe (sort of..weird experiment) right now that is just getting finished. if i pour the yeast into it, it tastes like crap, but if i pour it carefully and leave the yeast in the bottle, it's a really good beer.

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Don't necessarily blame the yeast for the off flavour. There are other things at the bottom of the bottle, too. I suspect you are tasting thing like precipitated proteins and hop material that may have been racked from the trub.

I think it is the sediment. I will report back after I experiemt with pours.

FlyGuy said:

Don't necessarily blame the yeast for the off flavour. There are other things at the bottom of the bottle, too. I suspect you are tasting thing like precipitated proteins and hop material that may have been racked from the trub.

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there's definitely other crap there, but i can really taste the yeast. no hops, either...this beer contained very little hops.

one thing is weird, if i turn the bottle upside down, the yeast and crap at the bottom flows like viscous liquid running down the middle of the bottle. i thought something was wrong until i tried one that wasn't mixed up at all. it was a strange recipe i made with candi sugar...half wheat half light extract if i remember right. it's good, though, as long as you leave the residue behind.