Blending beers

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lurker18

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Got a IIPA in the bottles right now, tried one yesterday, and it was nearly undrinkable. Followed the instructions very close, but this has WAAYYY too much hop in it. Too much bitterness, too much smell, not balanced at all. I have had some of the west coast stuff, really like that, but this is over the top. Funny thing is before bottling, it actually tasted not that bad, but after 3 weeks in the bottle, it has gone off. Maybe a bad bottle, and it was very undercarbed, so I am going to give it a couple more weeks, and I have added a couple of grains of yeast to each bottle, but I don't think this will help, as it is a 10.9ABV and the yeast will probably just die.
On to the question, what is the best way to blend. Do I mix two batches at bottling, or blend during fermentation, or after fermentation in a secondary? Help please, as I really don't want to dump 3 gallons, but the first stuff is not far off terpentine.
 
Well, the first thing I'd do is try waiting about 4-5 months. If it's that big and hoppy, it needs some age on it. (Probably not for me- I'd probably love it just like it is! but if it's too "big" for you right now to enjoy, some age will definitely help).

Blending can be done at anytime you'd like after fermentation. You don't want to blend before, because of the high alcohol level and the inability to know exactly what you're getting. What I'd do is do it by the glass first, and see what you like. If you find that you like 1/3 of beer A and 2/3 of beer B, for example, then you can blend the whole batch.
 
Thanks. Like I said, before bottling, I really liked the beer, but the one I tried was no where near what the bottling bucket tasted like. I am hoping it was a bad bottle and only very small amount of carbonation. I am going to give it another month before trying another and hoping it comes around a little. Maybe by then I will have my keg system set up and can force the carb into it and see if that helps.
 
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