Astringent mouthfeel

I over-hopped my amber ale, and the hydrometer samples exhibit a definite astringency. Am I correct in thinking that this will mellow with time?

Astringency is not really the result of overhopping. It probably has to do with ferm temp or under-pitching the yeast. Yes, astringency will fade with time, but it probably wont go away completely.

JefeTheVol said:

Astringency is not really the result of overhopping. It probably has to do with ferm temp or under-pitching the yeast. Yes, astringency will fade with time, but it probably wont go away completely.

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Unless he's confusing "astringency" with "bitterness". Astringency
is the harsh part of black tea flavor with no milk and sugar in it.

Ray

Don't judge your beer when it's in the fermenter. I've had beers that tasted good in the fermenter come out tasting "meh", while others that tasted like butt in the fermenter turn out great. There's a reason it's a recommended minimum 3 weeks of bottle conditioning before you start drinking a batch.

I'm actually beginning to think it's just bitterness, or greenness. After all, it's only on day 5 of fermentation. (I'm taking more regular gravity readings because my last batch with this yeast had sluggish attenuation and I want to track its performance.)

In any case, I feel pretty certain that this flavor or mouthfeel issue is a problem with the hops because I undershot my target OG pretty seriously and I think hopped the wort too strongly. (BU:GU ratio was .95.) My main concern is 1) whether the hops will mellow as the beer conditions and ages, and 2) whether any change in the hops profile will come at the expense of reduced flavor and aroma. I hope not.

A BU:GU ratio of 1.00 is right where beer starts getting good, I don't see what you're worried about .

Yes, it will mellow out over time.