Crap is crazy bitter...

Well.

I bottled my belgian white. (Midwest kit)

It is crazy bitter. Like lingering aftertaste bitter.

I'm thinking its just green, but just wanted a expert opinion since I'm a newbie and I don't know what a green beer tastes like.

So lets explain incase anyone missed the original brew thread.

Kit is a Midwest kit.
Yeast is a dry yeast. Was hydrated before pitching.
Pitched at 75ish degrees.
Had some temp issues at first. Fermentation stalled d/t low temps 59-61 deg.
Submerged bucket and used an aquarium heater and fermented for 21 days at 75 deg.
Dry hopped with citra hops.
Bottled 2 days ago with 4.5 oz corn sugar.
Og was 1.044
FG was 1.010 steady for 3 days

So. The beer is very very young. This was more of an experiment than looking for a representation of the finished product.

Also, the thing is crazy carbed already. (See pic) am I going to have some bombs?

It also darker than its supposed to be, but I assume that's from the full boil instead of adding the extract late.

Anything dry hoppped with Citra will be very hoppy. Are you sure its bitter and not just hoppy?

Plus, I am surprised a Belgian White would have any dry hopping. Doesnt seem normal to me. Its usually the yeast that brings out the flavor of a belgian not the hops. Strange kit.

Wasn't in the kit.

I was under the assumption that dry hopping only added to the aroma and I've always loved the smell of citra hops. So I was wondering what the citra hop aroma mingling with the Belgian aroma would smell like.

Had no idea it would impart that overpowering grapefruit taste.

Bump

tackett said:

Wasn't in the kit.

I was under the assumption that dry hopping only added to the aroma and I've always loved the smell of citra hops. So I was wondering what the citra hop aroma mingling with the Belgian aroma would smell like.

Had no idea it would impart that overpowering grapefruit taste.

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A little citra goes a long way. If you aren't happy with the results of your experiment, then just give your beer some extra time in the bottle. Hops flavor and aroma diminish with time. Put your bottles up for 8 weeks then check back in on em... if you can stand the wait.

Cheers!

75° is at the high end of range for T-58 (I'm presuming you got the Belgian Witbier kit, that's the dry option)

my first batch was based on MW Belgian Blonde, but I used WLP550. steeping grains got too hot and fermented a little high and there was a bitter/tart lingering after taste to it. mellowed out with bottle conditioning.

just rebrewed that with WLP400, better control over both steeping and fermenting temps, 2 weeks in the bottle. have one in the fridge now, will drink it later and find out how it went

Thanks guys.

That's what I thought. I figured some bottle time will iron out the wrinkles. Just wanted some other opinions.

Dry hopping with some Citra shouldn't make it bitter at all. I've made 40+ IBU Pale Ales with all Citra and those didn't even taste bitter. Citra has a very smooth, fruity flavor.

At not even a week in the bottle, I'm sure it will turn out fine after bottle conditioning.

#1 - Wheat beers carbonate very quickly
#2 - Hop flavors diminish over time
#3 - Wheat beers generally do not age well

I would say that dry hopping with citra or dry hopping at all really just does not do this beer very well. Belgian beers are about the yeast first and foremost and very rarely are they ever aggressively hopped. If you want a hoppy wheat beer do a little research on "American" Wheat beers. Good examples of the style in my experience would be Three Floyds "Gumballhead" or Boulevard Brewing Co.'s "80 Acre Wheat".

I don't want to say what you're doing isn't worth doing but don't be surprised if your first attempt doesn't pan out. It's definitely an odd angle to take.

was there steeping grains involved in the kit? if so you might have an astringent beer which your are mistaking for bitter

Yes. There was steeping.

I may have failed to put that in the original post.

I steeped at ~160 for 30 min

tackett said:

Yes. There was steeping.

I may have failed to put that in the original post.

I steeped at ~160 for 30 min

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That isn't enough to extract tannins.

PhelanKA7 said:

#1 - Wheat beers carbonate very quickly
#2 - Hop flavors diminish over time
#3 - Wheat beers generally do not age well

I would say that dry hopping with citra or dry hopping at all really just does not do this beer very well. Belgian beers are about the yeast first and foremost and very rarely are they ever aggressively hopped. If you want a hoppy wheat beer do a little research on "American" Wheat beers. Good examples of the style in my experience would be Three Floyds "Gumballhead" or Boulevard Brewing Co.'s "80 Acre Wheat".

I don't want to say what you're doing isn't worth doing but don't be surprised if your first attempt doesn't pan out. It's definitely an odd angle to take.

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Well, my intention was to add some citrus aroma. But I should have just stuck to the blasted recepie. Live and learn.

It's not bad by any stretch. Just not the result I expected with the information I had. Plus who knows what it will taste like in a month.

tackett said:

Well, my intention was to add some citrus aroma. But I should have just stuck to the blasted recepie. Live and learn.

It's not bad by any stretch. Just not the result I expected with the information I had. Plus who knows what it will taste like in a month.

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That's the spirit!

And like I said, maybe you have stumbled onto something that I am pretty sure no one else is trying. Dial it in and try using different hops. Maybe Amarillo or something "herbally" would be nice. Maybe even try "dry-hopping" with a spice like lemongrass, rosemary, thyme, etc. That is the beauty of homebrewing... There is no such thing as a bad homebrew. They are teaching points and inspirations to improve upon.

Now if this bitterness was in an IPA. It would be perfect.

The flavor right now is almost like if you took a bottle of hoegaarden and mixed it with a bottle of Sam smith IPA.

Maybe next time I'll use less citra and add some other herbal hop like Amarillo as you suggested plus some spices. I like the bitterness, it's just a tad too much.

My next batch I'm going to boil with some anise to add a small licorice flavor.



I like experimenting. And a beer has to be dead nasty before I'll turn my nose up at it.

tackett said:

My next batch I'm going to boil with some anise to add a small licorice flavor.

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Be careful with the anise. A little bit goes a long way. One or two stars max should be fine for 5 gallons.

Yeah probably not enough to extract tannins. Did you squeeze out the bag when you were done with the steeping or heat it when the bag was on the bottom?

tackett said:

Well.
Bottled 2 days ago with 4.5 oz corn sugar.

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You're drinking beer that you bottled two days ago and you're not happy with it? Go take a three week nap and then try it again. Sheesh!

good point bknife, 2 days is way too soon. you should wait at least 2 weeks. the bitterness might mellow out by then

well... it's now 4 days, so it should be TWICE as mellow!

bknifefight said:

You're drinking beer that you bottled two days ago and you're not happy with it? Go take a three week nap and then try it again. Sheesh!

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Lol.

It's not that I'm unhappy, it was just a taste test.

I was merely trying to figure out where the bitterness was coming from since I was under the assumption that dry hopping would not add bitterness.

I know to age the bottles, and the conditioned bottles may not taste even close to what it does now.

Well, just FYI.

After 4 days in the bottle compared to 2. This bitterness is astronomically better. Still a little bite, but nowhere near what it was. Plus I'm getting more sweeter, style appropriate tastes.

It's interesting tasting this as it goes along.