Ruined My IPA?

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

TheMagicHatter

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2011
Messages
45
Reaction score
1
Location
Bethlehem
So my second brew got underway lastnight in brewing this American IPA kit. American IPA | Keystone Homebrew Supply

Being that you're supposed to drink and brew, I decided a Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA would be fitting, which it was. However, a few beers in, I look at the recipe and see that I need to add my second bag of DME to the mix after 40 minutes. But I only realized AFTER mixing in the DME that I put it in when my timer, which was counting down from 60, said 40, a full 20 minutes too early.

How is that going to affect the outcome of the beer? My initial thought was that it would end up being darker being that the malt had more time to heat and boil, but then again, it's only my second brew and from a kit none the less.

Any ideas?
 
So my second brew got underway lastnight in brewing this American IPA kit. American IPA | Keystone Homebrew Supply

Being that you're supposed to drink and brew, I decided a Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA would be fitting, which it was. However, a few beers in, I look at the recipe and see that I need to add my second bag of DME to the mix after 40 minutes. But I only realized AFTER mixing in the DME that I put it in when my timer, which was counting down from 60, said 40, a full 20 minutes too early.

How is that going to affect the outcome of the beer? My initial thought was that it would end up being darker being that the malt had more time to heat and boil, but then again, it's only my second brew and from a kit none the less.

Any ideas?

If everything else is on target, I imagine it will taste just fine. I hope you added the hops at the right times though or it may cook out the flavors.

In for answers.:fro:
 
You're right: your beer will be slightly darker, and some people complain that adding DME too early in the process leaves a tinny or tangy flavor called extract tang. Other people don't notice a difference at all.

This certainly did not "ruin" your IPA, but it would be good if you try to observe how it makes your finished beer different; then you can make educated decisions about how to brew in the future.
 
Yeah, what they said, you should be fine. Just out of curiosity, was this a full-boil or partial-boil?
 
One of the biggest reasons for late extract additions (aside from color considerations) is hop utilization. The higher the gravity of the boiling wort the lower the hop utilization factor. so you might get slightly (very slightly) less bitterness than the recipe intended and slightly darker color. 'extract twang' comes from using old stale extract.
 
p.s. this is exactly why a friend (and very successful award-winning home brewer) doesn't drink during brewing!
:)

His, very honest, reasoning is that he's heard numerous examples of just plain goofs ranging to, you know, 'issues' with those BOILING and hot metal parts of the process not to mention broken carboys, dropped fermenters, etc.

"let's be careful out there"
 
The "extract twang" does not come from stale extract or adding DME too early in the boil. It was claimed that adding all the extract malt from a recipe at the beginning of the boil caused an off flavor.
To me,it was more likely too much sugar in the recipe & high initial ferment temps. I've used old extract (LME),but it was still sealed well,& just came out darker. I use DME in my boils & never got any off flavor solely from doing that...
 
Yeah, what they said, you should be fine. Just out of curiosity, was this a full-boil or partial-boil?
'

It was a partial-boil. The final gravity ended up on the nose. My concern was more for the outcome of the entire batch more than anything.

But after going through that process lastnight, I went ahead and got another kit of the same IPA and brewed again. I'm easily hooked to new hobbies I enjoy. I followed the recipe to a T tonight yet the OG ended up being around 1.08 instead of the recommended 1.066.

I'm still learning as I go and started a notebook to track everything I did in the brewing process. Best way to learn!
 
When it comes to OG numbers on extract brews, don't let the hydometer fool you: If you added all the recipe fermentables and topped off to the right volume, your numbers will be what the recipe says they should be. OG readings are often skewed because of insufficient mixing of the top-off water. This means you can get a "too-thin" or "too-thick" (look at that scientific leetspeak) reading quite easily, even though your number is right where it should be.

Just a quick-tip quickie as it may help take some of the worry out of extract brewing. AllGrain is where you'll really start to worry about hitting your numbers, if/when you make that transition. Cheers! and welcome to the obsession!
 
Back
Top