Still tastes sweet, is that normal?

Greetings,

On Saturday 6/16/12 I brewed a Brewer's Best Scottish Ale kit, O.G. was 1.036.
Kit instructions said O.G. should fall between 1.038 - 1.034 so I guess they knew what they were talking about. I checked it the next day and noticed a bubble every few seconds in the air lock. However, that is the last time I ever saw a bubble. Today, Wednesday the 20th, I pulled a sample and found the gravity was 1.010. I was amazed given the lack of activity I saw. However, I tasted the sample and found it very sweet. Anyone have any experience with Scottish Ale? Is that normal? I plan to check the gravity again this weekend and bottle if it hasn't changed. Any opinions would be appreciated.

CyberBob said:

Greetings,

On Saturday 6/16/12 I brewed a Brewer's Best Scottish Ale kit, O.G. was 1.036.
Kit instructions said O.G. should fall between 1.038 - 1.034 so I guess they knew what they were talking about. I checked it the next day and noticed a bubble every few seconds in the air lock. However, that is the last time I ever saw a bubble. Today, Wednesday the 20th, I pulled a sample and found the gravity was 1.010. I was amazed given the lack of activity I saw. However, I tasted the sample and found it very sweet. Anyone have any experience with Scottish Ale? Is that normal? I plan to check the gravity again this weekend and bottle if it hasn't changed. Any opinions would be appreciated.

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That's exactly where it's supposed to end up. Don't worry about the taste of young beer (although I am surprised it would seem sweet, that should be pretty dry). Once it's carbonated and aged it will be a different bird. You did add your hops?

needs a bit more time. do not be afraid to raise the temp a bit to drive those yeasties nuts!

Hello Pabloj13,

Yes, I did put in both the bittering hops at the start of the boil and the aroma hops 10 minutes from the end of the boil. However, one thing I forgot to mention. I spilled a little of the malted grain when putting in the boiling bag, maybe a small hand full. To make up for it, I added a cup of course grain Turbinado sugar to the wort. I use Turbinado for bottling quite often but never associated it with a very sweet taste. Maybe that is where the sweetness came from? I'm hoping that will mellow out after ageing a month or so in the bottles.

Sugar actually don't taste sweet at all by the time yeast are done with it.

From 36 to 10 is 72% attenuation. If you used a brittish yeast, that might be as low as it is going.

Style description
"Flavor: Malt is the primary flavor, but isn’t overly strong. The
initial malty sweetness is usually accentuated by a low to
moderate kettle caramelization, and is sometimes accompanied
by a low diacetyl component. Fruity esters may be moderate
to none. Hop bitterness is low to moderate, but the balance
will always be towards the malt (although not always by
much). Hop flavor is low to none. A low to moderate peaty
character is optional, and may be perceived as earthy or
smoky. Generally has a grainy, dry finish due to small
amounts of unmalted roasted barley."

CyberBob said:

Hello Pabloj13,

Yes, I did put in both the bittering hops at the start of the boil and the aroma hops 10 minutes from the end of the boil. However, one thing I forgot to mention. I spilled a little of the malted grain when putting in the boiling bag, maybe a small hand full. To make up for it, I added a cup of course grain Turbinado sugar to the wort. I use Turbinado for bottling quite often but never associated it with a very sweet taste. Maybe that is where the sweetness came from? I'm hoping that will mellow out after ageing a month or so in the bottles.

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If anything, that would actually dry it out more. Just give it time and carbonate it. I'm sure it's fine.

Scottish beers generally have a sweet malty component to them, even after fermenting dry. I'm not convinced there's actually anything wrong here. Carbonation should probably help temper it a bit.

Thanks to all, I'm a little more relaxed about it now. I love malty beer, definitely not a hop-head. I'll let you know what I think around August or so.

Also, some yeast themselves have a sweet taste. So if there is still yeast in suspension, that could be making it taste sweet. I've had beers (kegged) go from quite sweet in the first few pints from the cloudy yeast, to crisp and dry a few pints later when the yeast were cleared.

pjj2ba said:

Also, some yeast themselves have a sweet taste. So if there is still yeast in suspension, that could be making it taste sweet. I've had beers (kegged) go from quite sweet in the first few pints from the cloudy yeast, to crisp and dry a few pints later when the yeast were cleared.

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I agree 100%! that can literally be days too as it cold crashes.

1.010 from what I'm guessing is an extract kit is commendable.... Nothing is wrong with it, in fact everything is probably right. Give it time, and then package accordingly.

A quick update - I couldn't wait any longer and threw a few in the fridge. Popped one on July 4th, it is the best beer I've made yet! I used a partial mash kit from Brewer's Best and can highly recommend it. I'll give the rest some more shelf time while I finish the Mr. Beer Dopplebock I'm drinking now. It's good to but more an amber than a double dark.

Nice! Now you can send one to me in Toronto for being such a great help, right?

CyberBob said:

A quick update - I couldn't wait any longer and threw a few in the fridge. Popped one on July 4th, it is the best beer I've made yet! I used a partial mash kit from Brewer's Best and can highly recommend it. I'll give the rest some more shelf time while I finish the Mr. Beer Dopplebock I'm drinking now. It's good to but more an amber than a double dark.

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Double strong* dark = dunkel

check the gravity, it is the real indicator of what is going on! I wait till it stops dropping then wait another week (hey I have a very busy life and use the time to cold crash). A refractometer helps you from using lots of tasty beer to find out what is going on.