Under attenuated and no bitterness

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dataz722

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I couple months ago I brewed an english bitter and something must have went seriously wrong. I actually split a 15 gallon batch with 2 other people and the other people said theirs were pretty good. Well, last weekend I kegged and carbed it and pulled a pint last night. There was no bitterness what so ever and it was sickenly sweet. I can possibly blame under attenuation from a cold basement for the sweetness but have no idea why there would be no bitterness in only my 5 gallons.

I am considering taking about a 1/2 gallon of water and boiling it with 1-2 ounces of hops for 60 minutes then adding that and the beer back into a fermenter with some more yeast.

How does that sound and does anyone have any idea what could have happened to my 5 gallons to make it so much different that the others when they came from the same mash and boil.
 
The under attenuation and coying sweetness would make it seem like there is a lack of bitterness because it's being covered by sweetness. What was you FG compared to everyone elses! Uh Oh! You didn't take one!

Solution, take your keg to a buddy's who shared the brew day. Ask him to go upstairs to get you something. Swap your keg for his. Then, hey look at that, your wife called and needs you to come home.
 
What yeast did you use, and did you calculate attenuation?

How cold is a cold basement? I always ferment on the low end, and sometimes lower than what the yest recommend and have always seen full expected attenuation.
 
I was thinking that the sweetness could cover the bitterness but I don't think it would cover up the aroma too.
 
Basement was probably low 60s and I am pretty sure we used S04.

And IP is right, I didn't take any hydro readings.
 
People's perception of bitterness differs.

I taste no bittersess in Sierra Nevada since my palate is used to my IIPAs and stone ruination.

Not saying this is it.

Are you sure it under attenuated? Check the FG?

A cold basement will slow fermentation, a good thing, but it would have to be real cold to stop the yeast short, and they would probably pick right up if allowed to warm.
 
Basement was probably low 60s and I am pretty sure we used S04.

And IP is right, I didn't take any hydro readings.

There's a lot of fail going on. If you all used the same yeast and got different results that's kind of crazy. I've pitched S-05 sub-60 degrees and had it ferment around 62 or so without any issues.

Having hydro samples would be helpful here. Lesson to all the n00bs, take gravity readings even if you don't typically need them :D
 
I guess I can go home and pull some off and let it go flat and take a reading just to see the FG and see how high it really is.
 
did you taste the others as well. They may have totally different ideas on whats good. If they all taste the same to you maybe you mashed to high? I keep 04 between 62° - 64° so I don't think it would be temps . Maybe a bad packet of yeast?
 
I haven't tried theirs yet but I know their tastes in beer aren't that far off and they both said that it was pretty bitter and good. They are both members here and might chime in at some point. I took one sip and just about gagged.

Is there any infection that might do this. I know most will dry it out further and I don't know of any that would kill a hop profile.
 
An infection won't do it. Did you pitch separate packs of yeast? Maybe your yeast was just crap.

I don't think boiling hops with water will work. I personally would just dry hop the **** out of it if you're trying to make it drinkable.

This does look like a TR get-together :D
 
I haven't tried theirs yet but I know their tastes in beer aren't that far off and they both said that it was pretty bitter and good. They are both members here and might chime in at some point. I took one sip and just about gagged.

Is there any infection that might do this. I know most will dry it out further and I don't know of any that would kill a hop profile.

Buttery and sour yes, never heard of a sweetening infection. I think you should pull a sample let it degas and take a reading you may have had some bad yeast
 
An infection won't do it. Did you pitch separate packs of yeast? Maybe your yeast was just crap.

I don't think boiling hops with water will work. I personally would just dry hop the **** out of it if you're trying to make it drinkable.

This does look like a TR get-together :D

Yeah, it was 3 seperate packs of yeast, it was either nottingham or s04 but I can't remember. Pretty sure it was s04 though. Dry hopping the hell out of it might be interesting though.

Buttery and sour yes, never heard of a sweetening infection. I think you should pull a sample let it degas and take a reading you may have had some bad yeast

I will try that tonight if I can even find my hydro.
 
ok, i was one of the others... I brought all 3 packs of 0-5 they were all bought together.... I actually kegged mine a couple weeks ago and thought it was heavy on hops.

if its sickly sweet then its porbaby not done fermenting....back to primary for you! repitch.
 
dig dug, just finished a glass of mine.... it well attenuated, over bitter under aromad (which is why it got nailed by your partial fermentation) oh yeah and warm, but thats to be expected :D
 
hmmmmm, I might just toss it back into a fermenter with some more yeast them. Being carbed then refermenting shouldn't cause much of a problem should it?
 
itll go flat... you may get a slight carboard taste... but that seems better than waht you have now.... ill go out on alimb and say buy a hydrometer :D
 
I own one, just not sure where it is.

The cardboard is from oxygenation right? Well if I flood the fermenter with co2 then it wouldn't happen.
 
Will there be enough oxygen dissolved for it to ferment? Or did the first ferment and carbing get rid of it?
 
Yeah, I wouldn't be adding oxygen. I'm not that dumb. Any idea on the size of the starter I should use?
 
Sounds good to me. I have never done a starter with dry yeast before though but is there any need to step up to 2L? Since dry has a much higher cell count to start with than liquid couldn't I just start out at 2L?
 
You don't need to do a starter with dry yeast. There's more than enough active yeast (more than even liquid) in a pack of dry to ferment nicely. If you just want to wake them up, pitch a pack of dry to 2 cups of room temp water with a teaspoon of sugar and cover it for and hour then pitch to your beer. Keep everything sanitary, of course. The carbonation won't hurt the yeast. What probably happened is that your yeast in the primary crapped out early due to the low temp.

Also; what temp are you serving your beer? What was the recipe? How old were the hops? Leaf or pellet?
 
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