Really bitter wert!!

I just brewed a chinook IPA that called for cascade hops for bittering and aroma. When I was grabbing the hops out of the fridge at the beer store I didn't pay close enough attention to what was actually in the cascade hops tray. When I got home I realized that I had grabbed 1 oz galena, and 1 oz Northern brewer.

I didn't want to drive all the way back to the beer store so I decided to go with what I had. I used the galena for bittering and the NB for aroma.

I took a hydrometer sample after the wert had cooled and before I added the yeast. I tasted the hydrometer sample and it was soooooo bitter. I looked like the guy in those old Keystone Light commercials with the bitter beer face.

My question is, will my finished product be this bitter, or might it mellow out during the fermentation/conditioning process?

If it does hold its bitterness I think this batch will be a lost cause. Is there such a thing as bad hop combinations? I was using a new, larger stock pot on this batch and brewing outside over propane instead of on my stove with my 4 gallon pot. Because I have the big pot now, all five gallons was brewed and exposed to the hops. Normally I have to add 2 gallons of fresh water.

Anyone have any theories on why my wert is so bitter?

What can I do next time to avoid this?

freeballer said:

I just brewed a chinook IPA that called for cascade hops for bittering and aroma.

Click to expand...

that's kind of an odd name for an IPA bittered with cascade hops.......

what was your recipe? bitterness units to gravity units ratio is an important part of perception of bitterness...

Duh!

Sorry about that. What I meant to say was that the recipe called for Chinook hopps for both bittering and aroma.

No idea where I came up with cascade.

I've made similar mistakes. Just finish the beer and sample at regular intervals during the next several months. Save exactly what you did! If it turns out good, you have a new beer

lergnom.

Ferment out the brew. If it still tastes bitter you can mix it with a sweeter beer.

I think your problem was you brewed using oz and not measeuring your HBU.

freeballer said:

Duh!

Sorry about that. What I meant to say was that the recipe called for Chinook hopps for both bittering and aroma.

No idea where I came up with cascade.

Click to expand...

Lol...Freudian slip?
Chinook and galena are about equall in terms of average aau's. I would guess its the combo of a full boil, and the propanage which gave you a really good bitterness percentage. Thats the good news. the bad news is that if its THAT overly crazy bitter now, it might mellow out a little, but probably not to where youd want it. Once the malt starts to assert itself it will probably be potable, if not good. Id say send in a few bottles to a competion, see what the judges have to say...

I agree with the mixing with another beer. Did that once. Brewed a very bitter beer. My brother mixed it half and half with his wife's light beer (store bought) and thought it was great. Of course the beer was free!

But again, save what you did. I lost one in a move and haven't found it yet.

Might have a lot of time between replys. Have to work to make money ro buy brewing materials.

lergnom.

Next time that happens, substitute your hops by HBUs (also known as AAUs)rather than by weight.

If the recipe calls for 1 OZ of hop A at 5% alpha acid (AA), that's 5 HBUs.

If the hops you have are 8% AA, you'd 5/8 of an ounce.

1 * 5 = 5 HBU
5/8 * 8 = 5 HBU

Alpha acids aren't as important for flavor and aroma hops, but a small difference in HBUs in bittering hops can make a big difference in bitterness.

Truth be told, it's highly debatable how detectable a difference in variety of bittering hops is, as long as the HBUs are the same.

Thanks for all the good info guys, I'll stick it out and see how it tastes after a month of conditioning in the bottle. If its still too bitter I'll just have to make a lightly hopped counterpart next time and mix them.

My unfermented wort always tastes extremely bitter. By the time I bottle, that has mellowed out to appropriate levels.

That's my experience; I imagine you'll be fine...