First brew....off flavors

[BrewNinja1]

I brewed an extract kit that I got from my LHBS. I was a wit beer kit. The instructions in the kit were not good at all (of course didnt occur to me until the next day things that were missing...like OG etc...so I never took those). Also, to be upfront, I tried to do this on an electric stove....bad idea. Getting to a boil took a long time. Anyways, when I placed the beer into my Primary, some of the orange peel and coriander got in also =(

After 2 weeks I kegged it, and after another week of being on co2 in the kegerator, I tasted it. The best way I can describe it is having a spicy or hoppy taste right up front (hops were put in right away at 60 minutes though...so there shouldnt have been much hop flavor). I left it that way for another week thinking that it would mellow. I tasted it (now after 1 month since brewing) and the flavor has kind of moved to being later in the swallow (noob here...so not sure of all the terms to use). I took it off the co2 and out of the kegerator to age it faster (bled off the excess co2 every day), and tasted it last night after aging for another week at around 60*. It still has the same taste as a week ago, a spicy/hoppy taste towards the end.

Being a wit beer, from what I read it really shouldnt need time to age (we are now at 5 weeks from brew date). I expected after a week of cellar temp aging, it would have mellowed more, but it hasnt. Is there anything I can do to save this? Or do I just let it sit and forget it for a couple of months and hope for the best?

Im glad my second kit came from a real place (northern brewer), the instructions were so much better.

 

[Suddy]

Can you provide the ingredients (hops and adjuncts) and when you added them to the boil (how long they were boiled)?

 

[BrewNinja1]

Here I thought to myself, yeah I can do that...I have it right next to my stuff. Turns out the wife moved it, and cant remember where she put it. Just spent an hour looking for it and no go. I dont remember at all what adjunts were used. It was 1oz of mt hood hops for 45 minutes and the orange/coriander for 15 minutes if that helps (I found that part online).

 

[fatbob]

If you kegged it after two weeks in primary and went to the keg in the cold temperatures it didn't have enough time to condition. Conditioning should be done at about 70 degrees. If you take it out of the kegerator & let it warm up for a couple of weeks or so it will probably be much better. It will most likely be pretty hard to stop drinking it now but it will improve if you wait. The best thing is to get a couple more brews going right away so you can always have some to drink while you wait for the next one.

 

[BrewNinja1]

Its been conditioning at cellar temps for a week now though and the flavor hasnt changed at all. Its not hard not to drink it...its horrible.

 

[Suddy]

What yeast was provided with the kit? The best advice I have is to let it mellow for a few weeks and see if the taste improves. Time is your friend with harsh tastes. It may never fade away...but it is better to try then dump.

 

[BrewNinja1]

It came with wyeast belgium wit yeast. Im gonna let it sit for a few weeks...no harm in that really since it will be awhile before I need the keg again anyways. Just thought someone may have had something similar happen. Oh well. Thanks for the thoughts guys =D

 

[iron_city_ap]

I had a batch not long ago with something similar. I wouldn't describe it as 'hoppy' though. It was far sharper and seemed to keep getting worse. I'm not sure if it was an infection or DMS or a combination of the two but I have never tasted anything remotely that bad. I let it get to the point of being undrinkable then let it sit for another week and it got even more undrinkable. You definately aren't alone in the 'what the heck happened' category.

I ended up pouring almost the entire batch out, less what I managed to swallow.