Holy Bitter Finish Batman!

[one20grit]

I have a year of brewing under my belt so I understand the basics. I may have given my first bad batch as christmas gifts (it's cool just the in-laws). I ordered the AHS Chocolate Orange Holiday something or other. I taste zero chocolate or orange and the finish is super bitter. Not hoppy bitter just plain bitter. I have never had this problem before and want to know how to prevent it in the future. Could it have been the malto-dextrin or the cocoa. Thats the only thing I have never used before. I give up on the fancy kits.

 

[Smokeater233]

It isn't likely to be either. Was this extract or partial mash? What were the gravities? How long was it in primary and how well did fermentation proceed?

 

[trevorc13]

I just had that problem with my American Red Ale. Really bitter to the point where you felt like you could see it on your tounge. After waiting another week, that bitterness faded and it is now the beer is almost gone!

 

[dcp27]

cocoa can be pretty damn bitter

edit: missed it before, bitter orange peel could be the problem as well

 

[Smokeater233]

I doubt it's the cocoa causing the bitterness - this is a kit, not a homegrown recipe so the chance for not enough fermentable sugars and the cocoa being too great is unlikely. That said, I guess it partly depends on when you used the cocoa (presuming that it was in the last 15 to 30 mins of the boil?)

I took at look at the kit and one commenter said that there was little cocoa flavoring in his beer, although someone last month wrote that he got strong cocoa flavoring and perhaps the AHS changed their recipe.

So with that in mind, I wonder again what the gravities were and how long it sat in fermentation.