Adjusting Flavor profile of cloned beer

[Blackdirt_cowboy]

I made a Founders Porter clone that has been in primary for two weeks. I sampled it 5 days ago and it tasted really close to a Founders. I sample it again today, and the gravity dropped 1 point, but the flavor changed as well. All the toasty flavors are still there, but. Ow it's slightly bitter on the finish, where Founders is sweet on the finish. I missed my OG pretty bad. Expected OG was 1.066 but mine ended up 1.054. I think a bad crush coupled with a high mash pH caused that. My brew water was really alkaline. My current gravity is 1.014, and expected FG was 1.016.

Did missing my OG that bad contribute to the bitterness? I don't think being two points low on the FG would do it. Or perhaps it's just because it's a really young beer that the bitterness is a little harsher. I plan on leaving it in primary for another week and then cold crashing, fining, and bottling. I will probably let it bottle condition an additional 3 weeks. Will this help to mellow the bitterness? The beer is not undrinkable. It is actually quite good, but it's is noticeably more bitter than Founders.

TLDR - My wife said Founders tastes like a Hershey bar dipped in whiskey. She said my clone has not enough Hershey and too much whiskey. I'm trying to figure out why.

 

[thehaze]

You used some hops for bittering the beer, which you expected to be a certain % ABV. If your final product missed both OG anf FG, thus the final product has less alcohol, then the amount of hops will give more bitterness in the final beer.

I suggest bottling it when finished fermenting and waiting a few months. The aromas and flavours will mellow out.

 

[McKnuckle]

The IBU comment above is true, but bitterness can come from both hops and roasted grains.

Have you brewed dark beers before? They take quite a bit longer to condition, and their flavor generally lasts a lot longer as well. I have a 4% ABV dry stout that still tastes great, kegged up for 8 months now.

But most of these beers taste pretty unrefined in the fermenter. I would try really hard to adjust your timing expectations. The beer will continue to condition in the bottle for months. Once it's carbed up and you've satisfied your curiosity by drinking a couple, make sure to leave most of them out of the fridge so they can continue mellowing. A space that averages 52-60ºF is best, but a little warmer is okay. Put a couple of bottles in the fridge each week for drinking, and brew something else to distract yourself.

 

[Blackdirt_cowboy]

So I bottled the beer and it's been bottle conditioning for two weeks. I cracked one open to see where it was, and it's not quite carbed up completely. I expected this as I cold crashed and fined the beer with gelatin. It did pour with about a 1/2" head though. It's 33 days post brewing, and the bitterness has almost faded away completely. It's still there slightly on the aftertaste. In its wake, it has left the sweetness that I was missing. This is almost a dead ringer for the Founders Porter. I'm really excited what this will taste like in another month.

 

[RM-MN]

So I bottled the beer and it's been bottle conditioning for two weeks. I cracked one open to see where it was, and it's not quite carbed up completely. I expected this as I cold crashed and fined the beer with gelatin. It did pour with about a 1/2" head though. It's 33 days post brewing, and the bitterness has almost faded away completely. It's still there slightly on the aftertaste. In its wake, it has left the sweetness that I was missing. This is almost a dead ringer for the Founders Porter. I'm really excited what this will taste like in another month.

Don't drink it all too quickly, it will still be changing at the 2 year mark.