All grain tang????? WTF! - Please Help!

[adkins220]

Ok, maybe its a little early to freak out, but i did my first all grain a few weeks ago. Smooth Nut Brown Ale kit from Midwest. Prior to fermentation it tasted great........Fermentation temp control went well......67'ish...........At bottleing tasted great......good enough that i coudl have drank it non-carbed..........So went ahead and bottled it and 1 week later i tested one just to see how it was going (still kinda new to this sport so just trying to learn). Anyway, i put it in the fridge for a few hours, popped and poured. Awesome carb on it only after a week and held the head, but (bare with me on the taste description) it tastes like the tangy extract taste at first but finishes like a nice nut brown..........

Did i do something wrong? I know its optimal after 3 weeks bottled but my "green tasting beer" idea is just waterey. My first thought is that the bottles got too warmed as my first idea of this "tangy" taste is too high fermentation temps (not estery)....But after reading more about it, i am questioning whether if the whole "starter yeast" is the reason for this. I didnt do a starter and never have so i dont know if this contributes to it.

Please experienced brewers, give me some insight! I love this hobby, but i am just getting kind of frustrated! I really thought this was the one! The good one!

 

[bob1852]

Yes, withhold judgment until at least 3 weeks in the bottle, and then refrigerated for a couple days.

And yes, more controlled fermentation temps and proper yeast pitching rates can improve your beer as well.

 

[adkins220]

Yes, withhold judgment until at least 3 weeks in the bottle, and then refrigerated for a couple days.

And yes, more controlled fermentation temps and proper yeast pitching rates can improve your beer as well.

Thanks for the quick response. I have a ferementation fridge with temp control for ferementation in the glass carboy, but i am unsure how important temp control is on bottle conditioning. Is it still as important as primary fermentation temps?

 

[bob1852]

It's best to keep bottles around 70 or so, but lower or higher isn't too big of a deal unless it gets really hot or cold.

 

[TyTanium]

Nope - room temp ~70 degrees for conditioning.

You'll have carbonation after a week, but it takes longer to get fully dissolved - so what you're tasting is probably carbonic bite - undissolved carbonic acid, typically fizzy and harsh, kind of jumps up and bites your tongue. So give it time - 3ish weeks, then at least 48hrs in the fridge to fully dissolve.

 

[dunnright00]

Quick question, what kind of water did you use? Treatment?

 

[adkins220]

Quick question, what kind of water did you use? Treatment?

I am not treating or testing my water yet, but i did use store bought bottled water for the entire batch. everything besides the water used in the priming I assume was treated in some form or another.

 

[dunnright00]

Ok. I ask, because my last two batches have had a twang and I used tap water, with no treatment.

 

[adkins220]

Nope - room temp ~70 degrees for conditioning.

You'll have carbonation after a week, but it takes longer to get fully dissolved - so what you're tasting is probably carbonic bite - undissolved carbonic acid, typically fizzy and harsh, kind of jumps up and bites your tongue. So give it time - 3ish weeks, then at least 48hrs in the fridge to fully dissolve.

Thanks so much! I hope your right. I moved the bottles to a slightly cooler room. We will see how that goes. the room I had them in stayed around 70ish so you guys have made me feel a bit better about this. Thanks! Anymore insight from anyone would be appreciated.

 

[djfriesen]

My money's on carbonic bite. Couple more weeks to condition, and then get back to us. If it's still there, we might have to do some more investigating. But I think we've nailed it already. Cue Revvy's "3 weeks @ 70° F is a minimum" post.

 

[bierhaus15]

What yeast did you use?

 

[adkins220]

What yeast did you use?

Whatever came with the kit. I think it was english ale yeast or something like that. I have to go back and look at my notes.

 

[bierhaus15]

I would bet your off flavors are fermentation related. There are a few english strains that are known to produce a very tart, estery-tang flavor when fermented too warm and others that cause overcarbonation in bottles.

Generally speaking, s-04, wy1098 & 99, wlp007, and wy1968/wlp002 are usually the English strains new brewers have problems with and produce the off flavors.

 

[Rev2010]

This is why I always agree new brewers should try their beers early, so they can see the difference between one week in the bottle and three weeks or more. You need to give it more time, and you will be astonished at the difference even between 2 weeks in the bottle and 3. Some beers need a bit more time than 3 weeks but give it at least 3.

Man, I see way too many of these posts... "I know everyone says to wait at least 3 weeks but it's only one week and it tastes off... what's wrong?". Not meaning to be mean or anything, but if people know the rules why post until after the recommended time? But again, this is why I always push people to open them up at several earlier stages so they can learn from it.


Rev.

 

[adkins220]

This is why I always agree new brewers should try their beers early, so they can see the difference between one week in the bottle and three weeks or more. You need to give it more time, and you will be astonished at the difference even between 2 weeks in the bottle and 3. Some beers need a bit more time than 3 weeks but give it at least 3.

Man, I see way too many of these posts... "I know everyone says to wait at least 3 weeks but it's only one week and it tastes off... what's wrong?". Not meaning to be mean or anything, but if people know the rules why post until after the recommendEd time? But again, this is why I always push people to open them up at several earlier stages so they can learn from it.

Rev.

Thanks for the honest response. I posted for the exact reason u say. To learn from expierenced people. I have relaTed "green beer" to watery taster. Not "tangy taste". Therefore im a bit nervous for this brew. Especially since I splurged on temp control, full boil and mash tun. I hit all the numbers, but I am so excited for this beer to taste great for my friends. Hope this explains the question. Thanks for the response.

 

[Rev2010]

Thanks for the honest response. I posted for the exact reason u say. To learn from expierenced people. I have relaTed "green beer" to watery taster. Not "tangy taste". Therefore im a bit nervous for this brew. Especially since I splurged on temp control, full boil and mash tun. I hit all the numbers, but I am so excited for this beer to taste great for my friends. Hope this explains the question. Thanks for the response.

I hear ya, again I wasn't trying to come off *****ey or anything. In regard to your green taste relation, I've personally found most of my young beers taste too bitter, and judging from your post title I think tang is often situated alongside bitter. I can't explain why, but if I crack open a beer at one week in the bottle, or often two weeks in the bottle it will taste too bitter. It's had me worried in the past that, even though I used the correct amount of hops and AA%, I might need to cut back on the hop addition next time around. Surprisingly, almost all of the beers in one more week (3 weeks) are suddenly perfectly balanced. I wish I knew the science behind the changes that take place in that last week or so that balance everything out just right but I've not yet took up the endeavour to Google it

Some beers might be perfectly fine hop wise but have other aspects I hate that go away. For example, my Northern Brewer pumpkin ale... I had one with my wife, sister-in-law, and her sister's boyfriend at two weeks in the bottle cause they just moved out and I didn't know when they would be around again to try my pumpkin. They loved it, but I hated this vanilla taste that was prominent. I love vanilla, it was just not a taste I wanted in the beer. Anyhow, literally one more week in the bottle and that taste was gone and the beer was great.


Rev.

 

[adkins220]

GREAT NEWS!

I tried another bottle last night and the tang was completely gone. The beer (my first all grain) was without a doubt the best beer yet. I would pay for this beer! I just wish now i would have just jumped right in to all grain and did everything by the books from the get-go. Thanks for all of the help.

 

[wilserbrewer]

The way beer can change as it ages still amazes me after brewing for over twenty years. Sometimes when kegging, I experience beer that is great when very fresh, then goes south and is a bit harsh for a few weeks, but then will shine again after sitting in the keezer for a few more weeks.

 

[Rev2010]

Great to hear Adkins! I knew it would be fine.


Rev.