I'll be doing my 2nd batch this weekend. The first one didn't go so well for two main reasons:
- I stressed the yeast because the gravity of the wort for the yeast starter was way too high (used LME and didn't use the correct volume)
- I put too much water (about 2 gals too much!), and since I only realized it after the end of my boil (90min boil, with Saaz(15min) and Styrian Goldings(60mins), I had to boil 45-60min longer. I also added about 1lbs of LME I had left, which helped raise the gravity a little bit but I still missed my gravity (1.062 instead of 1.072).
The beer tastes like dirt, literally. Obviously I need to re-taste it once it'll be properly carbonated, but I doubt the overpowering taste will go away.
I want to avoid these errors on my second batch. The starter is perfect this time (started it yesterday). However I had some worries about the hops. Should I use the ones I have left (my recipe for this weekend also calls for these two), or get some new hops? Part of me is worried the taste MIGHT have been partly because of the hops, and not only because of the over-boiling and yeast starter?
What would you do in my place?
- I stressed the yeast because the gravity of the wort for the yeast starter was way too high (used LME and didn't use the correct volume)
- I put too much water (about 2 gals too much!), and since I only realized it after the end of my boil (90min boil, with Saaz(15min) and Styrian Goldings(60mins), I had to boil 45-60min longer. I also added about 1lbs of LME I had left, which helped raise the gravity a little bit but I still missed my gravity (1.062 instead of 1.072).
The beer tastes like dirt, literally. Obviously I need to re-taste it once it'll be properly carbonated, but I doubt the overpowering taste will go away.
I want to avoid these errors on my second batch. The starter is perfect this time (started it yesterday). However I had some worries about the hops. Should I use the ones I have left (my recipe for this weekend also calls for these two), or get some new hops? Part of me is worried the taste MIGHT have been partly because of the hops, and not only because of the over-boiling and yeast starter?
What would you do in my place?