Bad batch......

[Teufelhunde]

Well, I think I'm gonna put this down to COVID.....

May 16th, I brewed 5 gal of Mosaic IPA using a Norther Brewer recipe that I had converted to all DME. I did the brewing in the morning, and almost as soon as I got done cleaning up, I was TOTALLY exhausted, could barely stay awake and standing....tuned out I had caught COVID....during the next two weeks, when I was basically doing nothing but sleeping, I was getting up and checking on this beer. It had a violent fermentation, and I set up a catch jar for it.

After three weeks, I was feeling better, but still didn't get it out of the fermentation fridge for another week. I pulled it out and put the dry hops in, intending to bottle in 3-5 days, but, life got in the way and it didn't get bottled for a couple of weeks.

Tasted a couple of bottles a couple of days back, and it has a really bitter aftertaste that just destroys the back of my tongue.....

Gonna let it sit for a month or so and see if it mellows out, if not, the wife can pour it on her plants.......

 

[Rob2010SS]

Yeah, that sucks man. It may mellow out with time. Good luck.

 

[Sammy86]

You know there is an old thread here from @Revvy about the benefits of letting things sit for a while. Here it is:

Never dump your beer!!! Patience IS a virtue!!! Time heals all things, even beer! Take a read and see how you feel.

Cheers!

 

[camonick]

Well, I think I'm gonna put this down to COVID.....

May 16th, I brewed 5 gal of Mosaic IPA using a Norther Brewer recipe that I had converted to all DME. I did the brewing in the morning, and almost as soon as I got done cleaning up, I was TOTALLY exhausted, could barely stay awake and standing....tuned out I had caught COVID....during the next two weeks, when I was basically doing nothing but sleeping, I was getting up and checking on this beer. It had a violent fermentation, and I set up a catch jar for it.

After three weeks, I was feeling better, but still didn't get it out of the fermentation fridge for another week. I pulled it out and put the dry hops in, intending to bottle in 3-5 days, but, life got in the way and it didn't get bottled for a couple of weeks.

Tasted a couple of bottles a couple of days back, and it has a really bitter aftertaste that just destroys the back of my tongue.....

Gonna let it sit for a month or so and see if it mellows out, if not, the wife can pour it on her plants.......

Could it be that you aren’t tasting things the same way as you were before contracting Covid? My sister had it almost a year ago and says certain things still taste weird.
Is there someone else who could taste a sample?

 

[IslandLizard]

Good to hear you survived, whatever bug got you!

Is there someone else who could taste a sample?

Second and third opinions are always a good idea!

Looking at the NB recipe, did you follow these hop additions?
- 1 oz Mosaic (60 min)
- 1 oz Mosaic (30 min)
- 2 oz Mosaic (0 min)
- 2 oz Mosaic (Dry hop)

It's the 0 min (flameout) addition that's most critical in regard to process and timing, and the subsequent outcome of your beer.
The longer the wort stays at high temps (above 170-150F) the more hop oils get converted to bitterness (hop isomerization) and the less they contribute flavor and aroma.

5. [...] - Add 2 oz Mosaic hops at flameout

6. Cool the wort. When the 60-minute boil is finished, cool the wort to approximately 100° F as rapidly as possible. Use a wort chiller, or put the kettle in an ice bath in your sink.

My emphasis, above.
How fast were you able to chill the wort down to around 170-150F? Did you use a wort chiller?
If that takes 10 minutes you'd get much more bitterness than if it takes 1-2 minutes.

For that reason many of us will chill to 170F first (however long it takes), before adding the flameout hops. Then let them stand at that temp for 5-10 minutes with an occasional stir (a "hopstand" or "whirlpooling"), before chilling down to ferm temps.

 

[Teufelhunde]

You know there is an old thread here from @Revvy about the benefits of letting things sit for a while. Here it is:

Never dump your beer!!! Patience IS a virtue!!! Time heals all things, even beer! Take a read and see how you feel.

Cheers!

Thanks....I'll give that a read....

 

[Teufelhunde]

Could it be that you aren’t tasting things the same way as you were before contracting Covid? My sister had it almost a year ago and says certain things still taste weird.
Is there someone else who could taste a sample?

Yeah, my sense of taste is a bit weird, but pretty normal. Wife tasted is and she tastes the same nasty bitter on the back of the tongue....

 

[Teufelhunde]

Good to hear you survived, whatever bug got you!


Second and third opinions are always a good idea!

Looking at the NB recipe, did you follow these hop additions?
- 1 oz Mosaic (60 min)
- 1 oz Mosaic (30 min)
- 2 oz Mosaic (0 min)
- 2 oz Mosaic (Dry hop)

It's the 0 min (flameout) addition that's most critical in regard to process and timing, and the subsequent outcome of your beer.
The longer the wort stays at high temps (above 170-150F) the more hop oils get converted to bitterness (hop isomerization) and the less they contribute flavor and aroma.



My emphasis, above.
How fast were you able to chill the wort down to around 170-150F? Did you use a wort chiller?
If that takes 10 minutes you'd get much more bitterness than if it takes 1-2 minutes.

For that reason many of us will chill to 170F first (however long it takes), before adding the flameout hops. Then let them stand at that temp for 5-10 minutes with an occasional stir (a "hopstand" or "whirlpooling"), before chilling down to ferm temps.

That could be it.....I chill in an ice bath.....Thanks for the tip

 

[Teufelhunde]

I thought I would open this up again.....I tried another one tonight, and, while not great, was at least acceptable. So it appears to have mellowed a little in the bottles. We will see what another couple of weeks (or months) will do.....

Lon

 

[RM-MN]

Stupid idea but it might work. My brother in law lost his sense of taste (not from covid) for a long time but I found that adding zinc supplements might help so I suggested it to him. He is now enjoying food with taste again. Zinc supplements are cheap and following the guidelines for taking them should cause no side effects.

 

[dwhite60]

Don't dump it until it's had at least three weeks in the bottle. Things change.

 

[madscientist451]

One of my first brews was a hoppy ale that I thought was really nasty after 3 weeks in the bottle. I put it back in the closet and came back to it in a couple of months and it was way better. When the last bottle was done a few months further on, I wished I had brewed a lot more.
So three weeks is nothing. Just be patient and keep checking on it.

 

[dwhite60]

One of my first brews was a hoppy ale that I thought was really nasty after 3 weeks in the bottle. I put it back in the closet and came back to it in a couple of months and it was way better. When the last bottle was done a few months further on, I wished I had brewed a lot more.
So three weeks is nothing. Just be patient and keep checking on it.

I'm drinking the last of a mild I made in January. Not that it was bad but it's gotten a lot better.