Beer becomes more bitter

[RipC1ty]

So this is consistently happening on my batches and driving me nuts. I'll put my beer in the fridge, try it that night and it tastes great. Next night, still tastes great. However, after about a week or so the beer tastes significantly more bitter than previously... What in the world could be causing this? Thanks for the help.

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

Maybe carbonic bite from too much co2 dissolved???? Strictly a guess. I’m sure those more knowledgeable will chime in with a more reasonable answer.

 

[Jayjay1976]

What temp are you mashing at? What kind of yeast are you using?

 

[CoyoteBear]

Maybe possible off flavors from left over trub gunk at the bottom of keg? Or do you bottle?

 

[divrack]

Bottles or keg?
It could be hop particles descending to the bottom and concentrating there. Especially true if you are dry hopping.
It could be spoilage but unlikely unless it really tasted bad and not beery.
It could be yeast settling but that is quite an obvious yeast taste.
If it's bottles thats weird but would indicate infection.

It would help having more information.
If it is settling of hop or yeast particles it should get better after you pour a couple pints. Try a sample from the top of the keg and see if that is better

 

[RipC1ty]

Bottles or keg?
It could be hop particles descending to the bottom and concentrating there. Especially true if you are dry hopping.
It could be spoilage but unlikely unless it really tasted bad and not beery.
It could be yeast settling but that is quite an obvious yeast taste.
If it's bottles thats weird but would indicate infection.

It would help having more information.
If it is settling of hop or yeast particles it should get better after you pour a couple pints. Try a sample from the top of the keg and see if that is better

I am bottling and mash at 153. My yeast is Safale-US05. Maybe for my next beer I’ll just pour half into a glass and drink it and compare to the other half to see if it could have something to do with sediment at the bottom. It’s definitely not like a sour flavor like it could be spoiled and not a wet cardboard taste.

 

[divrack]

If it's bottles I have no idea as it wouldn't get worse as it settles. I'm guessing it must be an infection of some kind. But even then it's weird. Some infections don't play by the rules. For instance I've had ones that just gave a kind of acrid twang but only with O2, present. It was very resistant to starsan and cleaning products. But I think I cleared it up with bleach and boiling.

 

[user 70770]

Do you know what’s in your water? Unpleasant bitterness could indicate a pH problem.

 

[The_Bishop]

Then it would present itself no matter what the timeframe is.

 

[flars]

I have had commercial beers that were bitter. One was an English style. First one opened was so bitter dumped it. Two weeks later opened another. Amazing. As described on the label. Wanted to brew it. Final two a week later had bitterness but not as bad as the first.

A different breweries oatmeal stout. According to the label oatmeal was added to their regular stout for a creamy smoothness. Too bitter to drink. Aging in the bottle didn't help. Dumped all of them.

Hard to imagine they were this bitter when bottled and still sent out. Can something happen in the bottle?

 

[homebrewer_99]

Sediment in the bottom of the bottles will add bitterness.

Even when I make Hefe Weizen's I pour in very little of the sediment/beer mix from the bottom into the glass. I drink it out of the bottle, but I don't add it to the glass.

 

[RipC1ty]

Maybe it's depending on how much sediment I have in each bottle. Does US-05 have a dry/bitter taste to it possibly?

 

[parrothead64]

Make sure your not pouring the whole bottle into the glass.

 

[gwinn758]

Try pouring it in a glass and sample it right away. Let it sit for about 10-15 minutes, once it's slightly warmed up sample again and compare. Some ales under maybe 36 degrees for me taste off, maybe it could be described as having a bite to it.