Beer Tastes Sugary

[Fly_Guy]

I brewed an American Wheat Ale, 1 gallon extract kit.

1lb Briess Wheat DME
7g Cascade at 45 Mins
3.5g Cascade 5 min steep before cooling.
*boil was not overly vigorous as the stove was old.

I re-hydrated dry yeast (American Ale, exact strain was not given)
First 4 days fermented between 62 and 64 degrees F.
Raised temp and got it up to 67 for another 4 days, then let it sit at 64 for 4 days before cooling it by 2 degrees a day for a total of 14 days in the FV.

On bottling day I had 1/2 a bottle and drank that. It tasted clean and crisp and bitter, almost like a pale ale.

I carbed it with Fizz Drops and let it sit for 2 weeks around 70F before opening a bottle.

Overall it was drinkable but the flavor completely changed and it was almost like a slightly bitter sugar water with a few nice yeast esters.
I tasted another one at 3 weeks and it had the same sweetness to it. The bottles were carbonated, but I doubt they were near the 3.0 range for a wheat ale though.

Overall I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, but it was way better on bottling day. Is it possible I did not have enough live yeast in the bottles to eat the sugar drops?
Is it a bad idea to cold crash if using bottles? Besides adding a few grams of re-hydrated yeast what would help me get more yeast for the next batch?

I think it had really good flavor, but the sugar taste covers it all up. The next batch I will be using priming sugar instead of the drops, which I'm hoping might help combat this issue a bit.

Thanks in advance!

 

[TurnipGreen]

I can’t speak to the sweetness.

For bottling after a cold crash, I do it all the time. I’ve successfully bottled after three months in a primary. It unlikely you don’t have enough yeast. If you’re getting any carbonation at all you probably have enough yeast to finish any sugar you’ve added.
I leave most of my beers in the bottle three weeks before I start cracking them. Manbe it just needs some more time.

 

[Amadeo38]

I would try putting them somewhere a little warmer (yet stable) than 70F for a week or two.

 

[Fly_Guy]

Okay thanks for the advice. I wonder if the sweetness is because its and extract beer? I thought using a 45 min boil and DME it wouldn't be an issue but maybe it still was? I know I did not do any water adjustments, but I'm not tasting anything that seems like it was an issue, not sure if water profile can make things seem sweeter.

Does anyone try to put a bit of the yeast cake into the bottling bucket to ensure there is enough yeast or is that just asking for issues?

Thanks!

 

[Amadeo38]

I’m unfamiliar with ratios for 1 gallon beers and assume 1lb of DME is correct for the style. Did you take OG and FG measurements with your hydrometer? It’s possible the yeast never finished the job and the sweetness will never go away because it’s a beer with a high FG. If another week at warm temps doesn’t fix this, then that’s probably the case.

I’m slightly confused by why it would have tasted fine without the carb drops in it, but likely just that the sugar from fizz drops has compounded the perception of sugars from the high FG.

 

[JimRausch]

I think your key point is that it tasted good prior to bottling and sweet afterwards. I've seen posts where the carb tabs take a bit longer than using dissolved priming sugar(dextrose or sucrose) in a batch. So, I'd agree, give her more time at 70ish. And to answer your Q, yes, I've occasionally reyeasted, but it's always been after lagering at close-to-freezing for 3 months or more. I have added a tablespoon of trub from the bottom of an active fermenter, or a sprinkle of dry yeast.

 

[Fly_Guy]

I did not take hydro readings, with it being a 1 gallon and my first batch I was more concerned about volume than OG and FG readings, but in retrospect I probably should have taken at least a FG just to make sure it was done.

The fact it tasted good on bottling day is what baffles me as well. Being winter in Chicago its hard to find anywhere that is stable at 70 or so. I have a heating pad but that's currently tied up around my FV. I know my chamber hasn't been below 64 or so, so maybe carbonation/flavor profile is just going to take a bit longer.
I've got 2 bottles left, I'll put them in a closet with some blankets tonight and I won't be around this weekend so I'll check em again at week 5 and see if anything has improved substantially.

Hopefully it's just an issue of patience.

I'll post an update after the next time I crack a bottle open.

Thanks!

 

[Amadeo38]

Updates?

 

[Fly_Guy]

I still have not consumed it haha. I've been busy and kinda forgot about it. They are technically for friends so I'm hoping to snag a sip when I see them next.

I made a 5 gallon batch for my second attempt (brown ale) and using priming sugar it was super tasty (a bit young still) for being 2 weeks. So I think as often as I can I will use priming sugar instead.

 

[AJinJacksonville]

Definitely gently stir after you add the priming sugar mixture...I've found a wide variety of carbonation levels when I bottle...sometimes the carb rate is dead on...othertimes completely undercarbed. I never base my final product on how it tastes pre-priming...it always seems to mature better in the long run (depending on the style obviously).

 

[Fly_Guy]

The brown ale I mentioned above was 2 weeks of carbing in the bottle. Although I did stir as gently as possible to try and get it to completely mix. Next batch I'll probably do the 50/50 dumping in half the priming solution first and the other half a bit later.

The reason I tasted the wheat ale before it was in bottles was due to having 1 bottle less than half full and I didn't know if having that much head space would be an issue. I do plan on tasting gravity readings when I take them. I was surprised that the flavor did not improve in the bottles....hence why I started this thread lol.