I just bottled my first batch and I tasted the beer that I checked the specific gravity with. It tastes pretty good up front but really bitter on the back end. Does bottle conditioning smooth out the bitterness? My kit was a true brew all malt amber kit. All DME and LME. No steeping grains and the hops stayed in the fermenter the whole time. I let it ferment for 16 days. FG was 1.022 and it was supposed to be 1.010.
Bitter back end
- Thread starter Pdazbrew
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Andrew5329
Well-Known Member
I've made that kit before, it will soften somewhat with conditioning but that's the way Amber ale is supposed to be, which means Congratulations! Your first batch is a success! That said if you think it tastes "pretty good" now, just wait 2 or 3 weeks and it will taste downright excellent.
dwarven_stout
Well-Known Member
Bitterness fades with time to some extent. I'm surprised it tastes bitter to you finishing that high, though. LME/DME beers usually ferment out to right about where you expect. Are you sure it was done fermenting?
No, i am not exactly sure fermentation had completely ceased. The instructions said to let ferment for seven days. I let it go for 16 days. I did not take consecutive readings though. All activity seemed to have ceased and the yeast had formed a layer on the bottom of the carboy. No bubbles in the airlock. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.
timewasted
Well-Known Member
I brewed a British Bitter recently that had the same bitterness for the aftertaste. After a month or so, it has mellowed significantly and everyone who tastes it seems to love it. relax, don't worry, and all that.
Andrew5329
Well-Known Member
A different yeast type possibly could impact your final gravity, but the only way to know for sure is to take another reading today and see if it's changed since yesterday.
If it's stable you can do one of two things, Bottle it and enjoy it in a week or two when it's carbonated, or leave it in primary for another week to let the yeast clean the beer further I usually do an extended primary of 3-4 weeks before I bottle my beer. It will still taste good if you bottle it early, but unless your planning on putting another batch in primary during the next week or two I'd let it wait.
If it's stable you can do one of two things, Bottle it and enjoy it in a week or two when it's carbonated, or leave it in primary for another week to let the yeast clean the beer further I usually do an extended primary of 3-4 weeks before I bottle my beer. It will still taste good if you bottle it early, but unless your planning on putting another batch in primary during the next week or two I'd let it wait.
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