Bottles My Irish Red

[Breck09]

Just finished bottling my Norther Brewer Irish Red. Tasted it (along with smelling it) and it tasted and smelled a little strong. Kinda tasted like a Belgium Tripel (not exactly as strong obvioulsly) but it had an alcohol taste to it. It this something that does settle out in the bottle?

 

[Pommy]

did you take gravity readings? If so how strong did it measure ABV wise?

 

[Breck09]

Did not take a gravity reading during the whole process. Reason being I didn't have anything to put the wort into in order to take the reading. Obviously going to remedy this before my next batch.

Reason I compare the smell to a Belgian is because the week before I had just had Three Philosophers for the first time and the smell of that beer is very similar to what was coming out of my bottling bucket. I am hoping that this will settle with the three weeks in the bottle. Any suggestions?

 

[ThirdGen]

I also just brewed NB's Irish Red. I tasted it at bottling as well, but I don't recall any real alcohol taste to it. It certainly smelled strong though, but after 3 weeks in the bottle it was nice.

 

[Breck09]

I am starting to think that it was more of a "sour" taste then an alcohol taster. Hopefully it will settle out in 3 weeks. I would hate to think that I brewed a lambic my first batch.

 

[frazier]

How long was it in primary?

I'm not sure what extra equipment you feel you need in order to take a hydro reading. I'm assuming you have a hydrometer. I use a turkey baster (sanitized of course) and just schlop it into a measuring cup. From there to the hydro test cylinder (I'm assuming your hydrometer came with one) for the reading. After that, you get to taste the result and see how it's doing. If it were my batch, and the hydro sample tasted "hot", I'd leave in primary for another week or so, regardless of what the reading was.

 

[Breck09]

It was in primary for a week. Secondary for 2.

 

[ThirdGen]

I also just brewed NB's Irish Red. I tasted it at bottling as well, but I don't recall any real alcohol taste to it. It certainly smelled strong though, but after 3 weeks in the bottle it was nice.

Mine developed a sour taste after a few weeks in the bottles. I was thinking maybe it was a contamination but then once the ambient temps dropped from the 80's/90's back into the 60's/70's the sour taste went away and now they're delicious again...not sure if that's coincidence and some of my bottles got infected and I just happened to drink them during the heat wave or what, but it's something to consider.

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

Your beer is still relatively young. It will taste/smell differently in the bottling bucket than it will after several weeks of conditioning in the bottle. That hot alcohol smell/taste is likely attributable to CO2 dissolving out of the beer and various fermentation byproducts and alcohols that will break down and become mellow as it conditions in the bottle.

Don't assume an infection or that you have produced something bad until you give your yeast time to fully condition the beer and clean up their own mess.

 

[Pommy]

Yeah my advice would be to clean all your equipment REALLY well, just incase you might have got an infection (highly unlikely) then just get onto your next batch and forget about this one until you have at least moved the new one to secondary. Then give it a try. The taste at bottling bucket after three weeks will generally be very different from a young carbonated beer and almost completely unrecognisable after a couple of months in bottle.

 

[BillTheSlink]

I agree with Pommy. The odds you have any infection is very, very low. I have brewed quite a bit and only every had one, which was really, really bad and was in Northern Brewer's Scottish 80 +/- Shilling and it was from the bung constantly falling out on a swampy indoor/outdoor carpet and being put back in. As you can guess I am not the most particular guy in the world about sanitizing my equipment, but I do my best with the inconvenience of my set up.

Beer goes through stages as it ages. One thing I can tell you is never to believe those "Ready In: BLAH weeks" you see on sites. It is always better to waite awhile. For instance NB lists their barley wine as ready in six months, if I am not mistaken. I wouldn't drink a barley wine in under twelve. It just will not be developed to its fullest. It will also have a bifferent taste at 18 and 24 months.