Excess bittering

[Tom 7]

Hi,

I'm in late ferment with a sort-of Jai Alai IPA clone, and have one issue... My mash efficiency wasn't quite what I was after, and I didn't want to get the caramel flavors that come with a heavy boil-down, so it came out at about 6.5 ABV instead of the targeted 7.4. The overall flavor is really good - the base malt and hop flavors and aroma are right on target. However, my 60-minute addition was based on the heavier target ABV. So, it's got enough bitterness to go a bit out of balance.

I'm sure that if I age it longer, this will abate, but by then the good part of its hop flavor will be fading.

Any thoughts or tips? Thanks!!

 

[grampamark]

Depending on how much time and effort you want to put into this beer you could try a technique called backsweetening. This is more commonly used in making wine or mead but can be done with beer.

Another option might be to just drink it mixed 50-50 with Busch Light or some other, relatively flavorless, beer. Good luck.

 

[LostHopper]

Hi,

The overall flavor is really good - the base malt and hop flavors and aroma are right on target.

Any thoughts or tips? Thanks!!

I would let it age but drink some on a regular basis to monitor the effects of time on the bitterness and hop flavor. Learn something. I would not try to "repair it".

Next, I would brew it again and figure out where your efficiency fell off ( or just add another pound of base malt).

 

[Tom 7]

Depending on how much time and effort you want to put into this beer you could try a technique called backsweetening. This is more commonly used in making wine or mead but can be done with beer.

Another option might be to just drink it mixed 50-50 with Busch Light or some other, relatively flavorless, beer. Good luck.

Thanks for the ideas! I think this might be too subtle a beer for backsweetening, but that article you pointed to is a really good read.

 

[Tom 7]

I would let it age but drink some on a regular basis to monitor the effects of time on the bitterness and hop flavor. Learn something. I would not try to "repair it".

Next, I would brew it again and figure out where your efficiency fell off ( or just add another pound of base malt).

Thanks! It seems like it'll be a decent beer when it's done, so the idea of tasting and keeping notes as it ages is solid. Pretty sure that the inefficiency was because I messed up a PH measurement at the start of the mash and let it stay too high, probably 5.8 or 5.9. What a fun learning curve this is.