First Brew Day

[xpops]

well, maybe maybe not! hopefully once it's carbed and cold it still tastes great! eitherway, it will push you to keep brewing and that's the most important part

 

[Bender_Braus_Brewing]

Ok, so tonight marked 8 days since bottling day (last friday). And I had put one in the fridge Thursday night around 9:30PM, and tonight after worked, cracked it open (8:15PM, so roughly 47 hours).

Here's a picture of it poured.


Here's my tasting notes for it:

My tasting notes for the first bottled beer reads as such:

Good head retention, straw-to-orange juice like coloring. Hiss when opened, definite carbonation. Taste is hoppy/bitter. Definite pine notes. First sip is ok, but then afterwards has an almost overly acidic (after)taste, similar to orange juice, in a way. -In a way hard to put my finger on it. Not quite pleasant. Above a drain pour though.





If you look closely enough at the picture, you can see my notebook to my brewlog, and you can see the notes I have of the sample glass I got from bottling day. Sadly, the notes are pretty similar. (Other than the flatness.)

Granted I know its supposed to bottle condition for 2 weeks, but I was told its not a bad idea to try one out after 1 week, and then the rest after the 2 weeks. Still, I don't foresee another week of bottle conditioning changing my tasting notes.


Any ideas/possibilities for my tasting notes? Could it be because of the flipping of when I added the hops to the boil? To the fact that I used tap water? Could it be that my temperature for the fermenter stayed around 73?

Thanks all for help and info and suggestions and critiques!

 

[Minky]

Any ideas/possibilities for my tasting notes? Could it be because of the flipping of when I added the hops to the boil? To the fact that I used tap water? Could it be that my temperature for the fermenter stayed around 73?

Congratulations on your first!

If I understand correctly, you reversed the order of your hop additions. If you added 4.5 oz. of hops in the first 5 minutes of a 60 minute boil, that could definitely produce an unpleasant bitterness.

I experienced the same thing with my initial attempts at making "hoppy" beers, adding way too much bittering hops. You should rebrew the same beer with the correct hop schedule, and I think you'll be amazed.

BTW, Nice head!

 

[Bender_Braus_Brewing]

Congratulations on your first!

If I understand correctly, you reversed the order of your hop additions. If you added 4.5 oz. of hops in the first 5 minutes of a 60 minute boil, that could definitely produce an unpleasant bitterness.

I experienced the same thing with my initial attempts at making "hoppy" beers, adding way too much bittering hops. You should rebrew the same beer with the correct hop schedule, and I think you'll be amazed.

BTW, Nice head!

I'm really thinking this is it. Adding 4.5oz within the first five minutes of the boil, and mostly bittering hops too, I think is what made this have such a heft rubbing alcohol/hop bite to it. I was told on the Facebook group (Home Brew Network) it could also be the PH of the water.


I am definitely planning on re-brewing this, but with the correct hop addition/recipe procedure. If nothing else, to at least note what the differences will be.



As for the head, yes, I was very surprised and proud of it. Had a good almost half-inch or so of head that stayed a fair while.

 

[mongoose33]

The excessive bitterness is due to adding 4.5 oz of hops at the beginning of the boil.

This chart shows one interpretation of hop utilization in terms of conversion of alpha acids to bitterness. It helps visualize the difference between a bittering addition that is in the boil for 60 minutes versus a late addition.

You can see why late additions supply mostly flavor and aroma components, not bittering--there isn't very much time for the alpha acids to convert to bittering components. But leave the hops in for an hour and you're getting most of what there is to get.

The beer will probably smooth out a bit as time goes on but don't expect great changes.

 

[xpops]

The correct hop schedule and cooler fermentation temps will definately improve that beer next time you brew! If continuing to use tap water, at least get some campden tablets to remove any potential chloramine, until you fully dive into water chemistry!

Congrats on the first brew. You still made beer!

 

[BMWillis]

Reversing the hop schedule would definitely contribute to the over-bitterness, but that 'rubbing alcohol' taste is probably fusel alcohols from fermenting too warm and stressing out your yeast.

 

[Bender_Braus_Brewing]

I've had 3 people drink it now, one being a former brewer for a local brewery.... and none of them claim to get a "rubbing alcohol" taste. BUT, all three have claimed to taste a lot of mango. It kept really good head retention too, and has a nice coloring.

 

[Bender_Braus_Brewing]

Gave a bottle of the beer to a co-worker Saturday, and he refrigerated it Sunday and drank it tonight. He sent me this picture of his beer (as well as giving it 4.25 and saying he loved it on Untappd).

Drank a bottle with two friends while watching Game of Thrones last night, both said they loved it as well. Also drank a bottle with my sister and brother in law tonight, and he enjoyed it, and my sister said it wasn't bad (she primarily drinks ciders), and says even though she doesn't like IPAs; but that it was good for what IPAs are.

No one else has reported any tasting of 'rubbing alcohol' and everyone tells me I'm just being too overly harsh/critical of myself.

So apparently, everyone else *BUT* me enjoys the beer.


*sigh* Oh well. At least people like it. LOL.

 

[GiavaBear]

Way to go man! If you're like me, you are your harshest critic when it comes to something you've created, especially when you're new like we are at brewing. Just remember, you made beer! Brew on my friend!

 

[xpops]

You will always be your own worst critic! It will drive you to make better beer though!

That mango flavour is most likely due to stressed yeast, probsbly from the higher temp fermentation - but there's enough info in this thread that I'm sure you now recognize the importance of ferm temp, and have some simple ideas on how to keep it cooler next time around. Looking forward to hearing about batch #2! Cheers,

 

[timtoggs]

I read this thread during lunch today at work, really enjoyed the journey! I'm in the process of brewing my first batch as well so it was quite informative as well!