Honey Wheat Ale tastes really really tangy?

[Pilot1984]

Hey everyone,

I was wondering if someone could help me out with a Honey Wheat Ale I bottled about 4 days ago. Granted, I know beer needs time to condition but I often get curious as to how my beer is taking shape. I tried a bottle today and the aftertaste was insanely tangy and sat hard in my stomach. Could this just be because it has not conditioned properly, or is this characteristic of this type of beer? I read some stuff about people saying that honey will do this to a beer if it is added at the beginning of the boil rather then be added at flame out. Is this true? Any info that could help bring me up to speed would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

-Greg

 

[twistr25]

If you can, gives us a bit more info. recipe, yeast, temps, OG, FG, how long in primary, etc.

 

[brent77]

It could be carbonic acid from the carbonation since it is probably just finished/still producing co2 which can have a tangy unsettling flavor.

 

[chawagi]

I think the honey does dry the beer a bit, and that may be the tang you are experiencing. I did my honey at flameout and had a bit of astringency when drinking some young bottles of my Oaked Honey Wheat I brewed back on July 4th.

I will tell you this. I just started cracking into a 6'er I put aside for this one to age a few months. At just over 3 months since bottling it is now crystal clear amber and absolutely delicious. The oak mellowed a bit and some of the honey essence really came bursting forward.

I don't know the exact recipe you used, but I'd say set this one aside for at least another week or two before you start cracking into the bottles. Put some up to age. It's more than worth the wait.

edit: good point from Brent. ^^^ This beer is very young and acids will have a very sour taste to them.

 

[Pilot1984]

Sticky Paws Honey Wheat (1 Gallon)

1.3 Ib Wheat Malt Extract
3 oz Gambrinus Honey Malt
1 oz Caramel Wheat Malt
1 oz Chocolate Wheat Malt
0.3 Ib Wildflower Honey (beginning)
5.6 g challenger hops (60 Minutes)
2.8 g (10 Minutes)
2.8 g challenger hops (1 minutes)
Cooper's Ale Yeast
Primed with fizz drops

0.G Approx. 1.068
F.G Approx. 1.010

Steep Grains @ 160 F

Was in the primary for 7 days kept at 64-68 degrees

Thanks

 

[Pilot1984]

Awesome. Thank you guys. I really appreciate the feedback.

 

[twistr25]

Short bottle time is certainly a big factor, also adding the extract at the beginning of the boil can cause some astringent tastes. Adding at flameout will help reduce that. Overall, I'd recommend just letting it sit for at least two and a half weeks before you experience near its potential. It will only get better from there.

 

[Pilot1984]

Just tried another one at a week and the tangy flavor has completely subsided. Now my concern is the rubbing alcohol flavor. Is this because the beer is around 6.8% - 7.0% ABV. I have never had a high ABV beer so I'm sure if this is typical of a beer with this level of alcohol. Could this be a conditioning thing or is this just how high alcohol beers taste?

 

[Pilot1984]

On the bright side, it definitely gives me a good buzz.

 

[twistr25]

A good portion is just the higher alcohol content. Even though the majority was fermented at 64-68, if the first 12 hours were higher, over 70, you may have gotten some fusels as well. But ~7% will have a bit of a bite

 

[E_Marquez]

Just tried another one at a week and the tangy flavor has completely subsided. Now my concern is the rubbing alcohol flavor. Is this because the beer is around 6.8% - 7.0% ABV. I have never had a high ABV beer so I'm sure if this is typical of a beer with this level of alcohol. Could this be a conditioning thing or is this just how high alcohol beers taste?

Was in the primary for 7 days kept at 64-68 degrees

Have to wonder what the wort temp was for the first few days fermenting.
What the pitch temp was.

And, at a very short 7 days in primary... how did you determine it was done fermenting?

 

[jro238]

I'm not sure what high grav beers others have had to say that rubbing alcohol is a normal flavor in them--I certainly disagree. They can definitely have a hot, alcohol (ethanol) flavor, but methanol tends to taste/smell more fusil-y to me.

7 days does seem a little short for a 7% beer. It looks like it attenuated nicely, but I would guess that the yeast didn't really have enough time to fully clean up after themselves before you bottled.

This will almost certainly resolve with a little bit of age (assuming that it is just a hot alcohol flavor, and not fusils from a hot first day or two of fermentation).

 

[Pilot1984]

I made sure that my temps were always within the 62-68 degree range during the entire fermentation.

 

[jonmohno]

Certain wheat malts and the combo of honey can give this,especially if you know the percentage of honey you used. Ive had a few tartish-like wheat beers.Depending on the finish, If its lower its more noticable in my opinion. Dryer seems to pick up this character more especially with honey in my experience.My honey ale(30% honey) is like that. I also have made a traditional mead with ale yeast and its a dry one and it has a pretty lemon like tangy major character to it hopefully it mellows after a year. Its almost like lemon cleaner right now along with the dryness it comes off a little harsh.

Rubbing alchohol is not good its hot and fusels,which may or may not mellow out depending how it was brewed. Age may tell with that. Fusels is usally associated with high temp fermenting with yeast thats not designed for higher temps or just stressed yeast somehow maybe by underpitching and things not ideal for yeast enviornment which seems like you have avoided.

Also my bad...,I failed to see youve only tried this @4 days bottled,thats your problem. Give it another few weeks or month to carb and conditon and refrigerate.

Also looks like a good recipe, although I would add the honey(if its good honey) at flameout as not to boil off its nice character, which will bring it more forward if you like that at least moreso in the early stages of the beers age.

 

[Pilot1984]

I rehydrated 3/4 of a 15g pack of cooper's ale yeast into about 500ml of water at 87 degrees for 15 minutes. I then added the yeast to the wort in the primary which was about 70 degrees and placed the 1 gallon primary in a steel boil with about 2 inches of water in it. Then I put a few ice cubes in the boil pot and covered it all. I monitored the primary temp everyday and it never got above 68 degrees. The average temp was 66.

 

[jonmohno]

It probably will be good with a little time on it,I like honey malt and you were not really excessive with the honey or anything. Not shure if Im a big fan of coopers yeast,but shure its fine.