Please help first Newbie

[Joshua_1019]

I am working on my first brew. Its the brewers best american cream ale. Following the instructions to a T, it calls for 4 to 6 day fermentation. Today marks day six where I checked the gravity which seems a little low and the taste of the beer was very harsh and bitter. Any ideas on what I may have done wrong? Beer is fermenting in a dark room climate controlled and is in a 6.5 gallon carboy. Thanks for any help in advance!

 

[RPh_Guy]

I find almost all American Pale Ales harsh and bitter.

 

[Hobby brewer]

Have you checked the gravity a few different days? It may still have finishing to do, sometimes it's better to give it a little more time.

 

[BrewInspector]

You have done nothing wrong (at least you didn't tell us anything that you did wrong).
Beer takes time to mature. More time in the carboy would help but you can bottle once you get the steady gravity. The harshness will likely mellow over time. Bitterness too.

 

[parjay]

I am working on my first brew. Its the brewers best american pale ale. Following the instructions to a T, it calls for 4 to 6 day fermentation. Today marks day six where I checked the gravity which seems a little low and the taste of the beer was very harsh and bitter. Any ideas on what I may have done wrong? Beer is fermenting in a dark room climate controlled and is in a 6.5 gallon carboy. Thanks for any help in advance!

How low is the "low" gravity?

 

[SoCal-Doug]

Don't worry. Tasting brand new, un-carb'ed, warm beer, is generally not a pleasant thing. Check your gravity. If it's within a few points of final, let it sit in the fermenter for a few days, then rack it off into your keg or bottles or whatever you plan to do. Try it again when its nice and cold and carbonated.

 

[Joshua_1019]

I find almost all American Pale Ales harsh and bitter.

So sorry I meant cream ale. I have edited the thread.

 

[WBB]

You said you followed instructions. But what was the recipe?

 

[bleme]

You said you followed instructions. But what was the recipe?

http://www.brewersbestkits.com/assets/1011_americancreamale_recipe.pdf

3.3lb Extra Light LME
2lb Pilsen DME
1lb Corn sugar
1oz Willamette 55 min
1oz Willamette 10 min

That should not end up harsh and bitter but you still have 3 weeks before you will know for sure. You probably still have a lot of trub (hops, yeast, proteins) in suspension. You can wait a while now and let that clear up before bottling or you can bottle as soon at you are at FG and just have a thicker layer of trub in your bottles.

 

[bkboiler]

a lot of times when u pull a sample after only 5 days it needs a bit more time on the yeast for those yeasties to clean up after themselves...just leave it in for another week and RDWHAHB.
Also, ur sample may have had tiny hop particles in it....makes it taste super harsh...when u clear and fine and package taste at that time too if u want...thats a better indicator.

 

[RM-MN]

I am working on my first brew. Its the brewers best american cream ale. Following the instructions to a T, it calls for 4 to 6 day fermentation. Today marks day six where I checked the gravity which seems a little low and the taste of the beer was very harsh and bitter. Any ideas on what I may have done wrong? Beer is fermenting in a dark room climate controlled and is in a 6.5 gallon carboy. Thanks for any help in advance!

Of course it was harsh and bitter. It has a lot of yeast suspended yet. Leave it alone for another week, then sample again.

The final gravity will be what the yeast decide it will be. The recipe gives an estimate, the yeast make the final gravity where it ends up.

Don't follow that recipe to a T again. Beer doesn't follow a set schedule. At day 7 (or 6 or maybe 8) my beer comes out of the controlled temperature and is allowed to rise to room temp (usually 72F but it could be a little higher or lower) and sits in that temp for at least another 4 days, maybe 10 or 20 more. The longer is sits, the more yeast settles out and the flavors get better.