Quickly fix beer that is too bitter for my tastes

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BobbiLynn

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Although I have been brewing for years, I rarely, if ever, experiment with flavor profiles, just buy recipe kits I like and make them over and over. But I bought an extract kit, on sale, from my local brew shop, just called American Amber Ale. I was told it would be slightly sweeter that the American Pale Ale budget kits I normally get from them so I bought some extra bittering hops to add to it. I thought amber only referred to the color but went by what the guy said.

It's way too bitter. Went overboard with the bittering hops. It's been fermenting almost 3 weeks in primary(I do not use secondary) and I wanted to bottle it this weekend. I really do not want to wait for the bitterness to eventually mellow. Running low on my beer supply and was really counting on having this batch ready to drink after 3 weeks in the bottle, the amount of time I usually let the pale ale condition and I love the way it turns out.

I can handle a one week delay having this ready to drink(otherwise I'll be out of homebrew again in 3-4 weeks) , if there is a way I can balance the bitterness that quickly. Otherwise I guess I'll just savor the bitterness and enjoy. And also start keeping an extra 5 gallons+ on hand so I am not rushing things in the future.

But, for now, what can I do to rush things and balance the bitterness within a week's time? Thanks so much if you can help.
 
Although I have been brewing for years, I rarely, if ever, experiment with flavor profiles, just buy recipe kits I like and make them over and over. But I bought an extract kit, on sale, from my local brew shop, just called American Amber Ale. I was told it would be slightly sweeter that the American Pale Ale budget kits I normally get from them so I bought some extra bittering hops to add to it. I thought amber only referred to the color but went by what the guy said.

It's way too bitter. Went overboard with the bittering hops. It's been fermenting almost 3 weeks in primary(I do not use secondary) and I wanted to bottle it this weekend. I really do not want to wait for the bitterness to eventually mellow. Running low on my beer supply and was really counting on having this batch ready to drink after 3 weeks in the bottle, the amount of time I usually let the pale ale condition and I love the way it turns out.

I can handle a one week delay having this ready to drink(otherwise I'll be out of homebrew again in 3-4 weeks) , if there is a way I can balance the bitterness that quickly. Otherwise I guess I'll just savor the bitterness and enjoy. And also start keeping an extra 5 gallons+ on hand so I am not rushing things in the future.

But, for now, what can I do to rush things and balance the bitterness within a week's time? Thanks so much if you can help.

Get your hands on some lactose. Add it to some water, boil and cool,then sweeten to taste.
 
There's not too much you can do. Even if it's sweetened it generally won't overcome the bitterness. Your best bet is to make another batch with very little hops and blend the two. Can you post the recipe and how you modified it?
 
There's not too much you can do. Even if it's sweetened it generally won't overcome the bitterness. Your best bet is to make another batch with very little hops and blend the two. Can you post the recipe and how you modified it?

I didn't save the packaging that came with it, so I don't know the exact recipe but the hops I added was Brewer's Gold(a whole ounce), if I remember correctly, somewhere into the last one hour boil. The recipe kit was just a basic American Amber Ale recipe that my local shop put together.
 
Your best bet is to make another batch with very little hops and blend the two.

If I have to wait 3 weeks for another batch, I will be out of beer again for at least a week. I like to have 2-4 12 ounce beers each evening. Calms me down for the day, helps me sleep. But, if I do have to go out and buy a week's worth of beer, I'd rather buy a half a week's worth and mix that with my homebrew.

Can anyone think of a commercial beer that would mix well with an extra hoppy very bitter American Amber Ale? Just mix it by the glass. Slow stir.

Or another idea to quickly counter the bitterness?

I do not like the idea of adding lactose, but only because I am intolerant to it. Hate to have to take Lactaid with a couple beers(it's expensive), usually the amount is low enough it doesn't bother me. No milk stouts.
 
Can anyone think of a commercial beer that would mix well with an extra hoppy very bitter American Amber Ale? Just mix it by the glass. Slow stir.

If you can get Breckenridge avalanche amber ale, try this as a mix, its a very mellow beer, taste great, but not over bearing.
 
Decided I am just going to savor the hoppy bitterness. The more I taste it, the better it becomes. Still very bitter, but learning to like it. I do like super bitter, strong coffee when I am camping. Reminds me of camping. When it's ready I will build a fire and enjoy...
 
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