Ruined a good IPA by dry hopping?

[cwheel]

I just started home brewing, and my first batch was a Brewer's Best English IPA. Spent 10 days in the primary bucket, and I transferred to a secondary where it spent 7 days with a VERY small amount of Fuggles pellets. Probably somewhere between a 1/6th and a 1/4 of an ounce. Used a filter to make sure none of the hops were transferred to my bottling bucket.

I bottled 7 days ago with priming sugar, and tonight tested one even though I knew it was way too early. I was surprised that it already had a decent amount of carbonation (Which I was happy about), but the first taste has a strong aftertaste of Fuggles. Like you drank a sip of good beer, but then put a pellet on your tongue. I'm sort of bummed that I did the dry hopping, as without it, I feel like the BB IPA would have been pretty good by itself.

I've read a lot of threads on this forum over the past few months, and I know I just need to let it sit in the bottle for a while and chill out. But do flavors like this mellow over time, or are all of them likely to taste like this>

For what its worth, the 3rd sip till the end was really good.

 

[rodneypierce]

yes, its very very green. very very young. give it a little time. Do youself a favor. Dont try it for another 3 weeks, then come back and let us know what you think of the beer. I had a drastic change between weeks 2 and 3. Let it rest for another 3 weeks, and give her another try.

 

[Revvy]

Yes they do, that's why we tell people to wait. NOT to torture the noobs.

I betcha had you decided, although you "knew better from reading on here" NOT tasted one early, you never would have started this thread. Everything would have been fine when you opened your first one after 3 weeks.

 

[Jakeedaman21]

I have a batch of IIPA in my closet sitting as well. Just be patient and wait like rodneypierce said. It will mellow and blend wonderfully with time!

 

[K5MOW]

I just wanted to jump in here and say welcome to the forum.

Roger

 

[beerrepository]

Read this, best bottling advice around https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/bottling-tips-homebrewer-94812/

 

[Nuggethead]

It will be fine and 1/4 oz is nothing in an IPA. My last IPA had 3 oz's in dry hops, (Summits, Centennials, and Amarillo's). Two months of conditioning and a good beer it does make.

 

[cwheel]

Thanks for the quick replies! If you guys remember your first batch, you know why I had to try one

I'll give it some time, but what the heck am I supposed to drink while I watch the Steelers win next weekend because of an officiating error?

 

[h22lude]

I made an IPA and I had some after a week, after 2 weeks and then after about a month. You will not notice a huge difference between a week and 2 weeks but the one I just had after a month wasn't as bitter and tasted a lot better.

Get yourself a 12 pack and save the bottles. Soon you will be making more than 1 batch at a time and will need more bottles.

PS Go Packers...(Pats fan, I hate the Steelers)

 

[Nuggethead]

I hear ya, drank many a flat beer before learning the virtue of patience.

 

[Revvy]

Thanks for the quick replies! If you guys remember your first batch, you know why I had to try one

Sorry, but I didn't I read enough on here about waiting at least 3 weeks, and all these threads by folks complaining about how crappy their beer was and being told to wait, so that rather than tasting a beer that more than likely would be crappy, or uncarbed, I went out and built up my bottle collection by drinking craft beers, that I knew were ready.

Some folks actually pay attention to what advice is posted on here. I figured if 50 folks were being told the same thing, then why would MY situation be any different? If their beers weren't ready before 3 weeks why would I think mine would be?

 

[RCCOLA]

If you guys remember your first batch, you know why I had to try one

Cheers to you for trying one early! I also could not help myself and encourage every new brewer to taste your beer as it ages.

Now you know what green beer tastes like and you can move forward from experience that you have gained.

 

[beergolf]

Quote:
Originally Posted by cwheel
Thanks for the quick replies! If you guys remember your first batch, you know why I had to try one
Sorry, but I didn't I read enough on here about waiting at least 3 weeks, and all these threads by folks complaining about how crappy their beer was and being told to wait, so that rather than tasting a beer that more than likely would be crappy, or uncarbed, I went out and built up my bottle collection by drinking craft beers, that I knew were ready.

Some folks actually pay attention to what advice is posted on here. I figured if 50 folks were being told the same thing, then why would MY situation be any different? If their beers weren't ready before 3 weeks why would I think mine would be?




I have read so many threads about all of this that I still have not tasted the beer I brewed on 12/29.....

But I have brewed another batch and am going to brew tomorrow. Relax and just wait it out.

 

[Smokeater233]

I wasn't going to respond after reading your snarky Steelers comment - my blood runs black and gold all the way, but when I read Revvy's note I thought I'd mention that I'm one of the many that rushed my first beer. Revvy - rightly - reprimanded me at the time, but the one tool they don't provide in the beer equipment kits is "patience". I was put-off by the waiting, but spent the months after my first beer building an enormous pipeline, and now I have enough homebrew to keep my patience up, and my urges to rush at bay.

As for the dry hopping - any hoppy flavor you taste did NOT come from the dry-hopping. Dry hopping only adds to the aroma, not the flavor, and while your perceived flavor is affected by the aroma, I too think you are tasting a very young beer that will mellow out in the next several weeks.

 

[Baldy_Beer_Brewery]

Ruined a good IPA by dry hopping?

Unpossible.

 

[JNye]

As for the dry hopping - any hoppy flavor you taste did NOT come from the dry-hopping. Dry hopping only adds to the aroma, not the flavor, and while your perceived flavor is affected by the aroma, I too think you are tasting a very young beer that will mellow out in the next several weeks.

dry hopping adds flavor to my beer. try bottling a 6er before you dry hop next time and compare. Dry hopping definitely affects my tongue.

 

[SilentAutumn]

Thanks for the quick replies! If you guys remember your first batch, you know why I had to try one

I'll give it some time, but what the heck am I supposed to drink while I watch the Steelers win next weekend because of an officiating error?

Not a totally lost cause since you learned something. Now you know what your beer tastes like before it's properly conditioned. and at least you didn't try to serve it to any friends.

 

[Sheldon]

if you come up to the Woodbridge area, u can stop by for a property conditioned DFH 90 Minute IPA clone.

 

[Smokeater233]

dry hopping adds flavor to my beer. try bottling a 6er before you dry hop next time and compare. Dry hopping definitely affects my tongue.

I was going to offer up some biochem studies for you since your answer is incorrect, but I'll direct you to Palmer instead...http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter5-1.html

In essence however, the hops add flavor to the beer through take-up of the hop oils which occur during the boil. The flavor additions you are experiencing are merely perceived through your senses (in this case almost entirely olfactory) and are not actual flavors.

In the end we're - to some degree - mincing words here, but I couldn't just let that one slide...

 

[JNye]

I agree about the word mincing, perception is...

The only expalnation I can think of is I am tasting hop particulates, because I assure you, I can taste them on my tongue.

 

[krisagon]

Yes they do, that's why we tell people to wait. NOT to torture the noobs.

I betcha had you decided, although you "knew better from reading on here" NOT tasted one early, you never would have started this thread. Everything would have been fine when you opened your first one after 3 weeks.

Rev, I laughed when I read this...
I read up on here before making my first batch, that we should wait at least 3 weeks before opening the first one.

Anyway, the wait was KILLING me, so I opened like 5 of them in the first 2 weeks, (including after 1 day in the bottle) and was sad that it tasted a little soapy. Obviously it went away after a month in the bottle. :fro:

 

[gomb]

I try all my beers early. I have yet to brew the same beer twice (little too much ooo shiny! lets do this one!) so i like to see how the beer grows. Each beer is different. MY GF loved my IPA straight out of the fermenter, warm and uncarbed, so that one just needed to carbonate to become a good beer, and man she hated waiting. My Belgian on the other hand is coming into its own after about a year in the bottle. It is down right delicious now. I guess what im saying here, is its great to try your beer young, it allows you to see how the flavor grows and gives you a timeline to when it will be at its best when you make the 2nd batch.

 

[flabyboy]

I agree it's ok to try out your beer as it conditions with your first batch. This is a learning process, right? I tried one a week just to see how the process evolved and changed my beer. You can listen to all the advice in the world and a lot of it is very good advice, especially Revvy's, but there is nothing like firsthand experience. I found that brewing a bunch of batches right away helped me get thru my in patience right away. Build up a pipeline and you will never feel the need to rush another beer. Just make sure to do lots of reading and research so you know right from wrong on crafting your future batches Now go drink some craft brews, build up your bottle collection (your gonna need them) and acquire better taste in football teams. Go Steelers!

 

[cwheel]

Just kidding about the Steelers...I'm a woeful Redskins fan but I think Mike Tomlin is a great coach. I'll be rooting for them next weekend. I'll move the bottles somewhere where I can't see them for 3 weeks. I've got a European Bock that I'm going to rack to secondary today and start dropping the temp in the lager fridge. Guess I have to think about what the next batch will be!

Not sure if any of you drink Starr Hill (great local Charlottesville beer), but the head brewer is going to be at a LHBS showing how to brew their Dark Starr Stout, and they'll have ingredient kits for sale. I can't wait - I haven't been able to find Starr Hill kit approximations.

 

[flabyboy]

Not really a Steelers fan. Just cheer for anybody playing the Packers. Die hard Vikings fan here

 

[MilesLong]

Not sure if any of you drink Starr Hill (great local Charlottesville beer), but the head brewer is going to be at a LHBS showing how to brew their Dark Starr Stout, and they'll have ingredient kits for sale. I can't wait - I haven't been able to find Starr Hill kit approximations.

Which LHBS and when...that would be awesome!!!

 

[cwheel]

Fifth season gardening on Preston, next Saturday!

I think their website is www.fifthseasongardening.com

 

[bendavanza]

Some of my heavily dry hopped beers have been nasty bitter before they were "ready" and I attribute that to hop particulates in the beer still. It will settle out.

 

[msarro]

No worries op, I plan to taste my first batch too early as well. Not because I think it'll taste good, but because I want to know what the bad taste is. Better to know than to not know.

However in the topic of dry hopping, is it possible for the hops to introduce bacteria? I know they're largely antiseptic but is anything resistant?

Not trying to thread jack, promise!

 

[Calder]

Sorry, but I didn't I read enough on here about waiting at least 3 weeks, and all these threads by folks complaining about how crappy their beer was and being told to wait, so that rather than tasting a beer that more than likely would be crappy, or uncarbed, I went out and built up my bottle collection by drinking craft beers, that I knew were ready.

Some folks actually pay attention to what advice is posted on here. I figured if 50 folks were being told the same thing, then why would MY situation be any different? If their beers weren't ready before 3 weeks why would I think mine would be?

I always taste my beer after a week, just to see how it is going. I just had a Farmhouse ale bottled 1/16 (2 weeks ago) and was fully carb'd and tasted OK; it will improve with time. I think it is good to taste it early, just don't expect it to be ready.

As for the dry hopping - any hoppy flavor you taste did NOT come from the dry-hopping. Dry hopping only adds to the aroma, not the flavor, and while your perceived flavor is affected by the aroma, I too think you are tasting a very young beer that will mellow out in the next several weeks.

I think dry hopping adds a lot of flavor. I'll take note the next time I have a dry hopped beer, but I think it's a lot more than just aroma. Drinking a Smoked Porter right now; so no dry hops in it. Dam it's good! A prime example of what we can make that you can't get in the stores ......... I know stone has one, but it's tame by comparison ....... Got a stone clone in he fermenter right now.