Hey guys, so this being my 3rd extract brew I feel like I'm getting the hang of this. However, after bottling my stout a couple days ago I popped one open to see how the carbonation was coming and to my surprise the sweet stout had a real kick to it that almost makes me wince. Any thoughts to why this is? Should I let it condition in the bottle longer? Help!!
Sweet stout having a sharp bite to it.
- Thread starter ohshot
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Let it condition, your beer is very "green". Sometimes the sharp bite you describe could be from the extract itself. Some ways around this is to add 2/2 to 2/3 of your extract during the last 10-15 minutes of the boil. I found this helped me out considerably when I was brewing extracts.
This^
But my .02:
1) 3 days in the bottle is NO where near enough time, especially for a stout. My stout is in the bottle 4 weeks @ 70 degrees before I even think of opening one. Experience has taught me this. (kinda like tough love)
2) The addition of extract late in the boil (I did mine at flameout) IMO is helpful but referring to #1, any sharp taste you are getting at 3 days is most likely green beer and not anything related to extract.
Patience my friend... brew another lighter beer in the meantime to take your mind off of it.
homebrewdad
Well-Known Member
Sharp bite is likely carbonic acid. Part of the carbonation process that you wouldn't have noticed had you let the beer condition properly.
3 days isn't nearly long enough. 3 weeks @ 70 degrees F is the baseline for normal gravity beers. Higher gravity or cooler temps can take longer. some styles take longer to properly condition.
Other common causes of a bite in beer:
Boiled extract too long (more of a twang than a bite)
Lack of temperature control in fermentation
Chloramines in water (use 1/4 of a campden tablet per 5 gallons of water)
3 days isn't nearly long enough. 3 weeks @ 70 degrees F is the baseline for normal gravity beers. Higher gravity or cooler temps can take longer. some styles take longer to properly condition.
Other common causes of a bite in beer:
Boiled extract too long (more of a twang than a bite)
Lack of temperature control in fermentation
Chloramines in water (use 1/4 of a campden tablet per 5 gallons of water)
Bramstoker17
Well-Known Member
+1 to what everyone has said already. In addition, any idea what temp you fermented at?
![Craft A Brew - Safale S-04 Dry Yeast - Fermentis - English Ale Dry Yeast - For English and American Ales and Hard Apple Ciders - Ingredients for Home Brewing - Beer Making Supplies - [1 Pack]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41fVGNh6JfL._SL500_.jpg)
If you want to know what that sweet stout can taste like when it's really ready, put those bottles into some boxes, seal them, write on the box "open in October", put them in a dark place at room temp and forget about them until then.
Take one out in mid-October, give it 3+ days in the fridge and then tell us what you think.
Take one out in mid-October, give it 3+ days in the fridge and then tell us what you think.
m3n00b
Well-Known Member
That's a little too warm for most yeasts. At peak the beer could have raised close to 80. What yeast did you use? Could have some fusel alcohols in there. I also learned this the hard way when I started. Most ale yeasts are best around 65 beer temp.
m3n00b said:
I used safale us-04. What exactly are Fusel alcohols? And if there isn't a good place for me to keep my fermentor bucket at 65 degrees in my house, what should I do? Are there any recipes that allow for a warmer fermentation?
The production of fusel alcohols is a bit involved to explain in detail. Suffice it to say that, when yeast are stressed by exposure to significantly warmer temps (like S-04 in the 80's), they will make some fusel alcohols along with the ethanol. Unfortunately, the fusel alcohols do not condition out with time.
Aside from a saison, 70+ degrees ambient is too high for any beers for fermentation unfortunately. S04 is especially bad to my taste at above 70 degrees (fermentation temperature, not ambient).
If you can't rig up a bin with a water bath and frozen water bottles or ice, then I'd suggest waiting until you have a cooler place to ferment, perhaps in the fall or inter.
About 64.
Pelican521
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not to hijack, but my stout still has a "bite" to it as well. It was an Partial Mash Oatmeal stout I got from Northern Brewer. Mashed at 152 for an hour, 2 weeks in primary at about 64 degrees. Racked to secondary for two weeks with 4oz of Cacao nibs soaked in vodka for a week.
I bottled on May 5th and it still has a bite to it and isn't smooth at all. Do you think the nibs I added is the reason why it's taking so long to mellow?
I bottled on May 5th and it still has a bite to it and isn't smooth at all. Do you think the nibs I added is the reason why it's taking so long to mellow?
hector
Well-Known Member
I recently brewed a Batch using "Safale S-04" . The fermentation temperature was kept at 62 F and
after bottling , it was aged at 71-74 F for 6 Weeks .
But the resulting Beer has also a sharp Bite .
I brewed a simple recipe , using 2-Row pale malt , Crystal malt and light DME .
I'm going to say this Bite could be S-04 characteristics , as that's an English strain and produces Esters .
The higher the fermentation temperature , the more Bite you will get .
That's my imagination and I'd also like to find a clear explanation for it and see if we can get rid of it .
By the way , I ordered two sachets of "Nottingham ale yeast" and I'm going to brew a similar batch in
order to see if I would get that Bite again .
Hector
after bottling , it was aged at 71-74 F for 6 Weeks .
But the resulting Beer has also a sharp Bite .
I brewed a simple recipe , using 2-Row pale malt , Crystal malt and light DME .
I'm going to say this Bite could be S-04 characteristics , as that's an English strain and produces Esters .
The higher the fermentation temperature , the more Bite you will get .
That's my imagination and I'd also like to find a clear explanation for it and see if we can get rid of it .
By the way , I ordered two sachets of "Nottingham ale yeast" and I'm going to brew a similar batch in
order to see if I would get that Bite again .
Hector
Great looking beer - in 2 or 3 weeks it will taste even better.
Congratulations on a good brew!
Congratulations on a good brew!
sikkingj said:
I'm going to have trouble keeping myself from drinking it all within 2 weeks. That is why I hide a box containing a 6 pack in my closet that says " do not open till December". So I can see how it will really taste.
m3n00b
Well-Known Member
Nice stuff. I have the same problem as you. I open them way too soon. I'm glad the bite is gone.
