taste of fermenting beer

[swackattack]

In an attempt to learn more about the brewing process I've been tasting my beer in various stages of fermenation, just wanted to know if what I'm tasting is common and normal so I can better understand the brewing process. I did all my testing during gravity readings.

Beer 1-IPA based off of the Coopers IPA kit (just with dryhop additions as it is a hopped LME

Tasted 7 days in, tasted harshly of alcohol. Waited til gravity stabilized, racked to secondary fermenter for dry hopping at day 10. Just did another gravity testing (day 14) and the harsh booze taste was minimal, barely even noticeable. However the beer lacked thet "hoppiness" that i expect out of an IPA, especially one that was dry hopped with 2 oz of cascade, will this flavor come out more?

Beer 2 - chinook IPA (MW extract kit)

Tasted 7 days in, while taking reading and again, it tasted harshly of alcohol with a little bit more hoppiness than the 1st.

So basically what Iam trying to ask is: Is this harsh alcohol taste early normal? What about the lack of hoppiness? Does that come out as it bottle conditions, conditions more in the fermenter etc?

 

[TyTanium]

Harsh alcohol is normal in my early tests for high ABV beers. I think I've had similar experiences with hoppiness too - I usually get good malt/grain flavor in early tests, and bitterness comes through, but hop flavor/aroma is hit or miss. I think.

 

[mike20793]

I tasted earlier today at day 5 and I got malty flavors out of a red ale and hoppy flavors out of an IPA. I also noticed the strong alcohol taste with the IPA. From what I've gathered (I made a thread earlier), this is common and just be patient. The flavors will come together and you will have a great beer.