Tasting beer in primary

[sacks13]

Palmer's book suggests tasting your beer when you take a gravity reading after bubbling stops in airlock. When I did this it tasted pretty good, meaning like actual pale ale. But it was a little watery and not quite as "sweet" as I expected. Can anybody pass on any experiences on taste at 3 days fermentation vs. final taste? Is there anything I should consider doing when I move to secondary, likely tomorrow some time if gravity holds?

Thanks

 

[Evan!]

Well, it usually gets dryer as time goes on, not sweeter, so I wouldn't expect it to get any sweeter than it is right now. What was your OG? What's your current SG? What was your recipe?

If it's not sweet enough, you can add a little bit of lactose to it.

 

[zoebisch01]

Well, like has been mentioned lots....it is too early to tell. In all honesty just wait. If you followed Palmer's recipe, it is a good one and will have the desired characteristics of a Pale Ale when it finishes.

The real reason he suggests this is to point out to the brewer how different beer will taste at various stages during the ferment. Once you are familiar with a recipe, you will no longer (aside from simple desire) need to sample the taste.

That being said, I always taste the sample from the gravity reading post ferment. The other option is to throw it out and I don't do that to prime beer!

 

[sacks13]

Well, it usually gets dryer as time goes on, not sweeter, so I wouldn't expect it to get any sweeter than it is right now. What was your OG? What's your current SG? What was your recipe?

If it's not sweet enough, you can add a little bit of lactose to it.

I screwed up and never took the OG..current SG is 1.020. Makes sense that it would dry out...what about the watery flavor? Would there be any reason for me to consider repitching or shaking itup and waiting another several days?

 

[Barley-Davidson]

Don't mess with it.

Taste it at each stage to become familiar with the way beer progresses as zoebisch01 suggests, but not to make adjustments on the fly.

Your beer will taste different (read:better) when it's been bottled and carbed, and better still if you can leave it be for a few extra weeks in the bottle.

 

[BrewDey]

what about the watery flavor?

I had a batch of brown that I was positive was diluted beyond repair due to racking complications. In the 2ndary it had virtually no finish and tasted very weak...after 2.5 weeks in the bottle it's carbed and tastes great. It was a hit at saturday's disc golf tournament, and yesterday's family picnic. The stuff went from tasting terribly bitter (green) a week after pitching->very weak and watery while in the 2ndary->Ok but flat after a week in the bottles->carbed and tasty, smooth but with plenty of flavor after 2.5 weeks in the bottle. I'm a n00b, and this batch really showed me how much variation there is in taste as you give it time.

 

[cubbies]

It will definitely get better. If my beer tasted the way it tasted out of secondary all of the time, I probably would have stopped brewing a while ago. Especially really dark, or really hoppy beer...tastes terrible to me out of secondary. However, after some aging, all of them have turned out very well. Give it some time, dont mess with it, and it will likely be fine.

 

[Rook]

My beer always tastes very watery at racking and bottling. Don't sweat it, it gets better.