to bottle or ditch?

[cjb999]

Today's the day...bottling day, but i'm in a quandary. I've sampled some of my fine work and find it wanting. Its a German wheat, fermenting for 2 weeks at 68+-, its a kit from my LHBS, I followed almost all the instructions (i added a pound of Belgian dark sugar)and as much as I try to love my home brew I just think it tastes bad. I can defiantly taste alcohol and wheat its a little pumpkinish maybe a little sour...i just don't know. I'm cleaning bottles while enjoying a glass of Weihenstephaner and while I know its a high bar to reach for, my beverage is not even from the same planet as this fine beer. So to the bottle or the ditch at the edge of the woods? The deer will love this stuff. Will it get better with bottle conditioning? When it's February and I'm out of work will it get even better? I'm bumming.

 

[NTXBrauer]

I would give it another week in the FV, and then bottle, as long as your gravity readings are stable.

The beer will take on a totally different profile after 2-3 weeks in the bottle. I would not dump it.

 

[DeBAD]

Bottle bro. You might be pleasantly surprised in a couple weeks. If not just gift it to someone you don't like.

 

[SmCranf]

Always bottle, you never know!

 

[jtratcliff]

+1 for going ahead with bottling. Green beer can sometimes taste like ass. It can totally transform in the bottle.

Nothing to lose but a little of your time and a few bottle caps.

 

[cluckk]

Personal rules:
(1) If it is not infected, bottle and drink it.
(2) If it is not drinkable, wait longer and see what happens.
(3) If it is infected, wait longer and see what happens.
(4) if it is not infected and is drinkable return to rule 1.

 

[sudbuster]

Today's the day...bottling day, but i'm in a quandary. I've sampled some of my fine work and find it wanting. Its a German wheat, fermenting for 2 weeks at 68+-, its a kit from my LHBS, I followed almost all the instructions (i added a pound of Belgian dark sugar)and as much as I try to love my home brew I just think it tastes bad. I can defiantly taste alcohol and wheat its a little pumpkinish maybe a little sour...i just don't know. I'm cleaning bottles while enjoying a glass of Weihenstephaner and while I know its a high bar to reach for, my beverage is not even from the same planet as this fine beer. So to the bottle or the ditch at the edge of the woods? The deer will love this stuff. Will it get better with bottle conditioning? When it's February and I'm out of work will it get even better? I'm bumming.

Bumm not, new brewer friend. The responders above have given you some good advice. Your beer is very young, and unless it has some really extraterestrial ropy green guts growing in it, then it'a a good bet to bottle on time. You very well could be pleasantly surprised after appropriate conditioning...

 

[ChrisMT]

I have given up on tasting my beers before they are in the bottle for atleast two weeks. I am never happy with a taste on bottling day.

 

[cjb999]

Alright...good advice, felt a little disappointed with the sample, but I can always give it to my boss. here goes.

 

[sumbrewindude]

Bottle it!

I had one that was just wicked out of the fermenter - all booze, harsh as all get out, smelled of mashed corn (which was a fair amount in the recipe). Almost tossed it there, but went ahead and bottled it anyway. Came back to it 4 weeks later and it was completely different, very crisp and clean and now on the "brew again" list.