Too much hop!

[nealizm]

Enjoy quickly.

 

[GrogNerd]

rouse the yeast by turning upside down for 3 days, back right side up for 3 days, then fridge for 3 days

 

[wherestheyeast]

I would either need to cut the recipe in half or do a split pot where I would boil the spices and hops in one pot and the extracts and grains in the other. I'm still researching my options.

I'd recommend halving the recipe. I believe hops need a bit of malt in the boil kettle to isomerize properly.

Also, resist the urge to start branching out if you can. Take baby steps, grasshopper! If you think you are gonna stick with the hobby, get a kettle large enough to do full boil (I.e., 7.5 gal or more). Then make the same recipe over and over again until you nail it. Pay attention to things like boil off, trouble loss in the kettle, trub loss in the fermenter, amount of time you spend on different tasks, etc.

You might even just start making 2 gal batches & brewing more often to get the basics nailed down.

 

[Mystikty]

How long has it been since packaging? There's no way that 3 weeks would change the viability of the yeast. If you have already bottled it, there's not a helluva lot you can do to carb it up more. Give it three weeks and if it aint carbed up properly by then, call it an English bitter and pretend it was on purpose.

Either way the beer isn't ruined, its just different to what you expected it to be. Still beer. Still drinkable.

I bottled it three weeks ago. Are you suggesting I let it sit for another three weeks and hope for the best?

 

[Mystikty]

I'd recommend halving the recipe. I believe hops need a bit of malt in the boil kettle to isomerize properly.

Also, resist the urge to start branching out if you can. Take baby steps, grasshopper! If you think you are gonna stick with the hobby, get a kettle large enough to do full boil (I.e., 7.5 gal or more). Then make the same recipe over and over again until you nail it. Pay attention to things like boil off, trouble loss in the kettle, trub loss in the fermenter, amount of time you spend on different tasks, etc.

You might even just start making 2 gal batches & brewing more often to get the basics nailed down.

Thanks a bunch! I've thinking about doing smaller batches when I try new craft type. My first hefe came out pretty good and that being one of my favorite types of beer thus far, I definitely want to perfect that craft. The idea for the split boil came from a recipe I found for the witbier. I understand how technical home brewing can be and will take small steps. This forum has been so supportive and helpful. Thank you.

 

[Mystikty]

rouse the yeast by turning upside down for 3 days, back right side up for 3 days, then fridge for 3 days

Thank you. I will try this. I will let you know how it goes in about a week. ;-)

 

[chri5]

I bottled it three weeks ago. Are you suggesting I let it sit for another three weeks and hope for the best?

Yea. Not much else to do now that its bottled. You can turn the bottles and make sure they aren't in too cold of an area.

 

[signpost]

As far as the carbonation is concerned, there is no reason to worry that you don't have enough viable yeast in the bottles. It's there. Don't worry.

It just needs more time. Chances are that this time of year, the spot you are keeping it is a little too chilly to let the yeast work as fast as it would otherwise. So, just give it a couple more weeks.

Also, when you want to try another bottle (or 3 or 4 or 8), make sure to give it some good fridge time. If you just pop it open after chilling for a couple hours, a lot of the CO2 will escape right then.

If you give it 2 or 3 days in the fridge, the CO2 will get better absorbed into the liquid and you will end up with better carbonation results. Believe me, it took me a while to learn this lesson and plan ahead for when I want to drink my beer. Just keep refilling the fridge as you drink, so there will be more ready by the next time you want some.

 

[Mystikty]

As far as the carbonation is concerned, there is no reason to worry that you don't have enough viable yeast in the bottles. It's there. Don't worry.

It just needs more time. Chances are that this time of year, the spot you are keeping it is a little too chilly to let the yeast work as fast as it would otherwise. So, just give it a couple more weeks.

Also, when you want to try another bottle (or 3 or 4 or 8), make sure to give it some good fridge time. If you just pop it open after chilling for a couple hours, a lot of the CO2 will escape right then.

If you give it 2 or 3 days in the fridge, the CO2 will get better absorbed into the liquid and you will end up with better carbonation results. Believe me, it took me a while to learn this lesson and plan ahead for when I want to drink my beer. Just keep refilling the fridge as you drink, so there will be more ready by the next time you want some.

Thank you for your encouragement. It has been a bit chilly in my house. I moved the bottles into my room where I keep warm during the night. I will do what you suggest after I flip my bottles right side up again tomorrow.

 

[Homercidal]

3 weeks is not going to cause a problem with the yeast and carbonation. If you added the proper amount of sugar and mixed well, then you only need to make sure the bottles are at a good temperature, like 70 or maybe a bit higher, and the yeast will do their thing. Some people have let their beer sit for a couple of months without a problem with the yeast carbing their beer.

The extra time you let the bottles sit *may* even take some of the edge off the hoppiness too.

If you like the hobby, I encourage you to start upgrading equipment as necessary to make things easier, but as has been said before, rushing too quickly can also cause problems. Maybe google some videos and see how some other people are brewing and decide what methods you think would be best. There are many different ways to do the many different steps in homebrewing.

 

[Mystikty]

Well, I just tasted my amber after fling them upside down for a few days, flipping them right side up for another few days and chilling them for another few. It's tasting pretty damn good! The carbonation is just about right after I stored them in the warmest part of my house...my bedroom. My husband loves it! I wish ya'll who helped me during all this could try it. I do however, have one more question regarding this. How much head should this craft have? I don't want to over carbonate.

 

[Mystikty]

Well, it looks like this recipe was a hit. My husband and my friends love it. The next time I brew this I may add the same amount of hops as it seems to work well with the amber ale style. The carbonation is perfect after a couple of days in the fridge. Thanks to all who helped me make this happen. You are awesome!

 

[GrogNerd]

no, YOU awesome!

 

[HopZombie99]

No.....

 

[OhCrap]

I made a beer last august that didn't turn out like expected.... I let it sit in bottles for a long time then (as an experiment) after turning bottles as you did I put half back in a warm place and the other half I left out. Both have since been tastes and guess what!!! The ones stored in te warm area have become very drinkable and nicely carbed while the others remained very disappointing.