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missing link

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I just tapped a Blonde Ale I made with a recipe from the Brewing Classic Styles. I was a few points low on my OG, but it finished at 1.008 so I know it fermented out well.

It isn't fully carbed yet but it has a real sweet smell and a malty taste.

Is this a result of poor hop bittering, lack of carbonation or some other factor. It's been about 6 weeks since I made the beer.

Let me know what you think?

Linc
 
:mug: What seems to be the problem, lack of carbonation? Taste like crap? How long in botttles? Don't taste as hops as you might expect? Did you you do a full boil?:confused:
 
also...we need OG to really tell...but with recipe, it'll be easy to come up with a ballpark.

Until it's fully carb'd, it might taste too sweet, btw.
 
missing link said:
It isn't fully carbed yet but it has a real sweet smell and a malty taste...
Linc
My take is that you're complaining about the carbonation being low, and that the beer's sweet, both of which are more than likely related. Your priming sugar hasn't fermented in the bottle.

Are you conditioning at room temp or in the fridge? It should be at room temp.

How much priming sugar did you use, and how large was the batch?

How long was this beer aged before priming?
 
I'll get a recipe from the book in a bit.

I just transferred to the keg last night. I let it sit at 12 PSI over night and I then cranked it up to 30 PSI this morning and shook the keg some. When I pour a glass, there are bubbles and lacing on the glass.

It smells sweet, tastes sweet and doesn't seem to have much hop bitterness to it.

11.5 lbs Pale MAlt
.5 lb crystal 20
1.5 oz Williamette hops at 4.6% recipe called for 1 oz at 5%
California Ale yeast.

Target OG was 1.048, I hit 1.044. FG of 1.008

I'm going to take 1/2 a growler to my club meeting tonight to get some feedback. There are a few guys there that are certified judges of some kind. Only my second meeting with the club.

Thanks in advance for any input you might have.
 
Yes, one hopping at 60 minutes, yes the first blonde ale I've made.

Some of the guys with more experience than me tasted the beer last night and thought the beer itself was good, it might have a touch of DMS and it shold get better with some age.

I pulled it out of the kegerator and put it in the lager freezer to get some time in it.

It was well carbed today and did taste slightly better. Drinkable but not perfect.

Linc
 
I think this is the real hard part of these naked beers. DMS and Diacetyl really shine through in small amounts. I'd recommend warming the keg to room temp for two weeks, then put it back in the kegger.
 
Bobby_M said:
I think this is the real hard part of these naked beers. DMS and Diacetyl really shine through in small amounts. I'd recommend warming the keg to room temp for two weeks, then put it back in the kegger.
Yep. You really have to give that wort a good 90 minute hard boil.
Never ever cover your pot.
Get that wort to below 140 as quick as possbile.
Get a good cold break.
Try to ferment at 62-68 degrees.
Give a full 2-weeks in the primary.

Follow your best "clearing" practice, be it extended time, cold crashing, some fining agents.

I do plenty of blondes, wits, kolsch's and other light hybrids and as long as I pay attention to the DMS preventitive measures, the beers are crisp and clean and no DMS.
 
I boiled 60 minutes, didn't cover the pot ever. I don't have a lid for the keggle, I use an immersion chiller but it is only 25ft, I may need to get a bigger one.

I fermented in the basement at about 65 degrees.

The Keg is now sitting out in the basement. It's about 62 or 63 degrees on the basement floor.

I just tapped a Chimay clone I made in Nov and it tastes great so I'll suck some of that down for now.

THanks for the input.
 
Just keep in mind that ambient air temp is not the same as fermentation temp.

And yes, you should upgrade your wort cooling hardware.
 
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