homebrewjapan
Well-Known Member
I had my first bottle tasting of my first beer (Black Rock lager with 1kg sugar) last night.
I have to remember that technically, according to kit instructions, the beer is not ready yet - it has been in the bottle carbonating for 5 days and now has another 7 days to condition. General advice then is to refrigerate it for 24-48 hours before drinking. So yesterdays taste was skipping that 7 days and the 24-48 hours chilling - I quick chilled it in the freezer.
Carbonation was good - Id been worried wed put too little sugar in - but first impressions of taste were, well, rather underwhelming! Theres a taste as the beer hits the tongue, but then emptiness drinking the beer down, and an aftertaste of sweet and bitter at the finish.
Why so empty in the middle? And that sweetness in the aftertaste just doesnt fit with the bitterness.
Is this just Lager with sugar kit taste? Or can I expect that this will improve to be yummy? Save for the carbonation, it tastes pretty similar to when I bottled it 5 days ago.
Perhaps one of the reasons for being underwhelmed is the strong beer smell. Its not a bad smell - its just a really powerful beer smell - and it leads you to anticipate a strong flavour that isnt there.
I hope that the next 7 days will improve the flavour of this beer a lot. But can it?
I have to remember that technically, according to kit instructions, the beer is not ready yet - it has been in the bottle carbonating for 5 days and now has another 7 days to condition. General advice then is to refrigerate it for 24-48 hours before drinking. So yesterdays taste was skipping that 7 days and the 24-48 hours chilling - I quick chilled it in the freezer.
Carbonation was good - Id been worried wed put too little sugar in - but first impressions of taste were, well, rather underwhelming! Theres a taste as the beer hits the tongue, but then emptiness drinking the beer down, and an aftertaste of sweet and bitter at the finish.
Why so empty in the middle? And that sweetness in the aftertaste just doesnt fit with the bitterness.
Is this just Lager with sugar kit taste? Or can I expect that this will improve to be yummy? Save for the carbonation, it tastes pretty similar to when I bottled it 5 days ago.
Perhaps one of the reasons for being underwhelmed is the strong beer smell. Its not a bad smell - its just a really powerful beer smell - and it leads you to anticipate a strong flavour that isnt there.
I hope that the next 7 days will improve the flavour of this beer a lot. But can it?