HELP! Bitterness problem.

[mysterio]

So the consences is wait and see and wen it is finished fermenting if it is wildily unbalenced then I could order some hop extract?

Finally

[196osh]

Thank goodness those hops were cheap only 30g gone.... Had a bit of a panicy moment.

Thanks for everybodies help.

[196osh]

And vacant, I wasnt ignoring your idea I was just in panic mode.

[196osh]

Having just chucked it through the calculator again it comes out at 40IBUs.

Just checked the gravity, thats it down to 1049 so its around 7%abv and still quite viscous, but doesnt taste too un bitter. Hopefully that sticks around.

[mysterio]

Obviously the sweet impression will become less and less as it attenuates further, did you use an attenuative yeast like US-05 or Notty ? Also any roasted malts will help to balance out any sweetness.

[196osh]

Yeah I used US-05. 3 packets in 18L @1102.

Thats massivly overpitching I know, but I didn't want any struggling to get down to a decent terminal gravity.

So does the fact it could potentially attenuate quite a bit help the low levels of bitterness balence out? Also I had just over a KG of roasted barley, choc and carafa III.

[mysterio]

Yes you should get pretty decent attenuation with that. 3 packs seems wise to me. I used two packs in my last chocolate beer which was around 1.060. Less residual sugar means less hops are needed for balance.

The BU/GU ratio is commonly used but it doesn't model attenuation with is crucial for the impression of flavour balance (or roasted malts - roasted barley is well known to contribute bitterness).

Another trick up your sleeve is to carbonate the beer slightly more than you intended to make it seem less sweet. But I'll bet the beer will taste great as is.

[196osh]

I am such a panic merchant.

Hopefully it will all turn out alright. I will try the carbonation trick mabye carbonate it at 2.0 vols of Co2.

Is just one of those beers that will be aged for a long long time. Don't want to wait so long and then its garbage. Wouldnt be as botherd if I was going to knock it back in a few months.

Thanks for the help.