Mellowing with time.?? Or down the drain now?

[Deebee]

Last week i made this http://jimsbeerkit.co.uk/forum/viewtopi ... 24&t=27125

I decided to leave the crystal hops in whilst i was cooling the wort as i understand them to be a very mellow hop.( in fact it got caught under the chiller and i couldn't get the bag out. (Either way it shouldn't make anydifference as i would not have been able to get it out had i used the hops loose.....)

I had a taste test yesterday and it is true that they have a very orange/tangerine type tast to them, At present this is overppowering in the brew and i am not sure that it will be drinkable.

I guess one has to try and fail.

This should be ready for kegging/bottling in about 4 days time i guess, and i wonder if this strong tangerine hop taste will mellow with time in the keg. It had a realtively high OG of 1053 so it needs some time to condition anyway.

What are the thoughts of the experts here, and is there anything that can be added after the initial fermetation to dull the overpowering bitter orange taste.
I had this recipe checked and it should be ok, ( the only deviation was that the 20 g crystal went in at 2 minutes and stayed for the chill which took 25 minutes,.)

I don't have access to my pc with beersmith on it until likely thursday. would someone mid running the recipe through it in order to give me the effect of the steeping crystal.?

originally it was a 20 liter recipe based on 65 % efficiency. I got 74 % efficiency and ended with 25 liters of 1052 thanks

Thanks as always, one day i'll get the hang of this AG thing.
D

[Parva]

It will most definitely mellow with age. A couple of months or more in the keg and I bet it turns into a mighty fine brew. I find that tasting 'green' beer tends to give me little idea of what the final, aged product will actually taste like.

[flytact]

AACK!
Never pour a batch down the drain until you've let it mellow for at least a month. Be patient! Even bad home brew is often better than store bought.

Unless of course you've got an infection and the mellowing process incubates the nasties.

[Deebee]

No infection for sure.

This was my first all good brew day, no stuck sparge, ( forst batch sparge too) first completed amount in boiler. First good efficiency , no leaking cooler pipes.

the fermentation started slowly then took off ( as in puching the lid up)

It has only bee 5 days but the taste was much stronger than i expected. It is likely ready to bottle in a few days so i'll probably leave it where it til friday or the weekend. Give the yeastie beasties chance to clean up a little, Then it'll go into kegs ( and some bottles for control tasting, until the first week of December i'll have to taste then before i serve it to the inlaws.

Does anyone have this experience with Crystal,? is there anything i can put in to demp the taste a bit or is it too late.

[flytact]

I've never used Crystal, but when I make an American IPA with dry hopped Centennial the first months worth of pints taste like a mouthful of freshly mowed grass!
Give it time and I guarantee it will be a hit.

[Deebee]

I've never used Crystal, but when I make an American IPA with dry hopped Centennial the first months worth of pints taste like a mouthful of freshly mowed grass!
Give it time and I guarantee it will be a hit.

I hope so.

We have all the inlaws ( 2 brother in laws, sister in laws and 3 kids of beer drinking age) coming for a pre christmas dinner in the first or second week of December. That gives me about 6-8 weeks to let it mellow.

[Mountain]

from my experience it will mellow.
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At present, I have the same issue. I overhopped(not for the first time!) an amber ale 3weeks or so ago.
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I tasted a bottle last night and it was just too bitter with an overpowering whack of orangey/grapefruit zest. Toned down a notch it would be very nice......
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I plan to give it a month to mellow and have another tasting. I did a very hoppy IPA which was similar OTT after a couple of weeks, but after 2 months was spot on.
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I must admit my previous hopping was a bit cavalier as I used crappy kitchen scales and guesswork. However, I have now invested in some nice digital scales to get my hop weights spot on.

[Deebee]

right.

in which case i'll tough tjis out. Let it ferment out, put it into kegs for the most apart from a couple of liters in bottles, then sample after 2-4-6 and 8 weeks.

maybe i'll get lucky!

[Deebee]

Fg is now at 1016. I roused the yeast and there is a much livlier action in the air lock.
The taste is still strong and the brew is very dry. There is also a slight butter scotch taste but the info on the yeast i used says this is normal and that a good rest is needed after primary and before kegging. I åm hoping that the dryness will also smooth out in the next few weeks. Thoughts?

[Scooby]

If the yeast is 1968 it has an attenuation of around 70% so won't go much below 1.015. It's a nice fruity yeast but needs a rest if you don't want to much diacetyl.

[Deebee]

If the yeast is 1968 it has an attenuation of around 70% so won't go much below 1.015. It's a nice fruity yeast but needs a rest if you don't want to much diacetyl.

Thats the yeast yes.

Wyeast ESB 1968

It is still bubbling slowly around once a minute maybe twice.

Was thinking of either racking it to secondary this evening getting it off the lees, or just leaving it where it is until the weekend and kegging then. I guess it is pretty much done fermentation wise, and a 4 day rest should be enough i would imagine.

I am also hoping that the hops etc will melow a little over the next few weeks. I will bottle around 4 pints for testing at various stages ( say 2 weeks after bottling, 4 weeks after , 6 and then 8 before breaking into the keg. I would be bold enough to suggest that if it tatses pants after 8 weeks then thats how it will be.

One of the guys at the club came round last night and said it tasted infected,(diacetyl) but i understand this is normal for the yeast in anycase. I shall be saving 2 liters of the sulurry and making a huge starter that i can split with it... I then have yeast for the London pride clone i want to get done.

Thanks

[Scooby]

I have a brew with this yeast going at the moment, I found the best way is to taste a sample once it's approaching final gravity and when satisfied rack to a secondary vessel, I use a cornie, then maintain about 15-16c although it's a very flocculant yeast enough should be carried over to clean up.

[flything]

and said it tasted infected,(diacetyl)

Diacetyl is a by-product of a normal fermentation, although it could be an infection as certain bacteria can produce it as well, the yeast itself will re-absorb it if at the end of fermentation it is left to do so. Anything that stops the yeast from finishing off, lack of aeration, too cold a fermentation temp, racking to secondary too early, etc can lead to too much butter flavour in the beer, although certain styles (think London Pride) suit it better than others.

I've noticed it in beers that I've moved to secondary at the wrong point (too soon after fermentation has finished, would have been better leaving it alone or doing it earlier if dry hopping).

Leave the beer in the primary for a few extra days once fermentation has completed, at normal to upper temp levels for the yeast, and it should reduce or disappear completely.

[Deebee]

This appears to have finished. Bubble once a minute and steady gravity for the last 2 days. Its still very cloudy though. Is tugs a sign of infection or characteristic of the liquid yeast. Will be leaving it until week end before Kegging. Any thoughts?

[simple one]

Leave it for a week in the FV. Keg it, if you can, and leave for about 3 weeks, then assess again. Some yeast tastes absolutely awful, and you can't gauge a beer EDIT-"properly" until its very clear.