Biab#2 How Much Can A/g Beer Change With Time?

[Diesel80]

So I made my 2nd BIAB, target 30 IBU which all say is not too bitter for ESB.
I achieved 1.053 post boil and fermented down to 1.012.
Used only styrian low alpha hops, notto yeast and marris otter, cara munich (150g) and Carafa (50g) - receipe as per my previous post in this section.

I tasted some beer out of the fermenter after fermenting it for 1 week and CC 1 week down to 2.5 deg. It was absolutely fantastic so i thought (was 5 deg C when sampling).
It seemed well balanced, slightly fruity etc good hop aroma, good hop taste. Was stoked!

That was 1 week ago, it has been in the keg chilled at 5 degree since then and under low gas pressure of about 80-100kpa (between 4-6 degrees).

Pulled off a sample tonight and chucked the first one (cleared lines, bottom of keg dregs etc).

Filled a second glass and sat down to try it, expecting to be blown away by the awesomeness, BUT

Beer now seems too bitter, unbalanced and thin. Mega disappointed in it atm.
Just how much can an A/G beer change over 1 week?

Cheers,
D80

 

[hoppy2B]

.....um.....it can change a fair bit.

Was that the answer you were looking for? :lol:


Tell me about it! I've recently come to the conclusion that late addition hops will bitter up over time if you leave your beer long enough. I don't know if that's correct but it's like tins of malt getting darker over time if you store them up.
Does anyone out there more astute know if that's correct?

 

[hoppy2B]

You know, like applying heat to tins of malt turns them darker.

Conclusion : Time and heat have a similar effect.

 

[twizt1d]

i thought hops mellowed with time?

ive had a few the same tho, tasted great in the fermenter then 2 weeks after bottling tasted nothing like i remembered

 

[kymba]

pretty sure that:

hop flavor and aroma will mellow with time (thereby increasing the perceived bitterness);

and carbonation will enhance bitterness.

so let it warm up a bit?

 

[Fat Bastard]

I found that my first couple of BIAB AG brews tasted quite grainy or Husky and quite 'dry' after a week or 2 in the bottle, but have seemed to lose that over time. I've just done an IPA which had nearly 8kg of M.O. and Pale in a 50/50 mix and 410g of Motueka and Pacifica hops (including dry hop additions) that I don't notice the same husky flavout in after only 5 days in the bottle.

I think that the brewmate IBU calculations are a little on the high side for what they actually might be, my first IPA recipe calulated at 60 IBU but tatsed closer to 30-35.

After 5 AG BIAB brews, the one thing I've learned is to use the software as a guide, but go by your taste in reality.

 

[kymba]

I have noted this also FB...my first evar AG brew was a 10L batch. I mashed in the oven as the pot fitted in there nicely, and boiled on a ****** electric hob - well it wasn't really a boil more like there ware convection currents but nothing really breaking the surface. the resultant brew was so grainy and awesome...sometimes i can taste something similar but way more subdued in fat yaks

but now i do not get this grainyness...i wonder what it is?

 

[Diesel80]

Thanks for the feedback thus far.

I have no chilled both my A/G brews so far, and i am using brew mate with the no chill box ticked.

Things i have read i can do to improve my beers next time (still trying to lock in an english style recipe as a house ale):
Needs more non fermentable sugars - have ordered some heritage crystal. Will up from 150 to 250-300. This should make it less 'thin' and sweeter.

Perhaps i should also shoot for a slightly lower IBU, thus leaving some head room for additional perceived bitterness to creep in as hop flavour and aroma dissipate.

Live and learn. Oh well gives me an excuse to brew some more beer in the name of science.

Cheers,
D80

 

[hoppy2B]

I checked your recipe and you have Styrian hops listed as 3.5 alpha if I remember correctly. That sounds a bit low for Styrian. Might be your hops are stronger than you think and that's the reason your brew seems overly bitter.

 

[Mayor of Mildura]

Thanks for the feedback thus far.

I have no chilled both my A/G brews so far, and i am using brew mate with the no chill box ticked.

Things i have read i can do to improve my beers next time (still trying to lock in an english style recipe as a house ale):
Needs more non fermentable sugars - have ordered some heritage crystal. Will up from 150 to 250-300. This should make it less 'thin' and sweeter.

Perhaps i should also shoot for a slightly lower IBU, thus leaving some head room for additional perceived bitterness to creep in as hop flavour and aroma dissipate.

Live and learn. Oh well gives me an excuse to brew some more beer in the name of science.

Cheers,
D80

What temp are you mashing at? you may want to up it a few degrees to give some body. Also ditch the notto. Get yourself a liquid English yeast. my recommendation would be wyeast 1187, 1469 or 1969.

cheers

 

[Truman42]

I just sampled my AG black IPA after 5 days in the bottle and it tasted like it had "kit twang" even though it was AG. I'm hoping it improves with age.

 

[katzke]

You only fermented for a week?

 

[milob40]

You only fermented for a week?

notto yeast has run it's marathon in about 4 days at 18deg and it flocs out very quick.
after a week the yeast cake is like glue on the bottom of the fermenter. its good for those catchup brews
but needs dry hopping on day 3 or 4 as it does strip hop flavour a bit.
i'd leave the keg a couple of weeks, i did a similar brew and it turned out fantastic after it mellowed for a while.

 

[katzke]

Yeast does more then make bubbly alcohol. It needs time to finish all of its work.

 

[Diesel80]

Hoppy2B: I went with the Alpha Acid % in the front of the hop packet. Freshly opened and first batch from them. Brewmate lists styrians higher, could be a bung batch?

Mayor of Mildura: next brew i will up temp a deg, and add more crystal. Keen to try some liquid yeast too! Thanks for suggestions.

Truman: it will mate, 3 days after i posted OP brew stopped tasting like acid and started tasting the goods again!

Katze: This notto seemed to be an animal, was done after 3 days to expected FG, then left it to 7 and CC for a week. Have since been told ignore FG if reached before 2 weeks in the primary by those more experienced than me, so futures brews will be left for 2 weeks and CC for 4-7 days.

Milob40: Interesting about the dry hopping / notto yeast, i will try this dry hopping thing with an upcoming London Pride knock off i want to brew. It recommends cask hopping. Will brew a double, 1 with, 1 without.


Update on the brews:
AG #1 4 weeks in the keg @ 5 degrees: Settles clear in the glass, lovely head. Flavour is more balanced - my Dads new favourite beer, and i am warming to it too.
AG#2 (mentioned in OP): End of 1st week in Keg and no longer tastes like ass. Leaving it till Xmas day, so by then could also be settling clear in glass. Tastes closer to what it did out of fermenter, happy days!

AG Convert - Perth.
:icon_cheers: