First Brew Questions.

[samb.]

First of all hi everyone. I've been a member of this site for a little while now but been more of a lurker than contributor. I have finally got around to putting down for first proper solo brew using extract with grains after mucking around with a couple of kit brew with some mates.
I decided to go for something in a APA style similar to little creatures as I'd say that is almost a perfect beer to me.
I opened my first bottle the other day after 2 weeks fermentation and a further week dry hopping...

And I love it, while I wouldn't stick a little creatures label on it by any means it is very similar to what I was hoping to achieve. Amazing tropical fruit aroma, solid hop character up front and nice maltiness but was left a little wanting in that bitterness left in the back of the throat that I love from little creatures. I am happy better than anything I was expecting and can't wait to put down a tasty amber for autumn.

I did have a few questions though...

1) I did a 40 min boil hopping as such

35g cascade 40min
15g galaxy 25min
15g cascade 15 min
10g galaxy 5 min

dry hopped 10g galaxy for about a week, what can I do to achieve that lingering bitterness I was after, especially as I am going to try my hand at something close to murrays icon ipa soon.

2) While I liked the colour I ended up with, it wasn't true to the style I was after, instead of the bright golden little creatures pours, I ended up with a very deep golden with some reds and orange highlights... is this a case of steeping my crystal grain for too long? i did 500g for 50min.

3) finally, when first pour i had a decent head with large bubbles and a bit of an off white colour. this was gone almost straight away to a tiny lacing, I know my glass wasn't the cleanest but is a decent head something I can expect only when i move up to all grain or is there something that can help with it

thanks, I know i'll get some great advice from what i've already read on this forum

 

[manticle]

For lingering bitterness, try a longer boil (say 60 mins - this will also increase IBU so you may need to balance malt etc) and try a resinous hop like chinook.
You could also try adding a small amount of Calcium sulphate/gypsum to your boil. Maybe try a gram or so and see what you think. Wouldn't normally recommend water additions for a first timer but it might help. Even adding a tiny pinch to a glass and seeing the difference might be informative (tiny, tiny pinch) before dosing a whole brew. Available from good home brew shops - get the stuff designed for brewing

For head retention - first make sure your glass is clean before worrying about anything else. By clean I mean clean and detergent residue free.

High hopping rates (and I believe dry hops) usually aid head retention and more malt/less sugar likewise. Grain additions are also a good thing.

You've done all those and still find the head dissipates so double check the glass.

You can use things like wheat malt or carapils to help (wheat will need to be mashed if you use grain but extracts are available).

Have a read of this: http://www.byo.com/stories/article/indices...5-fabulous-foam

and this: http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...;showarticle=70

It may also just be a matter of time to allow better carbonation to occur. The brew may just be young. How long since you bottled it?

As for colour - the amount of grain, malt, time you steep etc will affect it. If the flavour is right, I wouldn't get too upset. Try a light crystal if you didn't already (rather than medium/caramalt etc). Use a paler extract.

 

[RobboMC]

3) finally, when first pour i had a decent head with large bubbles and a bit of an off white colour. this was gone almost straight away to a tiny lacing, I know my glass wasn't the cleanest but is a decent head something I can expect only when i move up to all grain or is there something that can help with it

You don't need to go AG to get a beer with an excellent head. Check my little icon photo. I use the high-end kits like Thomas Coopers and Muntons with other extracts and some grain, but usually never more than 1.5 kg of grain; and get superb head formation and retention. My suggestion is you treat yourself to a 6-pack of NEW beer glasses and NEVER put them in the dishwasher or sink of detergent. As for storage time, I just cracked a pale ale just 2 weeks in the bottle and the head was great.

How strong is the beer? I've found that brews over 5% hold much better heads.

And what did you use for carbonation, I stopped using the carbonation drops very early in my brewing life as I found bulk priming with dry malt or dextrose to be far, far better. Search on it on the site, there is heaps.

My dad used to have some 'special' metal beer cups that we would take to water-skiing days. They were dedicated for beer and nothing else, one day mum washed them up, he threw them away and bought new ones!

PS if you enter your entire recipe people here can give better tips.

 

[samb.]

thanks for the advice I'll work some of those tips into my next brew.
new problem though, I've just opened my 4th bottle of my brew, and it tastes very different to my first couple. the big hoppy aroma and flavour has subsided a considerable amount and it has a very tart mouthfeel that was definately not evident previously... during beingI pitched the yeast perhaps a little too warm and was paranoid about it turning out horrible. was very pleased when I first opened it but now worried again.
is it possible for infections to develop in the bottle or are there any other reasons?

 

[manticle]

Could be a bottle infection due to a dodgy bottle, could be a fermenter infection that has a delayed affect on flavour. If only one or two are like that, it's the first, if all are like that it is probably the second.

How long since you bottled?

 

[samb.]

Could be a bottle infection due to a dodgy bottle, could be a fermenter infection that has a delayed affect on flavour. If only one or two are like that, it's the first, if all are like that it is probably the second.

How long since you bottled?

about 30 days. i just cracked another bottle and while not as strong definately a similar tartness. i'm using pet bottles from a coopers homebrew kit that sat around doing not much for about a year while i was overseas. i gave them a good clean and sanitation... or so i thought. i'll collect some glass bottles for my next brew...