geoffi
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 28/12/06
- Messages
- 1,429
- Reaction score
- 7
I recently brewed a beer (Schwarzbier) that seemed rather lifeless. Specifically, it was noticeably under-bittered.
I had used some rather long-in-the-tooth hops. They had been kept in a tightly sealed bag in the freezer, and I adjusted for the age of the hops, but I think I underestimated how much the bittering potential had deteriorated.
Today I picked up a little bottle of hop extract from the local HBS. WTF, worth a shot.
I added two drops of extract to my pint glass and filled 'er up...
Kapowee!
Amazing. The beer is suddenly came to life. Just needed a little IBU-boost.
Another interesting thing. The head retention has gone from poor to 'pass the spoon'. It's almost chunky.
There's no indication on the bottle about quantities, but I think I lucked onto the right amount in this case.
Cheating, I know, but I think it has rescued this brew and made it pretty darned good.
I had used some rather long-in-the-tooth hops. They had been kept in a tightly sealed bag in the freezer, and I adjusted for the age of the hops, but I think I underestimated how much the bittering potential had deteriorated.
Today I picked up a little bottle of hop extract from the local HBS. WTF, worth a shot.
I added two drops of extract to my pint glass and filled 'er up...
Kapowee!
Amazing. The beer is suddenly came to life. Just needed a little IBU-boost.
Another interesting thing. The head retention has gone from poor to 'pass the spoon'. It's almost chunky.
There's no indication on the bottle about quantities, but I think I lucked onto the right amount in this case.
Cheating, I know, but I think it has rescued this brew and made it pretty darned good.
