[Marbles]

x

[sts9fan]

The taste will not change too much after bottling.  A bit mellowing but no less bitter.

[zybar]

Thanks for all the help Wayne!

Anyway, after bottling there was a little left in the bottling bucket.

I tasted it and it tasted more hoppy than I prefer.  It is an Irish Red ale.

Is this normal at this stage?  Will it mellow a bit over the next few weeks?

Thanks

Congrats Marbles.

As sts9fan stated, it will change a little bit, but not much.

If you wind up thinking it is indeed too hoppy, you can always make another batch and slightly alter the recipe.

George

[santacore]

That's outstanding, congratulations! I remember my first batch was also a bit too hoppy. It's amazing how the fresh ingredients really cut through. Enjoy!

[Wayne1]

Good job, Rob.

The flavors will blend together quite a bit during bottle conditioning. The harshness of the early addition hops will mellow out. Let the bottles sit in your basement at as near a constant temp. as possible. Give them 3-4 weeks to condition and carbonate. Every week, put one in the fridge to cool down a bit and sample. This will be a good education on how the flavors change during conditioning.

The flavor of the beer will continue to change for as long as it lasts. The last bottle will usually be the best one. 

[BobM]

I agree with Wayne's suggestion to test a bottle each week. I bet it will take 2 weeks for decent carbonation to appear, but it will definitely take a month or more for the flavors to fully gel.

I've made some overly bitter beers in the past, usually trying to reproduce a Pale Ale or India Pal Ale. Time softens these a little, but ultimately you better like an overhopped bitter beer.

Next time make a Cream Ale and go completely the other way (hint: throw some fresh ginger into that and you will have a beer that women will love).

Enjoy,
Bob

[sts9fan]

I did not know there was such thing as too bitter?

Here is a pic of my first hops season. This is Cascade which is a good first year producer.  Next year should be WAY better. 

[ken]

I haven't brewed beer for about 15 years now but after reading this post I think I'm getting the itch again.   Try resisting the temptation of drinking it for at least one month if possible    which I know is easier said then done, and try to avoid overchilling your beer before drinking - it is not necessary and will only mask the flavors. I fondly remember my last batch, it was an Anchor Steam style which I cold fermented for approx one month, came out great, nice and smooth.  I'll have to start brewing again soon if I want to have some for the Holidays.     Did you brew from grain or extract? brewing from extract is more convenient but you can really save $ brewing from grain which I would love to try some time.  Be sure to let us know how your first hombrew turned out

[zacster]

If you're drinking from the bottom of the bucket you're getting the bitter remainder.  Relax, don't worry, have a home brew.  The bottles will be just fine.  And if the first one isn't just fine, let them sit a few weeks more and they'll get better.

[Wayne1]

Hey Rob,

Do you have any of your beer left? 

How has it changed after being in the bottle for a month?

I bottled my first batch of homebrew, after about 20 years of kegging, last weekend.

It was a clone of Bell's Two Hearted Ale I made with TweekGeek's Mike Garner.

The two of us worked together. I filled the bottles and he capped them. Everything went very smooth.

I brewed up 10 gallons of the recipe and kegged half of it. It will be interesting to compare them in about a month, if I have any left. 

Cheers, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Wayne