I've just tasted my first brew (it's only been in the keg for 2 weeks). It's a Muntons IPA kit. It's certainly drinkable but to my taste it's almost too bitter, it also has a slight aftertaste that I can't put my finger on. How is the taste likely to change with more time in the keg?
Kev
First Brew taste
Hi Kev.
Two weeks isn't long enough for the beer to mature, really. Over time, hop bitterness will decrease, and the flavour will improve and mellow.
The aftertaste might disappear - it depends what's causing it. Did you treat your water for chlorine? If not, that can give a slight TCP taste to the beer. Adding 1/2 a campden tablet to your water before adding the malt extract will remove chlorine and avoid the TCP taste.
Two weeks isn't long enough for the beer to mature, really. Over time, hop bitterness will decrease, and the flavour will improve and mellow.
The aftertaste might disappear - it depends what's causing it. Did you treat your water for chlorine? If not, that can give a slight TCP taste to the beer. Adding 1/2 a campden tablet to your water before adding the malt extract will remove chlorine and avoid the TCP taste.
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Shoit
How do you use a campden tablet? - does the water need to be treated prior to adding the water to the fermenting bin. Previously i've always added the malt extract first, then added the rest of the water to the Fermenting Vat.Jim wrote: The aftertaste might disappear - it depends what's causing it. Did you treat your water for chlorine? If not, that can give a slight TCP taste to the beer. Adding 1/2 a campden tablet to your water before adding the malt extract will remove chlorine and avoid the TCP taste.
Kev
Yes, you need to put all the water you're going to use in a spare fermentation vessel (if you're brewing with a kit, this has to be sanitised as well). Crush the 1/2 campden tablet, add to the water and stir. The reaction is almost instantaneous. You then make up your kit using the treated water.
There are some water filters available that will remove chlorine from your water (B&Q used to do one, not sure if it's still available though).
There are some water filters available that will remove chlorine from your water (B&Q used to do one, not sure if it's still available though).
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Shoit
Like I say, the aftertaste may or may not be caused by chlorine. If it is, it won't go away.Shoit wrote:Is this likely to improve the taste of the beer? Will the aftertaste in the current brew diminish with time or is it here to stay?
Kev
If your water doesn't have much chlorine in it, the aftertaste might be something else that will go away - green beer doesn't taste like matured beer and can taste a bit off.
Have patience, and see how it tastes in another couple of weeks (I know how difficult that is with your first one, though!
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Shoit
How long does the water need to stand before making up the kit, i've read information that campden tablets inhibit yeast growth? Would you recommend the use of campden tablets?Jim wrote: Crush the 1/2 campden tablet, add to the water and stir. The reaction is almost instantaneous. You then make up your kit using the treated water.
Kev
The reaction only takes seconds, so you can use the water straight away.Shoit wrote:How long does the water need to stand before making up the kit, i've read information that campden tablets inhibit yeast growth? Would you recommend the use of campden tablets?Jim wrote: Crush the 1/2 campden tablet, add to the water and stir. The reaction is almost instantaneous. You then make up your kit using the treated water.
Kev
Re your second point, although campden tablets can inhibit yeast growth, the concentration is far to low to have any effect. Winemakers use a whole campden tablet in just 1 gallon of wine to inhibit wild yeast. Many beer brewers on here use campden to remove chlorine (so did I before I got my water filter) and their fermentations are fine.
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Ska_J
The water can be used pretty much straight away since the campden tablet does its job fast, as Jim says. Campden tablets are used in wine making to halt the fermentation process, but in larger quantities. It's not a concern with 1/2 or 1 tablet in these volumes.
Another thing to watch is the temperature. My first one tasted quite odd, and I think it was due to the beer getting too warm while fermenting. I now do my best to keep it at 20'C and the taste has gone
J
Another thing to watch is the temperature. My first one tasted quite odd, and I think it was due to the beer getting too warm while fermenting. I now do my best to keep it at 20'C and the taste has gone
J
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Shoit
Thanks for all the advice - i'll use half a tablet on the next brew: which will now be slightly delayed until I can get my hands on some!
As for the temperature that shouldn't be a problem as I have a thermostatic immersion heater which is set at 19 deg. However, the first brew was done during the one, and only hot spell of the summer so far. As a result the temp of the beer did get up to about 23 deg during the brew, but wasn't that high so shouldn't have been a problem, but I'm only a novice.
Kev
As for the temperature that shouldn't be a problem as I have a thermostatic immersion heater which is set at 19 deg. However, the first brew was done during the one, and only hot spell of the summer so far. As a result the temp of the beer did get up to about 23 deg during the brew, but wasn't that high so shouldn't have been a problem, but I'm only a novice.
Kev
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Shoit
Sorry another question - when using a campden tablet - do you treat all the water, including that which you boil to add to the beer kit. Or do you just treat the cold water? If so, I guess the best way is to deal with it all in a second fermenting bin? Then transfer the water to a sanitized pan to boil it?
Kev
Kev
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maxashton
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confused
as a general rule you should give your beer four weeks to mature, after fermentation stops. Stronger beers should have six to eight weeks. That said, longer is better. Almost all of my brews when I only had one fermenter and barrel were at their best as I was finishing the barrel!
The slight aftertaste may well disappear during maturation, it's impossible to tell. If not it's likely to become less obtrusive as the beer matures so I shouldn't worry
relax - be patient, and enjoy!
The slight aftertaste may well disappear during maturation, it's impossible to tell. If not it's likely to become less obtrusive as the beer matures so I shouldn't worry
relax - be patient, and enjoy!