First taste of Sherwood's Forest Bitter

[drbell]

A week after bottling I decided to give this brew a try. It is currently very green, and very sweet. It isn't fizzy yet, so I am interested to know if a noticeable amount of the sweetness will go as it becomes fizzy? It finished fermenting at 1.013 which, like all my beers, is a little above target.

Full details, and a pic on my blog as always:

http://bellsbeer.blogspot.com/

[ChrisG]

I'v had the same problem with Fixby Gold, finished on 1012. Just couldnt get it down any further.

[drbell]

Is there something I'm doing wrong? This latest brew fermented at the warmest of any of my brews with the recent good weather (must be 18-20 in my brewery). I gave it a good stir when I noticed it was still at 1.013 after a week and a half.

What else could I have done?

[Minus The Bear]

did the instructions have a target final gravity on them?

I wouldn't see it as too much of an issue, i have never managed to get a beer to 1010 but they always taste good.

I think its a bit early to start worrying, give it a few weeks then have another taste.

[drbell]

I think this had the standard "below 1.010, or when the gravity is stable for 2 days". I hope your right - just tastes VERY sweet at the moment. Thanks.

[sparky Paul]

1013 is fine, you are probably tasting the priming sugar which hasn't fermented out. After secondary fermentation, the sweetness will go and be replaced by the carbonation, which is the CO2 produced by the fermentation of the priming sugar.

Try putting the beer somewhere warm (20-25°C) for a week or so, to kickstart the carbonation. If the beer was very bright when bottled, it may take longer.

[drbell]

Thakns for the reply. I guess this question defines me as a noob still, but what does it mean when you say the beer is "bright"?

[sparky Paul]

what does it mean when you say the beer is "bright"?

Sorry about that, 'bright' as in clear, or not cloudy. A beer has 'dropped bright' when it is completely clear. A bright beer has less yeast in it to get the secondary fermentation going.

I've just noticed I wrote 'bootled' instead of 'bottled' in my reply, which made me titter...

[drbell]

ah, makes sense. Thanks.