A couple of weeks ago I brewed a Black IPA that I intended be as piney as you could get a beer. Well, unfortunately, it worked. The hydro sample is like drinking pine sap. Here is the recipe: http://hopville.com/recipe/974652/american-ipa-recipes/electrified-hate I'm not looking for "well, I wouldn't have..." comments, or "Next time....". I know that I probably should have made this with just the hops and added the juniper and rosemary next time if I thought that they were needed, but I had a wild hair. They don't stand out at all, just add to the overall pineyness. Here are the options that I can see so far: 1. Dryhop as planned with Chinook, Simcoe, and Columbus, and hope that it somehow levels gets this on more beery levels. 2. Dryhop with fruity/citrus hops to add another dimension. I have centennial, amarillo, and citra at my disposal. 3. Make a quart or two of strong wort by steeping some crystal and adding dme, and add this the beer to maybe bring the FG up a couple points to bring down the perceived bitterness. 4. Some combination of the above. 5. Nothing at all. Even if I try something and it doesn't work, I figure I can sit on this until Christmas and tell people that I meant to make taste like that. It should mellow by then anyhow. Thanks.
Bottle it and let it get some age. You might be surprised how much a beer can change overtime. Plus some carbonation may change your perception of pine.
The spices will inevitably drop off, just as hops do. I'd probably bulk age (like in a keg) at fridge temps, tasting periodically. That way, you can always dry hop it later if you feel it needs it.
The best option, as usual, is probably good ol' number 5. I'd just plan on aging this beer for a few months. The hop character will inevitably fade, and at some point it'll probably be just about what you had in mind.
The 4th beer I ever made was a Spruce lager (using spruce extract). Way too sprucy. I ended up dumping about half of it. Perhaps I should have just let it age to see if it would mellow, but, what the heck, it was only beer. I also advise packaging as you usually do and see how it is with some carbonation. If you don't like it, then give it some time. I doubt that adding anything else will help to "subtract" the pine. Off on a tangent, a local brewpub one year made a rosemary porter. They used way too much rosemary -- it was awful.
bottle it and go from there. like others have said some age will give you some perspective. if i had to guess it might be the rosemary that is giving you all that flavour. i bet once it carbs up and has a month or so in the basement you wont be able to get enough of it.
I made a black Saison last month that was on track to be totally awesome. Then I "dry hopped" with a sprig of rosemary (like, a tiny sprig) for a week. At bottling it was a total nightmare. Rosemary sap. It made great marinade, but I really hope you are right about it mellowing with age.
It may make a good marinade for chicken or beef. Or a second batch of the same minus the piney stuff and you may be able to mix it to adjust the flavors accordingly.
I hate to say it, but with the rosemary and juniper, it may not chill out as hops would. I actually really like the idea of brewing a second batch, maybe a half batch - the piney stuff like robert^^^ said and blend them.
This is seeming like the best option for me. Unfortunately, it'll just be in a carboy at "as cool as I can keep it" temps, and not a refridgerated keg, but if anything, it should help to hasten the departure of the spices. Taste every couple of weeks, and once the flavor has reached an appropriate level, dry hop to bring the hop aroma level back up and then bottle.
A member of my old HBC brought in a rosemary stout that I quite liked and was what gave me the idea to add it to this beer. Nice smooth herbal/piney flavor. I'm thinking it wasn't any one ingredient in particular, but everything in synergy. There is nothing in particular standing out. It's not gin-like (juniper), herbal-resiny-camphour (rosemary), or the dank-pine-citrus rind (combination of chinook/simcoe/columbus), but like chewing on pine needles.
#5. 3 sounds like a decent idea if it was stronger but at seven i feel like it would through off the balance of the brew, and the flavor will mellow with aging as is.
