Tasting wort and gravity samples

Tasting my wort sample before I pitch and to check the OG.. I don't really even taste it.. Sometimes I do to check the bitterness on it, but past that.. it's a sweet and bitter mess.

I taste my hydro samples on a beer to check the final gravity.. Gives me an idea on the mouthfeel, the flavor, and I can see what I think of the aroma..

Most of the time, carbonation will change that a fair bit, so it's always hard to tell.

 

I use a refractometer so I don't take enough to taste and I'm happy that I waste less and have more real beer than if I tried hydrometer samples.

 

Nothing posted in this thread even remotely suggests the average noob, novice, intermediate, or advanced homebrewer can tell much of anything about how epic or awesome or award winning their beer will be when it goes into the fermentor. OP's observation is spot-on.1

If that were not true, then how many forum posts....here...there...or anywhere else...has anyone read where the brewer at the end of day says 'this batch is heading for the drain?'

QED

 

interesting. my understanding is that a lot of those aromas are things in the beer that the yeast end up cleaning up in the week or two following primary fermentation. keep up the good work!

 

Id like to think I know where my beers going from tasting samples for gravity readings. Truth is Im always way wrong. Im pessimistic and OCD so tasting them doesnt do much but drive me nuts thinking its not gonna turn out how I wanted or make me think Im tasting some kind of off flavor. But, I drink every drop, cuz Im not gonna waste it. Most of the time they taste good too.

I dont think there is any trick or method, its just experience.

 

I like to taste and check the aroma as I go along, however until the beer is carbed and ready to serve...you really won't get a great idea as to how the beer will be. You'll get an idea of how the hops are, and the color but beyond that, you gotta wait till it's flowing from your taps

 

I am smelling tasting or both every thing that come into my future beer but never do pre boiled gravity.
check post-boil or pre fermentation gravity.

 

you aren't kidding, been a huge problem for me lately