Hi guys, So I´m entering in my first homebrew competition. It is an American IPA Competition. I´ve brewed a test batch and the IPA was incredible. But in the competition batch.... First three bottles I´ve opened came out with an excessive yeast flavor. I brewed it as usual, controlling EVERYTHING, temperatures, PH, water, etc. I have an electric system that makes it easy. I fermented with M44 (which I love and was the yeast of the test batch also). First 3 days at 18C, then I had to raise couple of degrees since the fermentation was slowing down and attenuation was not even close. Added DH at 1.020 and it finished of at 1.009. Cold crashed for 5 days and bottled. While bottling I tasted it directly from the fermentor and it was incredible good and aromatic. Left the bottle at controlled temperature of 21c for 6 days and 23 for 2 days. Carbonation completed. Drank one bottle at day 6, one at 7 and one at 8 of carbonation, all of then yeasty. Do you guys think still green beer? How come it tasted so good before botle conditioning? 2nd fermentation? Competition will take place in 9 days from now. I cold crashed the bottles yesterday night. Do you think it can develop any good? What do you think went wrong? Help me out, guys. Thanks.
“Drank one bottle at day 6, one at 7 and one at 8 of carbonation, all of then yeasty. Do you guys think still green beer?” My IPAs reach their peak of flavor at 4-5 weeks post the bottling date. I think your beer is still “green”. “How come it tasted so good before bottle conditioning? 2nd fermentation?” The beer is going through an actual secondary fermentation during the bottle conditioning process. Just give your beers more time to have their flavors meld/mature. Cheers!
Even if your primary fermentation was done and enough time was given to allow the yeast to clean up any off flavors prior to bottling IMO 8 days is not long enough for bottle conditioning. Yes, it may be carbonated but not enough time for everything to "congeal." Give it at least 3 weeks from bottling date and retry.
Thanks guys... The thing about homebrewing that excites me the most is that nothing is ever the same. I had a batch that I opened up a bottle at day 3 of carbonation and it was INCREDIBLE since then...but at this one I´m indeed tense. Hopefully the yeast flavor will drop and hops will shine.
As a recent example: I bottled a batch of Galaxy/Citra IPA four weeks ago. I tried my first bottle last week (3 weeks in the bottle); it was fully carbonated and fairly pleasant to drink. I tried a second bottle last night (4 weeks in the bottle) and that bottle was waaaay better. I really enjoyed drinking that beer. I will give this batch a few more days (e.g., a week) and then 'go to town' drinking this batch up. Cheers!
I agree with Jack, the beer is going through a secondary fermentation in the bottle. It can take some time for the flavors produced during that process to settle out. You might find that the hops settle down as well while waiting. This is why I used to slightly overhop my IPAs to account for the hops settling down during bottle conditioning. It's also one of the reasons why so many brewers prefer to force carb their IPAs. With that being said, you can make a fantastic bottle conditioned IPA. It just takes a bit more effort.
I personally condition my hoppy beers at room temperature (e.g., 20 degrees C). I have never cold conditioned them so I can't comment on how that would go. Cheers!
