Ok, so I tasted my 1st couple beers from my first batch after 2 weeks of bottle carbing. It was over carbed and acidic/alcohol tasting and doesn’t taste much like a brown that I’ve tasted before.
I used Walmart’s bottled drinking water for the brew. I steeped the grains for 30 mins around 160 degrees and when I primed the batch, I used the full 5 oz bag of Brewers Best priming sugar for the 5 gallon batch.
Did I use too much priming sugar? If so, what is/are the guidelines for the amount of corn sugar to use? I do have a scale that measures in ounces. Would using this water cause off flavors or would the faulty taste be solely from overcarbing or is it possible that I extracted the tannins while steeping?
It isn’t horrible tasting but I am kind of bummed that it isn’t great.
No, 5 oz. priming sugar is not too much. Did you stir the priming sugar mixture into the beer?
My advice: Give it another week or two then try again. If it still isn’t good, give it another month. If it still isn’t good, give it another month. Etc. Until you have no bottles remaining.
The off-flavor/s will probably have come from the fermentation process. What temperature did you ferment at?
Over-carb issues can be tricky. Try leaving the bottles in the fridge over night and see if you have the same issues. Also, while bottling, be sure to stir the beer every so often to insure you have a good mix.
Is there something wrong with your tap water that is keeping you from using it?
[quote=“mvsawyer”]What temperature did you ferment at?
Is there something wrong with your tap water that is keeping you from using it?[/quote]
I fermented primary at an ambient temp of 68 (7 days) and secondary at 66 (14 days) bottled at 68 (14 days). I refrigerated the bottles before trying them to make sure the yeast fully settled.
Sometimes my tap water has a funky aftertaste we are on a community well, so I figured I would use bottled water, but I am thinking of trying tap in my next batch just to see.
[quote=“teresalgl”]No, 5 oz. priming sugar is not too much. Did you stir the priming sugar mixture into the beer?
My advice: Give it another week or two then try again. If it still isn’t good, give it another month. If it still isn’t good, give it another month. Etc. Until you have no bottles remaining.[/quote]
Yes I stirred slowly after racking into the bucket even tasted the leftovers that wouldn’t make up a whole bottle and it was sweet.
My personal experience with the honey brown ale is that it improves with time…I’ve seen others say that about this particular beer too. I didn’t like mine when I first brewed it…but it eventually became really good and I drank them all! Give it time… :cheers:
