I’m on my first batch of IPA. I was a little concerned it stopped fermenting in about one week. I have followed the direction to a tee and I am a week from bottling. I put my last packs of hops in and had to sneak a taste. Pretty good flavor but very light for an IPA. Will this achieve the heavier IPA taste or was there something wrong in the fermentation?
A few things first here. You say fermentation has stopped after one week, did you come to this conclusion using a hydrometer or a non bubbling airlock?
Second, post your recipe, this will be helpful. OG and any gravity readings would be useful as well.
Third, you say the sample is “light” for an IPA, light as in mouthfeel or not the desired hop flavor/bitterness level.
Chances are you have a young beer. Be patient it’s always worth the wait.
Thanks for the feedback - unfortunately I relied on the airlock bubbles. I will handle the next beer with the hygrometer.
Maturation time, dry hops, carbonation, and chilled temp will all change the flavor perception compared to what you have now.
At this point, judging the final product is kind of like when you paint a room and the paint is still wet. You may have a general idea what it will look like, but as the paint dries you are amazed how much it changes.
Thanks for the post. Looking forward to a great beer. Being my first not sure what to expect. I did love the aroma of it when I put in the last batch of hopps.
What was your O G? Unless you are brewing an imperial barleywine most ales will be pretty much done in a week.
