Pale ale took time to mature

[flars]

I brewed a pale ale 8/10/2016. Bottled on 9/2/2016. Conditioning at 68°F. An extract recipe I made up calling it an Amber Pale Ale. Started sampling it after three weeks of conditioning at 68°F. I didn’t like. Just bright hop flavor. Aroma was great though. A few weeks ago gave a bottle to another home brewer. Thought I would help him out with a critique by saying up front that I didn’t like it. A week later he said it wasn’t bad. A little like Bud Lite.

Had another bottle on Thanksgiving Day. Tasted very different. Thought it was just because of the turkey meal just consumed. Had another the next day. Hop brightness had faded. Good balance of caramel and malt. I like it, but took a lot of time getting there.Time too refrigerate the remaining bottles.

[denny]

I would bet that what you’re experiencing is oxidation and a dulling of the hops. As long as you like it, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. But perhaps you should be on the lookout for less hoppy recipes so you can drink them sooner.

[flars]

I hope it isn’t oxidation. Will have to with a few beers a day if it is. I’ll probably decrease the Cascade the next time.

[loopie_beer]

Although I agree with @denny as oxidation is the number 1 cause of hop fade. But that beer is going on 4 months old which doesn’t surprise me that the hops are fading. Not going to say not to pay attention to oxidation but don’t beat yourself up on this either.

[denny]

Yep. Just about any beer will suffer oxidative effects at 4 months old.

[flars]

@denny you were right. It was oxidation of the beer that changed the entire character. Luckily it was only the last three bottles that were filled that suffered this fate. I think the bottling bucket slipped on this one as I was holding it tilted to get the last of the beer. Yesterday I made it down to bottle 45. Hop character has faded, but in the glass can still read large print through it.