Tonguesplitter stuck fermentation? and tastes really bitter!

Northern Brewer General
1

Hi there,
oh my, I have a tonguesplitter extract going.

quick fermentation with dry S-33 yeast.
checked gravity after a week, only 1.020 (OG 1.053)
(I checked my hydrometer and it’s 3 pts off, so it could be OG 1053, G at 1 week 1017, 66% attentuation).

anyway, I roused it, added some yeast energizer
now checking it 3 days later, total 10 days.
fermentation seems really done.

same G at 1020 (or 1017)
temp about 66*

what worries me more is that it TASTES REALLY BITTER!
is that from the yeast energizer?
or what?
I can’t find the description of this bitter taste in Palmer (is my beer ruined chapter).

almost undrinkable, bitter, but not sour, not off, maybe I added too many hops?
when I tasted it before energizer, it was fine.

thoughts?
are you all going to say just leave it be for now?

thanks!
Mel

2

I could be wrong, but I always thought that yeast energizer has to be added to the boil of a batch or starter, not added to fermenting beer

3

Well the kit is called tongue splitter…

This is a pretty hoppy and bitter beer. I made the extract kit a few years ago and really enjoyed it but I’m a fan of bitter/hoppy beers.

And I agree with 560sdl, I think yeast energizer is supposed to be added to the boil or at the beginning of fermentation.

4

I love bitter beers!
and I’ve made this kit 4 times and really liked it.

but this is not good bitter, it’s a nasty bitter.

maybe it will mellow out?

the difference in this beer, a full boil and I added ounce of Cascade at 30 minutes.

here’s the hops I put in:
60 min 1 oz Summit
30 min 1 oz cascade
15 min 1 oz glacier
10 min 1 oz cascade
2 min 1 oz liberty

5

I don’t think an extra ounce of cascade would make the beer nasty bitter. I would taste the yeast energizer and see if it’s bitter, that could likely be your culprit.

Edit - you will get more hop utilization with a full boil. That coupled with the extra addition of cascade will certainly bump up the IBU. I still don’t think it should taste nasty bitter but it could be a bit more abrasive.

6

well, i tasted the energizer, it’s not bitter.
and I used it in a stout recently, didn’t affect the taste, though a darker beer, it also didn’t do anything.

maybe I shouldn’t have used it.

I guess, at this point, I’ll just let it be for another week or two?

bummer.

thanks for thoughts…