19 replies to this topic

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

I've got an 8+% AIPA that I just put on tap. It isn't carbed yet and it's about 3 weeks old. It has a fairly noticeable alcohol taste to it which I guess I should have expected given the high ABV. This will mellow with time correct? I'm a little bummed b/c I was using this beer to test out the "drink beer as fresh as possible" idea and if this alcohol needs time to mellow this won't be a good test.

[ncbeerbrewer]

It should mellow as time carries onward for you. I too have an Imperial thats about 3 weeks old but I tend to wanna wait 4 weeks or so just to mellow that alcohol burn if present as well. Don't give up on the beer yet it will turn out good for you.

[Augie1991]

I'm not familiar with kegging at all. Is it too late to throw hops in there or introduce hops in some manner??

[Beejus McReejus]

I'm not familiar with kegging at all. Is it too late to throw hops in there or introduce hops in some manner??

You could dry-hop once it get's mellowed out. That'll add fresh hop aroma. I think for big beers, the "drink fresh" idea just doesn't apply. They are so much better with age.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

You could dry-hop once it get's mellowed out. That'll add fresh hop aroma. I think for big beers, the "drink fresh" idea just doesn't apply. They are so much better with age.

Yeah - I sort of forgot that this was a high ABV beer but then I remembered what my OG was after I tried some uncarbed

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

I'm not familiar with kegging at all. Is it too late to throw hops in there or introduce hops in some manner??

Certainly not - I was actually planning on dry-hopping this thing after I tried it carbed. I just wanted to see what it was like un-dry hopped before I did it so I could perhaps gauge how much I think it needs.

You could dry-hop once it get's mellowed out. That'll add fresh hop aroma. I think for big beers, the "drink fresh" idea just doesn't apply. They are so much better with age.

I think that will probably be my game plan.

[Kremer]

yep, let it age a bit. My 11.7% barleywine tasted like rocket fuel for at least 9 months, now at almost 2 years old it is nothing but malty sweet goodness.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

Again,let it age. My doppelbock won best of category and third best of show. It tasted hot as holy hell in the first few months and I let it lager for a few more months and it mellowed unbelievably. Just a very slight hint of alcohol as BJCP suggests for that style. I say if you want a style to drink fresh and young try hefe-weizen. Those are great right out of primary.

done those fresh before but the style practically demands it. I guess next time I make an ale that's a more normal/session ABV I'll try this again.

[3rd party JKor]

How good is your fermentation control? You really need to ferment it low and steady to keep down the burny alcohols (yes, that's the technical term).

Edited by JKoravos, 02 March 2010 - 06:58 AM.

[Thirsty]

I think for big beers, the "drink fresh" idea just doesn't apply. They are so much better with age.

This is such a tricky style. After I first started making these and getting feedback from comps, the same thing became a trend. Not enough hops. I would bitter to 100 IBUs, brew to a 1.080 gravity, think it is nice and big after a few months, just to get the same feedback- not enough hops! So to do it right, you need gravity to achieve the alcohol level, but need to balance this gravity with the right finish, so the malt backbone can be there to support the high bitterness. Depending on the outcome you wish, the maturation may change. I think a malty version of the style like great divide's hercules or DFH 90 min, should age longer, but the hop balance needs to be accounted for in the age. Or a fresher version like stone's ruination or moylan's hopsickle, finishes drier, but the alcohol perception needs to be kept in check. I feel this beer changes quite a bit in the bottle, and a timeline needs to be considered if you are trying to achieve a specific profile.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

How good is your fermentation control? You really need to ferment it low and steady to keep down the burny alcohols (yes, that's the technical term).

I monitored the temps through ferm and it didn't go too crazy. Ferm temps crept up to maybe 66F if I'm remembering correctly but it started out in the low 60s. The alcohol taste is fairly low considering the ABV on this (higher than anything else I've made).

This is such a tricky style. After I first started making these and getting feedback from comps, the same thing became a trend. Not enough hops. I would bitter to 100 IBUs, brew to a 1.080 gravity, think it is nice and big after a few months, just to get the same feedback- not enough hops! So to do it right, you need gravity to achieve the alcohol level, but need to balance this gravity with the right finish, so the malt backbone can be there to support the high bitterness. Depending on the outcome you wish, the maturation may change. I think a malty version of the style like great divide's hercules or DFH 90 min, should age longer, but the hop balance needs to be accounted for in the age. Or a fresher version like stone's ruination or moylan's hopsickle, finishes drier, but the alcohol perception needs to be kept in check. I feel this beer changes quite a bit in the bottle, and a timeline needs to be considered if you are trying to achieve a specific profile.

This beer is pretty malty (almost half of the base was munich) and I'm up around 100IBU with lots of finishing hops used. Maybe after it's mellowed out I can toss some more hops in there or maybe I'll just bask in the malty goodness and guidelines be damned!

[Deerslyr]

yep, let it age a bit. My 11.7% barleywine tasted like rocket fuel for at least 9 months, now at almost 2 years old it is nothing but malty sweet goodness.

Hey, this is good news to hear. I've got an Old Ale that was very "hot"... after a 5 week fermentation, it aged for another 3 or 4 months and was bottled in November of 2008. I should probably pull a bottle back out and give it its bi-annual tasting.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

Hey, this is good news to hear. I've got an Old Ale that was very "hot"... after a 5 week fermentation, it aged for another 3 or 4 months and was bottled in November of 2008. I should probably pull a bottle back out and give it its bi-annual tasting.

will the hot alcohol stuff subside even in the bottle? I hope so since I bottled my old ale at 4 or 5 weeks I think!

[drewseslu]

Based on what I've read here, double check (or just plain double) your pitching rates, make sure to get great oxygenation during/4 hours after knockout, and use a good yeast strain.My 11.8% ABV American Barleywine was ready in about 7 weeks using these practices.

[cavman]

Aging helps on beers meant to be malty, I had some 2005 Double Bastard on draft the other day that was awesome even though I'm not a fan of the Bastard beers. As for hoppy big beers as drew says common techniques will get you there; I've had beers ferment out fast in the low 60's from high OG's using pitching rate, mash temp etc.

Edited by cavman, 02 March 2010 - 11:20 PM.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

Aging helps on beers meant to be malty, I had some 2005 Double Bastard on draft the other day that was awesome even though I'm not a fan of the Bastard beers. As for hoppy big beers as drew says common techniques will get you there; I've had beers ferment out fast in the low 60's from high OG's using pitching rate, mash temp etc.

I can already tell this beer is smoothing out - just a matter of time...

[shmgeggie]

How good is your fermentation control? You really need to ferment it low and steady to keep down the burny alcohols (yes, that's the technical term).

I saw some n00b call them "fusel" alcohols. What a dumb word.

[3rd party JKor]

lol, n00bness.