being honest with yourself... beer taste

[Gledison]

Hey Bräumeisters !
I have splitted a recipe bill for 10 L in 2x 5L. Originaly was a simcoe ipa ca. 6,5% abv.
The first batch, as I was learning, I realized that I had quite some trubloss and ended up with 3 L of Beer. It tasted quite good thou.
For the second one, I decided to have 5L of Beer in the end, therefore, I had to add 2 extra liters of water, which become a Session IPA with 3,5% ABV. I liked the idea, now its summer, why not?.
so, today I've tried and it really tasted like a diluted IPA (ohhh realy?? )
well, the problem is the aroma was gone. I still can feel a little (very little) acidity. That makes me think about contamination. As my second brew, I have no idea how a contaminated beer tastes like (like a sour beer?).
I'm trying to be realistic and pragmatic. I didn't like it but if I look the recipe, that's what most likely was supposed to happen, well, a part from the no aroma part...
Shall I send the beer around and get feedback? how do you judge your own beer? any tip on how to identify contamination on the taste (infection)?
thanks a any tip
cheers

 

[CRUNK]

Your best option, is locate a local bjcp judge to try it and give you his/her opinion.

 

[J A]

There are a lot of ways to get feedback, but the best you can do is to join a brewing club if there's one in your area. Failing that, find other individual brewers, preferably with substantial experience. If you're lucky, there'll be a small brewery, taproom, etc in your area and you can get to know the brewers there.In a small place, they'll be around most of the time and you can strike up a conversation. Try all their beers, explain that you're really interested in making your better and see if they're amenable to trying your stuff and offering advice. Very well versed bartenders at places with lots of craft beers on tap can help, too.
The way you can train your own palate is to find examples of beers in the style you want. There are dependable, consistent brands like Lagunitas, Seirra Nevada, etc that are widely available and can serve as a solid base line.
It's hard to mistake clean, well-executed beer. You sort of know when it's right. There are lots of types of contamination and several off flavors that result from fermentation process and aren't related to other organisms. Read up on these common flavors and the "mistakes" that cause them. Brew plain, light colored, low gravity beers without much hop presence if you want to really judge your progress. Off flavors get covered up with dark roasted and caramel malt flavors as well as big hop flavors.
Don't be satisfied that your friends and family think your beers are fantastic...they're seldom objective because they're too busy being impressed that you actually brewed beer and the social setting makes everything taste better. Keep pushing to improve the flavor and consistency of your beer. It'll pay off.

PS...one bit of advice: Don't just dilute a recipe...it'll never give you a good beer. You need to adjust specialty malts/mash process to increase residual sugars, body and head retention as well as adjusting hop additions to maintain the proper bitterness, flavor and aroma profiles.
Good luck!!!

 

[GFHomebrew]

If it's acidic or tarty that would be our mate lactobacillus famous for souring yogurt and plays some part in the bacterial symphony in sour dough. This is off the top of my head. Your beer doesn't act lively in the bottle when opened and try to,climb up out the bottle on you? That's a wild fermentation thing and it comes down to proper cleaning of brew Equipment and solid sanitation.

Don't dispare brew on mate your next brew could be your best one! Go grab another beer sit down in your brew house and think of a new brew recipe and how to keep them wild bugs out your beer.

 

[Mark D Pirate]

There are a lot of ways to get feedback, but the best you can do is to join a brewing club if there's one in your area. Failing that, find other individual brewers, preferably with substantial experience. If you're lucky, there'll be a small brewery, taproom, etc in your area and you can get to know the brewers there.In a small place, they'll be around most of the time and you can strike up a conversation. Try all their beers, explain that you're really interested in making your better and see if they're amenable to trying your stuff and offering advice. Very well versed bartenders at places with lots of craft beers on tap can help, too.
The way you can train your own palate is to find examples of beers in the style you want. There are dependable, consistent brands like Lagunitas, Seirra Nevada, etc that are widely available and can serve as a solid base line.
It's hard to mistake clean, well-executed beer. You sort of know when it's right. There are lots of types of contamination and several off flavors that result from fermentation process and aren't related to other organisms. Read up on these common flavors and the "mistakes" that cause them. Brew plain, light colored, low gravity beers without much hop presence if you want to really judge your progress. Off flavors get covered up with dark roasted and caramel malt flavors as well as big hop flavors.
Don't be satisfied that your friends and family think your beers are fantastic...they're seldom objective because they're too busy being impressed that you actually brewed beer and the social setting makes everything taste better. Keep pushing to improve the flavor and consistency of your beer. It'll pay off.

PS...one bit of advice: Don't just dilute a recipe...it'll never give you a good beer. You need to adjust specialty malts/mash process to increase residual sugars, body and head retention as well as adjusting hop additions to maintain the proper bitterness, flavor and aroma profiles.
Good luck!!!

Second everything JA has said here , joining a good club ( there are some full of Aleholes ) is a great way forward and ours holds tastings regularly with honest educated feedback from certified judges .
Sensory training is useful in understanding how off flavours taste to you and become a valuable part of your brewing toolbox , experience in what each ingredient brings to a beer helps you build better recipes so maybe try a few single malt and single hop brews ?

 

[Gledison]

Great tips guys!
I just drank another 2 bottles of the beer with a friend and it tasted different from the first Trial. I think that it just tasted diluted but no infection, at least it tastes like taking an "Standard" ipa and adding some water in it
I think sensorial tests are quite a craft in itself. probably very dependend on what you´ve eaten before tasting or previous drink, etc..
I know that for the perfum industry, People smell a Cup containing some coffee beans. they say it helps to neutralize the Aromas in the nose....
BTW, anyone in Germany willing of Exchange some bottels for tasting? i believe that sending to US will be a bit expensive
cheers

 

[J A]

I think that it just tasted diluted but no infection, at least it tastes like taking an "Standard" ipa and adding some water in it

Likely what you were experiencing in the early tasting is just hop bitterness that's bald and unbalanced. Hops really have some harsh flavors on their own. That mellows quite a bit and the malt flavor starts to come forward. I don't think you mentioned how much aging has gone into this beer, but I'd suspect that within 4 weeks or so of conditioning and chilling, the flavors would start to meld and it'd be a fine beer.

 

[Gledison]

Likely what you were experiencing in the early tasting is just hop bitterness that's bald and unbalanced. Hops really have some harsh flavors on their own. That mellows quite a bit and the malt flavor starts to come forward. I don't think you mentioned how much aging has gone into this beer, but I'd suspect that within 4 weeks or so of conditioning and chilling, the flavors would start to meld and it'd be a fine beer.

Good Point.
Well, the first tasting was exactly after 4 weeks. 10 days conditioning at room temperature and then 7 days in the fridge at 4 degC.
lets see how it develps in a couple of weeks

 

[J A]

I'd expect the hop profile on any IPA/APA to be a little strident at 4 weeks. I think 6to 8 weeks is sort of a sweet spot in terms of judging flavor for a low-gravity hoppy beer.

 

[The Green Man]

FWIW, I have been amazed at what a month of extra conditioning does. I have been giving mine two weeks in primary, then two weeks in the bottle. My first two had what I call the 'the homebrew twang' (I remember from sloppy brewing with kits in my youth). I think it is more than likely diacetyl. Anyway, I tried a bottle of the second of these recently and, wow, the 'twang' t'is no more. It was a smash pale ale. My problem with small batches is keeping from drinking them all...I know 'patience young grasshopper!'.

 

[Gledison]

FWIW, I have been amazed at what a month of extra conditioning does. I have been giving mine two weeks in primary, then two weeks in the bottle. My first two had what I call the 'the homebrew twang' (I remember from sloppy brewing with kits in my youth). I think it is more than likely diacetyl. Anyway, I tried a bottle of the second of these recently and, wow, the 'twang' t'is no more. It was a smash pale ale. My problem with small batches is keeping from drinking them all...I know 'patience young grasshopper!'.

Yeah, i´ve been reading similar comments around. What i like about small Batches is that if you dont like the beer wont be a big deal.
at the Moment for me the 1 galon biab Batch fits perfectly

 

[The Green Man]

Yeah, i´ve been reading similar comments around. What i like about small Batches is that if you dont like the beer wont be a big deal.
at the Moment for me the 1 galon biab Batch fits perfectly

I'm with you on that. I might experiment with a 2 gallon batch next time and see how I get on though. Next brew will be my 9th biab brew so I'm getting a bit more used to it and feeling brave.