Funky Taste question

Sanktwo

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So I brewed an extract ipa:
upload_2018-11-28_10-26-40.png



Fermentation kicked off great after 24hrs & temp was around 74F for about 4 days then temp dropped to 68F and fermentation calmed down. At day 10 temp was steady at 66F noticed that the trub was super thick (thicker than I normally see)

Day 16: I decided to open up and dry hop and first noticed the smell which I was happy about & there was still a thin foamy layer on top which I figured that was normal (pic):
upload_2018-11-28_10-36-27.png



I decided to take a sample (from below the foamy layer) and give a little taste test
oh boy was I surprised : it was dry and prickly tasting (hard to describe). not what I expected at all. I was going for a juicy taste.

I decided to throw my dry hop pellets in anyway and close it up, I didn't take enough sample for a reading bc i started to get nervous, but I figure I was going to leave the dry hop for 5-7 days then bottle.

here is a pic of the fermenter after closing back up:
thin foamy layer
thin green layer from dry hop
beer
super thick trub

upload_2018-11-28_10-32-38.png


So I ask the experts:
what is this dry prickly taste?
and is it a sign of something gone wrong?
or is this normal taste for something that is not done fermenting?

I want to RDWHAHB but something seems odd.
 

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"Dry and prickly" might be suspended yeast. By the way, that taste is the reason we go for clear beers - clear beers don't have enough of the yeast to give that yeasty flavor! That bubbly top layer indicates there's still something microbiological going on, it looks like yeast and not a pellicle (bacterial matting). The normal haze in an NEIPA is not bacterial nor is it yeast so it may not fall out - hard to see if this is normal NEIPA haze (starch-hop oil complexes) or if it's some other kind of haze (glucans from the oats, infection, yeast, etc.). If you have a microscope, take a look at it but you won't be able to tell the difference between saccaromyces and other yeasts. Take a sample, put it in the fridge and see if you get some stuff falling to the bottom. Then taste and see if it's different. Suspended gunk like hops or yeast might be your problem.
 
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"Dry and prickly" might be suspended yeast. By the way, that taste is the reason we go for clear beers - clear beers don't have enough of the yeast to give that yeasty flavor! That bubbly top layer indicates there's still something microbiological going on, it looks like yeast and not a pellicle (bacterial matting). The normal haze in an NEIPA is not bacterial nor is it yeast so it may not fall out - hard to see if this is normal NEIPA haze (starch-hop oil complexes) or if it's some other kind of haze (glucans from the oats, infection, yeast, etc.). If you have a microscope, take a look at it but you won't be able to tell the difference between saccaromyces and other yeasts. Take a sample, put it in the fridge and see if you get some stuff falling to the bottom. Then taste and see if it's different. Suspended gunk like hops or yeast might be your problem.

thanks for the quick response
as far as the clearness here is a pic of the sample I took out
upload_2018-11-28_13-30-56.png

a little bit hazy but not overly super cloudy or funky stuff floating around
I figured that the thick bottom trub was due to the amount of oats used in the recipe.

I like the idea of putting a sample in the fridge and see if the taste is due to suspended yeast and if it tastes different after temp drops as it would happen after bottling. when I take the a FG reading I will do that most likely this weekend.
 
Harsh bitterness from very fresh hops and suspended yeast are common in the first samples. Your oats didn't do anything to lend any fermentables but you might have some plain oatmeal/starchy flavor that's contributing to an awkward mouthfeel and aftertaste.
It'll be very different when it's conditioned and carbed. ;)
 
Harsh bitterness from very fresh hops and suspended yeast are common in the first samples. Your oats didn't do anything to lend any fermentables but you might have some plain oatmeal/starchy flavor that's contributing to an awkward mouthfeel and aftertaste.
It'll be very different when it's conditioned and carbed. ;)

i'm glad to here that this batch would not be a dumper and it may work out after all.
 
Update:
took a sample to get the FG which was 1.016 right where it supposed to be
color looks good
smell is amazing
tastes better not so much prickly as I tasted before but more dry oatmeal
upload_2018-11-30_19-14-6.png


I moved it from the basement to upstairs which I usually do a day or 2 before bottling (I bottle in the kitchen)
now that I moved the fermenter I'm getting some bubbling since things got a little unsettled in the move
also, put a sample in the fridge to see if anything drops out and if the taste will improve

can't wait to bottle on Sunday
 

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