Am I being too impatient?

[A M Street]

At the instigation of my sister I bought a couple of beer kits to brew for use over Christmas and the New Year.
I started the Youngs ubrew lager in the fourth week of November as the instruction leaflet said that the brew would be drinkable in three weeks or so.
The primary fermentation took longer that I expected (8 days) but that might be because the very cold weather meant that I could not keep the brew above 18C at night.
I bottled the beer and it has settled out very nicely, clear and with a good carbonation. However, it still is VERY bitter and has a slight chemical taste though both are getting
less as time goes on. After I had bottled the Young I started a Coopers Aussie Draught, that fermented a bit quicker and has again had a good secondary fermentation and is now nice and clear
and a very appetising colour. This too is still very bitter but has a rather nice honey aftertaste to it. How long should I wait until the bitterness has gone and the beer becomes drinkable?
Both sets of instruction seem to have been overly optimistic in the time needed.
:thumb: Thanks for the very warm welcome on the newbies page by the way.

 

[darrenwest1]

well i normally leave my drink a few months in the keg before drinking
allways the last bottle you drink will be the best
get a few done so you can leave them as long as possible

 

[the shadow]

i fined the youngs lager good to drink after 5 weeks try poping them in a very cold fridge 4 degres you will get some chill haze but it will help with the taste

 

[stephent]

i have done 2 youngs kits now. Hated them both.... never again.

 

[graysalchemy]

If I could bottle Patience I would be a very rich man :rofl: :rofl:

Give it time and get a few more kits on.

:

AG

 

[Vossy1]

However, it still is VERY bitter and has a slight chemical taste though both are getting

Did you use tap water to make the kit, and if so, did you dechlorinate it before adding to the kits A M S?

How long should I wait until the bitterness has gone and the beer becomes drinkable?

As for the bitterness, what are you used to drinking ?

 

[Moley]

How long should I wait until the bitterness has gone and the beer becomes drinkable?
Both sets of instruction seem to have been overly optimistic in the time needed.

Most kits' instructions are overly optimistic, there's a big difference between drinkable and good to drink, and if you have to ask if you're being impatient the answer is most probably yes.

Bitterness will soften, given a month or three, but in hindsight I don't think I ever appreciated hops from drinking commercial beers and my brews gradually seem to have crept up from the mid 20s to the 30s and then into the 40s, once you can understand and calculate Bitterness Units, so as you strive to brew better your palate will evolve.

i have done 2 youngs kits now. Hated them both.... never again.

The starter packages can be a useful introduction, but I only ever brewed one Young's kit.

 

[Alan Robinson]

It is useful to remember that the higher the alcohol content, then normally the higher the malt and hop taste, and the longer the maturing time.

My pale ale is about 5.5% ABV, and I never drink it younger than 8 weeks old, and preferably 10 weeks. Light ales can be drunk after a month, while a down-to-earth Export Pale Ale should mature at least 12 weeks before enjoying it.

Anyway, those "kits" are only for beginners, and once you've found out how to go about it, you'll get MUCH finer ales by buying ingredients and using your own recipe. Give it a go using syrup! It isn't wizardry, and you'll soon develop your very own ale to you own palate.