'hot' alcohol flavours

[uDicko]

So I made a Belgian Quad on the 17th Jan and it was never made to be a fast drinker, I know I will have to let it mellow and hopefully transform into something special. It's a 10% monster.

I have had some small samples of this quad and I can taste some caramel accent which is pleasant and I'm chuffed with. The overpowering taste is what I can only describe as hot alcohol from reading around, its bloody strong but overpowering.

I have questions that I can't really find genuine answers for. Either I'm not asking them right or I'm not being descriptive enough to get the answers.

How long does it take for the hotness to mellow?
What is the technical or correct term for the hot defining alcohol taste? (hot? Solvent?)
What (if at all) would the current taste change to? I'm reading some places it's raisiny taste maybe.

Dicko

 

[dad_of_jon]

can also be known as spicy alcohol. my barley wine has it. can be caused by high fermentation temps amongst other things. I do like it in certain beers as it gives them a punch.

 

[Poochops]

I made a quad last year
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/poochops-gf-brewday-10-rochefort-10-clone.75585/
I think I made a few small errors in my process, it's in the thread, anyhow it's been bottled about 56 weeks now, the last time I had a bottle was about November and it wasn't right still. I think I'll open one tomorrow and do an update. I was thinking recently whether to ditch it Tbh

 

[uDicko]

can also be known as spicy alcohol. my barley wine has it. can be caused by high fermentation temps amongst other things. I do like it in certain beers as it gives them a punch.

I fermented on purpose at higher temperature for the punch... Just not two black eyes. Went and maintained at 26c

 

[uDicko]

I made a quad last year
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/poochops-gf-brewday-10-rochefort-10-clone.75585/
I think I made a few small errors in my process, it's in the thread, anyhow it's been bottled about 56 weeks now, the last time I had a bottle was about November and it wasn't right still. I think I'll open one tomorrow and do an update. I was thinking recently whether to ditch it Tbh

I was thinking that this is a ready by Xmas beer but if you are already a year + in and not sure if it... I may have made a mistake

 

[Ajhutch]

Sounds a bit like Fusel alcohol which I believe is associated with yeast stress. Both the high gravity and high fermentation temperature would contribute. It shoild fade but it could take 6 months or longer.

 

[Poochops]

I was thinking that this is a ready by Xmas beer but if you are already a year + in and not sure if it... I may have made a mistake

What was your batch size? What yeast and how much did you pitch? Do you have temp control? There's loads of factors at work as you probably know, but yours is less than a month in the bottle so it's not even got started conditioning properly yet, I think 6 months or more is needed for it to settle down properly

 

[uDicko]

For reference

Batch size 14l
1 wyeast 3787 trappist high gravity
Temp controlled
18c day 1 to 2
26 day 3 to 7
Ferm finished within 7 days
Left at 14c for 2 weeks in primary
Moved to fridge for 24hrs at 4or5c
Kegged

 

[peebee]

10%? I wouldn't have considered it touchable in under a year.

But patience isn't an in-vogue ingredient for beer these days. So ignore me, I'm completely out-of-date.

 

[Sadfield]

[QUOTE="Poochops, post: 806079, member: 16634"yours is less than a month in the bottle so it's not even got started conditioning properly yet, I think 6 months or more is needed for it to settle down properly[/QUOTE]
Wait, what? 6 months? I've read/own homebrewing and brewing books, talked to brewers and never once have seen or heard reference to such lengths of time. Sure, a beer may change character over time, but shouldn't require that time to become drinkable.

Edit: Just had a flick through Brew Like A Monk. Around 2-6 weeks in secondary appears to be the standard practice.

 

[uDicko]

I will keep having samples every now and again, not as if I need to open a bottle every time. If its a year then it's a year!

Will be interested to hear what @Poochops rochefort 10 clone is tasting like after 56 weeks!

 

[dad_of_jon]

I will keep having samples every now and again, not as if I need to open a bottle every time. If its a year then it's a year!

Will be interested to hear what @Poochops rochefort 10 clone is tasting like after 56 weeks!

If you keep on trying something you don't like 10-20 times you will learn to like it. So whilst it has taken me a year to be able to drink one of my brews maybe I just learned to like it rather than it change over time. Having said that my dark beers go thought a plummy phase at around 18 months so I leave them at that point until they reach 2.

I believe its caused by going through a second summer! as I store them in my shed.

 

[peebee]

… Edit: Just had a flick through Brew Like A Monk. Around 2-6 weeks in secondary appears to be the standard practice.

How's that book going to contradict the need for patience?

Monks! They are always running about like blue ars … bottomed flies.

 

[dan125]

I don't brew Belgian beers, but isn't 26C a bit warm to ferment a 10% beer?

 

[uDicko]

I don't brew Belgian beers, but isn't 26C a bit warm to ferment a 10% beer?

Read it from James Morton book and apparently you can go higher on purpose.

Didnt have the balls to go higher

 

[Sadfield]

Read it from James Morton book and apparently you can go higher on purpose.

Didnt have the balls to go higher

Possibly part of your problem. Beers are allowed to rise to those high temperatures through the natural process of fermentation. That is different to artificially raising the temperature of fermentation.

 

[Sadfield]

How's that book going to contradict the need for patience?

Monks! They are always running about like blue ars … bottomed flies.

It's OK, the book is a contradiction, as most of the breweries featured have non-monastic staff doing the brewing.

 

[chthon]

I re-read this week the chapter on yeast in BLAM. They recommend to start at 18° C, and when it is running nicely, only then drop the temperature control. 26° C is too much for abbey beers to start with.

 

[Sadfield]

Yes, I pitch at 18 and let the temperature free rise, with the temperature control set to kick in at 25c, although it never gets that high in a small fv, usually 22-23c at best. I guess the mass of wort makes a massive difference, and as a result, matching what is observed commercially isn't that viable.

 

[BeerCat]

I made strong beers and they don't taste alcoholic even after a week. I suspect its the temp you fermented at or/and not enough oxygen. I have had these problems in the past and i ended up ditching the beer. I would highly recommend trying some of the Norwegian kveik yeasts for a strong beer that does not need a yeas to condition.