Young's APA

[Patvegas1]

Hi guys.

Just a quick question for those who have brewed the Young's American Pale Ale. It is my second kit and it spent about 3 weeks in the Primary at about 21-22 degrees before the gravity settled and I bottled it up. Its been bottle conditioning for almost 6 weeks now. I've been trying a bottle every week and it still doesn't taste like its ready. Its still got a yeasty flavour to it but I must admit has definitely subsided a lot compared to a couple of weeks ago. Has anyone brewed this and if so have you had it bottle conditioning for a similar time?
It smells amazing. Very citrusy and hoppy and the clarity and head is just perfect. Shame the flavour isn't quite there yet although time does solve all ills I'm told?!?

 

[ManseMasher]

What temperature have you kept the bottles at? A good rule of thumb is 2+2+2 - 2 weeks FV, two weeks in the warm, 2 weeks in the cold. Helps everything settle down.

 

[Patvegas1]

After the 21-22 degrees in the FV, I put them in a cupboard in the hall and have been there for the whole 6 weeks. The temperature is basically the temperature of the flat and has been an average of about 16-18 degrees. That obviously has changed in the last couple of days with the 25 degree heat we had. I've had a couple of bottles over the last couple of nights and have noticed the flavour has got better. I was expecting more of a citrus/hop kick though. I get the feeling the hops weren't in the FV for long enough as I've read that the longer they're in the FV, the more flavour it adds.
Will the citrus/hop kick get bigger over time in your experience or is it done?

 

[ManseMasher]

Stick a couple in the fridge - not to chill completely but enough to bring the temp down. See how the taste is then. Might not change much, but give it a go! In terms of hop/citrus kick getting bigger, probably not now after 6 weeks. When did you add hops?

 

[Racinsnake]

+1 to Manse
I had problems with this clearing, another week in the beer fridge and a click lower on the stat sorted it. :party:
Rob.

 

[matt666]

This was 5 weeks in the fermenter for me before it got down to 1.009, which is what the kit said it should be. It's a very slow ferment so it's possibly still doing its thing in your bottles. Mine was ready to drink after 3 weeks conditioning, so 8 weeks total. It will probably improve from here, but the hoppy taste is likely to diminish over time

 

[Hopping_Mad]

You MUST have patience with this one. I really, really didn't dig it very much after two weeks in the warm and two weeks in the beer fridge after bottling. I left it and drank other stuff for another month, after which I tried again, and didn't think it was too bad.

By the time I got to the last one after 6 months I was nearly crying!

Higher alcohol beers, in my experience, take much longer to condition properly.

 

[Patvegas1]

The primary fermentation took longer than was specified on the box and the hops were in longer than was advised. I think the hops were in for about 5-7 days I think. Perhaps next time they need to be in longer. But its definitely not as citrusy as I was hoping.

Thanks guys. I guess time is all I need. But, as is the way with homebrew, its difficult to be disciplined. The last bottle will probably be the best one. Sweet irony!

Does anyone have any suggestions for my next homebrew. I'd like to stay with kits if possible for the moment. I'd really like a citrusy hop punch of a brew. Any advice?

 

[Racinsnake]

If you like hops - Golden stag! My most brewed kit and loved by all my guinea pigs (although they were free samples) :whistle:
Rob.

 

[matt666]

The last bottle is ALWAYS the best. If you like it hoppy and want to stay with kits, just dry hop a kit with some extra. I've done a wilko golden ale with 50g Citra, you could go up to 100g for a real punchy Citrus hit

 

[Patvegas1]

I like that idea Matt. I guess if you like the citrusy hops then that seems like a good idea and will do that on my next homebrew. Cheers guys

 

[Patvegas1]

Hello (hop)fathers. It's been about 6 months since my last beer session. I'm looking to do the next one hopefully ready for xmas. My last post was about dry hopping a beer kit. The one question I do have is, is it essential to have a secondary FV to dry hop, and even when the gravity reading has settled I assume it won't do it any harm in leaving it for as long as the hops need to impart their deliciousness.

Has anyone dry hopped in the primary and bottled straight from there? Is the idea of primary, secondary and even tertiary FV is to get rid of as much sediment as possible?

 

[Racinsnake]

Exactly how I do it pat, I dry hop when ferments finished, cold crash and then syphon into barrel or bottles. The Festival filter bag for the syphon is a real bonus.

 

[Patvegas1]

Hey Racinsnake. What do you mean by cold crash? that sounds like scare the crap out of it in a very cold fridge?

 

[Racinsnake]

Pretty much yeah!! :rofl:
It helps clear your brew dropping the yeast out.