Bitter IPA Finish...Rookie question

So I brewed Brewer's Best IPA as my first homebrew...1wk primary, 2wks glass carboy, 2.5wks bottle condition. Now I've drank probably about 10 bottles. The first 4 were right at 2wks in the bottle and I drank them in an "unchilled" pint glass...and they tasted pretty darn good for a rookie beer. Now this week I've opened a few more and the finishing bite of each drink is noticeably more bitter. Now the only difference is that the actual beer may be colder than the ones before and I poured it into a frozen pint glass.

Could the temp of the beer at the point of drinking change the finishing taste over all?

I really don't think so. Its possible that the beer is still doing a little bit of conditioning allowing the flavor profile to still shift a bit. Though usually, those harsher, more bitter flavors, mellow out with time, not come back. Perhaps it was what you were eating with it?

MonsterBrew thats a good thought...it was noticed by my wife and a friend and when I tried it I agreed with them...I'm drinking one now not in a chilled/frozen pint glass and the finish is MUCH smoother again... I don't know but I'm happy to not have cold glass if it'll continue to taste just as smooth.

PS nice website...if I'm in the Austin area I'll definitely look you up....

Everyone's taste buds are different but typically the colder you drink a beer the less of it you taste. Cold hampers your ability to really taste something. That is why American fizzy yellow beers should be served near freezing so you can't taste them.

Because most of us grew up drinking crap beer we are accustomed to drinking it very cold and a frosty mug makes it even better. I think you will find those days will be over now that you are homebrewing good beer.

A rule of thumb is the stronger the beer, the warmer it should be served. If you have ever had a strong Belgian or Scotch ale, it gets better as it warms in the glass. These beers are usually best served at temps in the low to mid 50's.

You can find a lot of suggested serving temperatures for different styles of beer on the internet. For me, I serve my IPA's right around 45 degrees and I do not use a chilled glass.

I would recommend that you experiment with your serving temperatures to see which you prefer most.

Cold will numb your taste buds. That's why BMC is marketed as best drunk cold. So yes, drinking your IPA cold will make a difference.

I have found with IPAs that I like them much better by letting them warm a bit. It seems (and this could very well be just my perception) that a deep chill dulls the sweet more than it dulls the bitter so a freezing cold hoppy beer seems abnormally bitter.

Jints07 said:

I have found with IPAs that I like them much better by letting them warm a bit. It seems (and this could very well be just my perception) that a deep chill dulls the sweet more than it dulls the bitter so a freezing cold hoppy beer seems abnormally bitter.

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You are correct that the cold dulls the sweet more than the bitter. If you want to accentuate the malt flavor, you serve beer warmer. If you want to accentuate the bitterness, you serve it colder.

Man I appreciate everyone's input…learning something about home brewing all the time and this forum never makes me feel stupid about being the new guy among veteran home brewers. Thanks again home brew family