First Porter

[bellaruche]

I brewed my first porter, which consisted of brown sugar (1# for 5 gal.) After the cold break I took my first hydrometer reading which hit 1.056... which is great. I sampled the hydrometer jar brew and it was quite sweet. Is this normal? Sugar = sweet, I know. But it seemed a little over the top. I can smell the sugar through the top of my airlock after 6 days of primary. I intend on adding 4 cups of espresso beans during secondary. Will this counter or curb what appears to be an overly sweet beer?

 

[HoyaSaxa]

If you tasted it before you even pitched the yeast, then you were tasting wort, which is essentially sugar water. The yeast will eat the sugar during fermentation, convert it into alcohol and carbon dioxide, which is why your airlock is bubbling. It will taste quite different once you let the yeast do their job and eat all that sugar! Measure your gravity before you transfer to secondary and make sure the yeast have fully (or close to fully) converted the sugars. Don't make the mistake I did when I started, which is racking to a secondary fermenter too soon. Let the yeast do their job and you'll be fine... just wait.

 

[bellaruche]

Allrighty! Thanks...