Murrayatuptown
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2020
- Messages
- 72
- Reaction score
- 66
I still have some bottles of an out-of-ABV-range Baltic Porter bottled 1/21. Bottle-conditioned 9 months, carbonation remains a little low. ABV was 12.34%. Was a 9.5-10.5% extract kit I added 1% corn sugar boost pack to, then erred a little in LME (+5.4% weight error). Aeration, 2 sachets of S-189, 1 can NB Fast Pitch & 63-66 F from fermentation onward with a few weeks 71-75 F to try to encourage carbonation were the basement conditions.
I am still getting very favorable comments when I share it. I invite negative & positive feedback.
But I personally am finding it harder to drink. I can't identify a bad taste, but it reminds me of how I respond to drinking dry red wine. I don't care for it, and I 'judge' it by how inoffensive it seems.
It seems so much different than at 3 months, it seems unfamiliar. It already should have been a sipping beer, but that feels like a necessary approach now. I don't think of it as 'refreshing'. I've tried right out of refrigerator and warmed for an hour. I find myself wondering if it fully fermented, but oh, yeah, no doubt it did. But it almost seems TOO rich in flavor now...for me.
It feels like it has less body now, apparently a normal change.
I am not sure staleness or oxidization would be as noticeable (as negatives) as in much lighter beer.
I'm wondering whether I am not liking deterioration or not appreciating what it's becoming.
Someone asked me a month ago if I still had enough to make a six-pack available, saying it was well done & obviously had no sanitation issues (in a complimentary way) but personally I'm questioning whether to make changes before repeating a batch, or be sure to consume within 6 months. 9 doesn't seem too old, certainly not for a commercial brew of this style.
This week I learned pitching yeast at bottling time is easier & more controllable than I realized. That's one possible change moving forward.
Locally, I'm relying on opinions from people who are either big fans of Baltic Porter or have brewing experience opinions.
If you've read this far, thank you, and also for any clues you could offer as to what are good and bad aging characteristics of a lager-yeast Baltic Porter. I know what a skunky Pilsner/lager is like, but not a lot of experience with aging dark beers.
I am still getting very favorable comments when I share it. I invite negative & positive feedback.
But I personally am finding it harder to drink. I can't identify a bad taste, but it reminds me of how I respond to drinking dry red wine. I don't care for it, and I 'judge' it by how inoffensive it seems.
It seems so much different than at 3 months, it seems unfamiliar. It already should have been a sipping beer, but that feels like a necessary approach now. I don't think of it as 'refreshing'. I've tried right out of refrigerator and warmed for an hour. I find myself wondering if it fully fermented, but oh, yeah, no doubt it did. But it almost seems TOO rich in flavor now...for me.
It feels like it has less body now, apparently a normal change.
I am not sure staleness or oxidization would be as noticeable (as negatives) as in much lighter beer.
I'm wondering whether I am not liking deterioration or not appreciating what it's becoming.
Someone asked me a month ago if I still had enough to make a six-pack available, saying it was well done & obviously had no sanitation issues (in a complimentary way) but personally I'm questioning whether to make changes before repeating a batch, or be sure to consume within 6 months. 9 doesn't seem too old, certainly not for a commercial brew of this style.
This week I learned pitching yeast at bottling time is easier & more controllable than I realized. That's one possible change moving forward.
Locally, I'm relying on opinions from people who are either big fans of Baltic Porter or have brewing experience opinions.
If you've read this far, thank you, and also for any clues you could offer as to what are good and bad aging characteristics of a lager-yeast Baltic Porter. I know what a skunky Pilsner/lager is like, but not a lot of experience with aging dark beers.