Porter is very sweet

[tmains]

I recently brewed up an American Robust Porter. A Jamil recipe.

This one: http://beerdujour.com/Recipes/Jamil/JamilsRobust_Porter_Extract.html

Anyway, it's been bottled for around 2 weeks now, carbonation is coming along. I thought I'd test one out just for kicks. Doesn't taste bad. But it lacks that backbone I love in porters, instead it is filled with this sweet syrupy (not in a bad way) flavor.

My thoughts are that the yeast didn't eat up all the fermentable sugars. Could that be? It was one of those sessions where I was indulging in homebrew and forgot to take grav readings.

Thoughts?

 

[Double_D]

I wouldn't expect the amount of priming sugar added to your batch to carb it would be enough to make it sweet and syrupy. I could be thinking about that differently than what you mean though. Is it possible it's under attenuated?

 

[PurpleJeepXJ]

Don't porters take awhile to bottle condition? Without taking gravity readings there really is no way to know if fermentation was finished or how much sugar is left in the beer.

 

[tmains]

I wouldn't expect the amount of priming sugar added to your batch to carb it would be enough to make it sweet and syrupy. I could be thinking about that differently than what you mean though. Is it possible it's under attenuated?

Priming sugar added was the standard amount for 5 gallons. I was referring to the fermentable sugars from the grain. (extract in my case) I think I'll give it another few weeks, but if it's still sweet at that point, perhaps I could dump it all in the fermenter and repitch some yeast?

 

[Dr. Francois]

Priming sugar added was the standard amount for 5 gallons. I was referring to the fermentable sugars from the grain. (extract in my case) I think I'll give it another few weeks, but if it's still sweet at that point, perhaps I could dump it all in the fermenter and repitch some yeast?

I suggest you read some stickies at the top of the beginner forum and the extract forum.
At a minimum, you need a hydrometer. Take a reading from one of your bottled beers and let us know.

 

[tmains]

I suggest you read some stickies at the top of the beginner forum and the extract forum.
At a minimum, you need a hydrometer. Take a reading from one of your bottled beers and let us know.

I don't think I need to read any stickies in the beginner forum thanks.
Anyway, I have and use my hydrometer and usually brew all grain. This batch was a quick extract batch. As I said earlier, I was drinking homebrew and forgot to take a grav reading. I'm not asking for help, just thoughts on why it tastes so sweet.
I think it's because I didn't wait for fermentation to complete, that or it got stuck. I'm sure if I took a grav reading now it would be high. I'll probably wind up re pitching the yeast after dumping it into the fermenter.

Thanks