Taste after fermentation - is is a good indicator?

[skyno]

I have brewed maybe 20 batches of beer over the past 14 years and for most of those have done primary and secondary fermentation. I'm sure everybody does this, but I always taste it at every stage along the way just to get an idea of how the flavor is developing.

After doing this a bunch of times, I do question whether or not I can actually predict how it's going to turn out based on these preliminary tastings. Maybe it's because I don't brew enough, but it seems all over the map. There have been a couple batches where I remember thinking I may have screwed this one up but it turns out phenomenally and others that I think they are heading for greatness and they are just ok.

I am asking b/c I just bottled a Double IPA yesterday (partial mash) - after 8 days in the primary it was tasting very promising with lots of good hoppy flavor coming through and strong but balanced sweet flavor, then out of the secondary it tastes extremely sweet and caramel, chocolate flavor and I am barely getting any hops anymore - so now I am concerned. I do not remember this happening with my other beers, but this is my 1st attempt at a Double IPA.

What do you think? Do you pros think early tasting is a good indicator? Do you just have to have a lot of experience to know what you are looking for?

 

[Evan_L]

My experiences have pretty much mirrored yours. Even though tasting along the way is not a great indicator of the final product I still do it because a) it satiates my impatience b) it is still a great learning tool, not as an indicator of final taste, but to learn how the flavor develops in different cases.