uses for bad batch of beer?

topic posted Sun, May 18, 2008 - 4:33 AM by  Angela
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i tried an experiment and used hop pellets, it was a bad idea because i have a whole batch of beer that tastes like it was made for cows. other than watering tomatoes with it. anyone have good uses for bad beer?
posted by:
Angela
Canada
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  • Re: uses for bad batch of beer?

    Wed, May 21, 2008 - 5:57 PM
    If the problem is that the beer is way too bitter and grassy, you can put it someplace cool (basement, etc. - not refrigerator) for 90 to 100 days and sample it again. The taste of hops decreases rapidly with age, normally ordinary beer would spoil, but hops is the preservative, and you have lots of that. Since you haven't really got much to do with it, you might as well experiment with it, cause you can always pour it out later. If it is still too bitter, but less bitter than now, age it some more. Someday it'll mellow down to being an IPA.

    The other use for bad beer is to distill it to get the ethanol. This is illegal without the appropriate permits, etc. from the BATF, so I'd never recommend you do that, I'm just pointing this out for sake of completeness.
  • Re: uses for bad batch of beer?

    Tue, May 27, 2008 - 2:12 PM
    How much hop pellets for how large a batch? What variety at what alpha? What was the hopping process? I hop in intervals 60,45,30,15,5 and use approx 1/2 oz per addition. High alpha in the beginning for bittering and lower alpha in the final additions. You could always brew another less hoppy beer and blend them. I assume the 'bad' batch is already bottled so you would just get a bottle of the hoppy and an bottle of the less hoppy and mix them. OTOH, if you are used to Budweiser or something of that ilk then this may not apply. Someone posted below that you should let it age and the hoppiness will decrease dramatically over time. Let is sit in a cool place for a month or so and resample. All is not lost!!
    • Re: uses for bad batch of beer?

      Mon, June 2, 2008 - 4:00 PM
      it has already aged, and is still too grassy! I cannot recall exactly what i did , but i followed the directions in "the complete joy of homebrewing", using hop pellets.... anyhow, it went wrong somewhere! I took some to a big party and a few people drank it and said it wasn't so bad. of course these are people who think Kieth's is good beer!

      i think it is destined for tomatoes and slugs. :)
  • Re: uses for bad batch of beer?

    Thu, July 17, 2008 - 9:30 AM
    Use it to discourage moochers? :) When someone particularly guilty of asking about your every batch & never offering anything in return asks if you have anything new, you can cheerfully hand over half a case, smile & say, "Yeah, this just finished aging!"

    Gawd, I'm evil...must resist the temptations of the darkside...

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