Apricot IPA (Aprihop)

[robcoombs]

Just wanted to post this recipe before anyone tastes the beer I'm bringing to the AGM today. I was hoping to get opinions on why this beer didn't turnout well. This was the first time I had written a recipe from scratch on my own. I had tasted DFH Aprihop and enjoyed it so I wanted to take a crack at brewing it myself. I found what type of grain and hops to make sure at least those were consistent in my recipe. Here it is

300g light pils
300g medium crystal

Steeped for 20 minutes

3.5kg LME
1 kg honey

30 minute boil

1.5oz amarillo 30 min
1.5oz amarillo 8 min
3.0 oz amarillo 1 min

Transferred to primary containing 3lb apricot puree
Pitched nottingham ale yeast.

OG 1.061

Dry hopped on 1.0oz amarillo for 7 days

Finaly gravity 1.005

IBU 54
ABV 7.5%

I knew right away there was something wrong every time I tasted the beer, very bitter at the time of transfer to the secondary. That has mostly eased now but it has a really horrible after taste. I still can't bring myself to finish a bottle of it. I think the final gravity reading shows there is something wrong with this brew, I haven't seen any extract recipes get that low.

Hope you guys can help me out with this one today, bringing a horrible beer is a heck of a way to make a first impression.

[jamie_savoie]

You're recipe looks ok so I would assume it's a fermentation or sanitation issue.  If the beer goes from worst to worst in bottles, it's probably a sanitation problem.  Having tasted it at the agm I don't think it was horrible but something was a bit off.  You said you pitch at 20c but you should pitch lower imo.  When yeast is actively fermenting they generate heat and the wort temp can swing up 5-6 degree.  So maybe at one point your beer was fermenting at 24-25C which might be the culprit for the off flavour.  Danstar recommend a temp range of 14-21C. 

You'll read everywhere that after sanitation, temp control is the most important and it is very true!

[robcoombs]

Thanks @jamie_savoie I appreciate the reply. I'll be fermneting at lower temps from now on.

[willcarter]

Lower temps matters alot