Im noticing my first "successful" brew (american pale ale) is starting
to deteriorate over time. The taste is getting rougher and somewhat
harsher, in a kind of bitter way. It was bottled about 6-7 weeks ago.
I was pleased when I first sampled it after 2 weeks in the bottle, but
now I have to pour it out - almost undrinkable.
I have 2 theories
1) oxidation - although I didnt do anything that would obviously
introduce oxygen.
2) tannins - im starting to think this is more likely, because my
thermometer is a mercury type and its possible I may have exposed the
grains to high temperatures before the thermometer caught up. I was
aiming for a 70C steep of my crystal grains.
My question is can tannins harm the beer over time?
