Mash Temp / Beer Bitterness

Hi,

I have just done a brew and i missed my mash temp by a long way. I was meant to hit 68 C but only managed 63 C (Stupid Error).

Just had a question as i taste my beer every day during fermentation, It seems very bitter, I know its still fermneting and has not conditioned etc but just wondered if i had hit my temperature would it be less bitter?

The drier the beer finishes (closely but not always following final gravity reading), the more hop bitterness tends to stand out.  In my experience, it is not a huge difference when you miss by a couple of degrees.  5 degrees C may be quite a change in the taste and finish of a beer, though. 

I would give it more time to finish the fermenting though (and a bit of aging may also diminish the hop presence) before making a firm judgement on how much of a difference it actually made.  I try to taste all my brews right out of the kettle and most of them are pretty bitter going into the fermenter; less so coming out.