I'm trying to get to the bottom of an issue that I've been having with my APA's.
I have brewed two of them with different, yet similar recipes, since July. The first was Ed Wort's Haus Pale; the other was a summer ale with 2-row, flaked barley and some light crystal. More or less the same hop schedule as Ed's, including the use of Cascades on both. I used 1056 on both as well. The first one was brewed in July and sat in secondary for a few hot weeks (well, hot by Vancouver standards - 86-90F). The latest one fermented within the range for 1056.
Both of them had a lovely Cascade aroma, a great hoppy/malty start to the flavour, but an astringent and almost stale taste in the finish. I drank about 1/2 of my keg of Ed's and binned the rest. I felt like I was punishing myself drinking it. This latest similar pale ale has the same issue. First, I know that something is wrong with them, but one thing that I know that it certainly isn't the recipes - I've made both before and loved them, hence the repeat in their brewing.
My question is whether the way that I'm carbing them may be making them acidic (carbonic acid). I have been force carbing at room temperature since my kegerator is too small to hold a keg and have been setting the PSI based on Beersmith's chart.
If this can't be the cause, I'll move on to different forums. Thoughts, oh wise HBT sages?
Thanks a lot.
I have brewed two of them with different, yet similar recipes, since July. The first was Ed Wort's Haus Pale; the other was a summer ale with 2-row, flaked barley and some light crystal. More or less the same hop schedule as Ed's, including the use of Cascades on both. I used 1056 on both as well. The first one was brewed in July and sat in secondary for a few hot weeks (well, hot by Vancouver standards - 86-90F). The latest one fermented within the range for 1056.
Both of them had a lovely Cascade aroma, a great hoppy/malty start to the flavour, but an astringent and almost stale taste in the finish. I drank about 1/2 of my keg of Ed's and binned the rest. I felt like I was punishing myself drinking it. This latest similar pale ale has the same issue. First, I know that something is wrong with them, but one thing that I know that it certainly isn't the recipes - I've made both before and loved them, hence the repeat in their brewing.
My question is whether the way that I'm carbing them may be making them acidic (carbonic acid). I have been force carbing at room temperature since my kegerator is too small to hold a keg and have been setting the PSI based on Beersmith's chart.
If this can't be the cause, I'll move on to different forums. Thoughts, oh wise HBT sages?
Thanks a lot.
