Iced Tea Flavor

TommyBoy · 07-07-2009, 04:59 PM

I just tapped a pale ale and there is a faint iced tea flavor to it. I actually like this as it is my yard work beer but I am curious as to what might be the cause.

**Homercidal** · 07-07-2009, 05:02 PM

Astringency? Sometimes it can be described as tea-like. Generally caused by leeching tannins from the husks. Long sit times at high temps?

TommyBoy · 07-07-2009, 05:09 PM

Hmmm...

I crushed at .039" on my slow drill setting, Mashed at 155 for 60 minutes, climbed to 170 in 10 minutes and had a 10 minute mash out. Sparging took about 20-30 minutes.

Any ideas what could it be?

**AZ_IPA** · 07-07-2009, 05:46 PM

sparge temp?

did you vorlauf?

grain bed temp at the end of the sparge?

gravity of your final runnings?

TommyBoy · 07-07-2009, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZ_IPA

sparge temp?

did you vorlauf?

grain bed temp at the end of the sparge?

gravity of your final runnings?

170 degrees

I ran HERMS for 60 min

170 degrees

I don't take a gravity reading until racking.

**AZ_IPA** · 07-07-2009, 06:01 PM

hmmmm.....not sure, but here's what Palmer has to say:

Quote:

Astringent
Astringency differs from bitterness by having a puckering quality, like sucking on a tea bag. It is dry, kind of powdery and is often the result of steeping grains too long or when the pH of the mash exceeds the range of 5.2 - 5.6. Oversparging the mash or using water that is too hot are common causes for exceeding the mash pH range. It can also be caused by over-hopping during either the bittering or finishing stages. Bacterial infections can also cause astringency, i.e. vinegar tones from aceto bacteria.

The brown scum that forms during fermentation and clings to the side of the fermentor is intensely bitter and if it is stirred back into the beer it will cause very astringent tastes. The scum should be removed from the beer, either by letting it cling undisturbed to the sides of an oversize fermentor, or by skimming it off the krausen, or blowing off the krausen itself from a 5 gallon carboy. I have never had any problems by simply letting it cling to the sides of the fermentor.

TommyBoy · 07-07-2009, 06:06 PM

Checking PH will be a must on my next batch!

Probably should get some test strips and Buffer 5.2 to have on hand, huh?

Thank you!

**AZ_IPA** · 07-07-2009, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TommyBoy

Checking PH will be a must on my next batch!

Probably should get some test strips and Buffer 5.2 to have on hand, huh?

Thank you!

no problem. I'd check the gravity on your final runnings as well. I've heard that if you're down below 1.010 you can get some astringency. (I'm always near 1.020 for my final runnings, so I can't personally vouch)

maybe post your recipe and hop schedule as well, and we can maybe find something in there (or I can steal it and brew it, because an APA with a slight hint of iced tea does sound like a great working-in-the-yard-summer-brew)

TommyBoy · 07-07-2009, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZ_IPA

no problem. I'd check the gravity on your final runnings as well. I've heard that if you're down below 1.010 you can get some astringency. (I'm always near 1.020 for my final runnings, so I can't personally vouch)

maybe post your recipe and hop schedule as well, and we can maybe find something in there (or I can steal it and brew it, because an APA with a slight hint of iced tea does sound like a great working-in-the-yard-summer-brew)

Oh, I never knew about checking the gravity of runnings for that. Cool.

I'll post it here tonight by, let's say 6:00...

It is nice though. A little dry but the dryness is identical to drinking unsweetened ice tea. Not a bad flaw and will be consumed probably quicker than my tapped IPA which is awesome!

Thanks again.

Rockweezy · 07-07-2009, 10:28 PM

How can you take your gravity while you are fly sparging? I know I should cut the sparge off at 1.010 to reduce off flavors from tannins, but my running are coming out at about 120* even though sparge water is at 170*. Do I just need to adjust for my gravity for temp? Do I shut off my sparge while I do this? Thanks