DD2000GT
Well-Known Member
Ok - a few months back I posted a thread about all of my beers all the sudden developed an overpowering bitterness/astringency and several of you offered suggestions:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/why-my-brew-always-bitter-263771/
Just to update THAT thread - I opened a bottle of that Octoberfest ale I wrote about last weekend - the astringency DID NOT mellow out over the last several months of aging - in fact it got much worse and I actually poured it down the drain.
I have since done three more brews and tried to incorporate the suggestions on the thread above. While the bitterness issue has gotten better - it is still there and appears to get worse over time aging. Here is what I have tried/changed:
Got a high flow RV filter for the tap water
Got a new water report - pH jumped to 8.3 since last report but overall fine
Crushed 1/2 Camden tablet in mash water
Added 1 tsp phosphoric acid (10%) to mash and 2 tsp to sparge water
Cooled wort to below 70 degrees before pitching yeast
Fermented at 65 degrees (thanks to Winter)
Filtered the wort very good after mash before boil - no grain husks
Reduced bittering hops
Cooled wort faster before pitching (thanks to Winter) - about 15 minutes
Starting to wonder about possible infection now as it came on all of the sudden and the issue seems to get worse with time/aging. I have been a home brewer over 20 years and sanitation issues have not been an issue since my first few batches - I am usually pretty good in that area. No gushers, rings around the bottle necks, or over carbonation issues though. Darker beers seem to mask/resolve "some" of the bitterness, but it is still there. Last three batches were Scottish Ale (80 shilling), Vanilla Porter, and Brown Ale.
My brews are seldom "stellar" due to my relatively crude setup and the fact I don't have a fridge to control fermentation temps - but they are almost always "good" and usually better than store bought brews. This issue crept up recently and is frustrating me to no end. Any more thoughts to help me track this down?
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/why-my-brew-always-bitter-263771/
Just to update THAT thread - I opened a bottle of that Octoberfest ale I wrote about last weekend - the astringency DID NOT mellow out over the last several months of aging - in fact it got much worse and I actually poured it down the drain.
I have since done three more brews and tried to incorporate the suggestions on the thread above. While the bitterness issue has gotten better - it is still there and appears to get worse over time aging. Here is what I have tried/changed:
Got a high flow RV filter for the tap water
Got a new water report - pH jumped to 8.3 since last report but overall fine
Crushed 1/2 Camden tablet in mash water
Added 1 tsp phosphoric acid (10%) to mash and 2 tsp to sparge water
Cooled wort to below 70 degrees before pitching yeast
Fermented at 65 degrees (thanks to Winter)
Filtered the wort very good after mash before boil - no grain husks
Reduced bittering hops
Cooled wort faster before pitching (thanks to Winter) - about 15 minutes
Starting to wonder about possible infection now as it came on all of the sudden and the issue seems to get worse with time/aging. I have been a home brewer over 20 years and sanitation issues have not been an issue since my first few batches - I am usually pretty good in that area. No gushers, rings around the bottle necks, or over carbonation issues though. Darker beers seem to mask/resolve "some" of the bitterness, but it is still there. Last three batches were Scottish Ale (80 shilling), Vanilla Porter, and Brown Ale.
My brews are seldom "stellar" due to my relatively crude setup and the fact I don't have a fridge to control fermentation temps - but they are almost always "good" and usually better than store bought brews. This issue crept up recently and is frustrating me to no end. Any more thoughts to help me track this down?