bitter beer

The last 4 batches I have brewed end up very bitter regardless of the amount of hops. Right after carbonation the beer tastes very good,but within a couple of weeks it becomes very bitter, not pleasant to drink, I have been brewing since 2001 and always brewed good beer. This has happened after I moved to a different town and began keging. I am very careful about sanitation. Has anyone else had this problem and where should I start looking for the cause?

What's your water situation? Moving to a different town suggests you started using different water. That'd be where I would start.

It could be the water you're using. Try using either super-filtered or RO water for a batch. Also check to make sure you're not over carbonating the batches (in keg). Over carbonation can lead to carbonic bite.

Try to compare the water reports from where you were before and you are now... I'd also send out a water sample to a lab to find out what's really in the water. If you're not doing any filtering at all, get a system to filter your brew water. Even a simple two stage filter system can do a lot of good (they're not expensive either).

Guessing here but it could be lack of sulphates, or your pH could be off leading to astringency?

I just talked to the utility people and they are sending an analysis. Here's another point, I just poured another glass and after it sits a little while and warms up it tastes like it should. Would that indicate over carbonation?

elderbrewer said:

I just talked to the utility people and they are sending an analysis. Here's another point, I just poured another glass and after it sits a little while and warms up it tastes like it should. Would that indicate over carbonation?

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It's very likely. How are you carbonating in the keg? I like the two week "set and forget" method, at serving pressure and temperature for my brews. I also check the keg pressure level before I put it into the brew fridge to chill. If it's too high, I let it vent overnight (a regulated release valve on the gas post) to get closer to where I want it to be.

Just a quick question.. Are you purging the oxygen out of the keg prior to carbing the beer?

I force carbonate, Chill overnight,turn pressure up to 25 l bs and rock for a few minutes,put in the fridge and wait a couple days. Thanks for mentioning the temp. My kegerater is and an old old classic round top that I repainted red, its cute, but I it wants to keep everything little over 32 deg, I would like it to be around 45 to 50, but I can't seem to get it to cooperate. The beer in discussion has been in the keg for 2 weeks

Yes I do purge the oxygen before carbonating but not before transferring to the keg

I've attached remote sensors to two of my kegs in the brew fridge. Even though I have sensors reading the air temp inside, I still like to have these taking readings.

What are you using to control the temp in the kegorator?

Try hitting the keg with some CO2 before filling it up. I clean, and sanitize, mine (plus the beer lines and faucets) with CO2 pushed solutions. Once they're clean, and empty, there's still CO2 in there. I just vent the CO2 via the lid release valve before I connect up to fill (I fill via the liquid post, using a CO2 push from the fermenter). This helps since a blanket of CO2 is over the brew as it fills the kegs.

You might want to get one of the gas QD accessory items that allows you to check the keg CO2 pressure before you hook it up after your 25psi push and rocking. Or try the two week, set and forget, method to see how that works.

I did have a keg over-carbonate before. It's pretty easy to fix though. Just disconnect from the CO2 feed for a few days, and vent the pressure 2-4 times a day. After about three days, connect it back up at serving pressure and see what you've got. I would give it at least a few hours from the last venting time before pouring a pint though. The venting tends to stir up the sediment from the bottom of the keg.

Golddiggie said:

I've attached remote sensors to two of my kegs in the brew fridge. Even though I have sensors reading the air temp inside, I still like to have these taking readings.

What are you using to control the temp in the kegorator?

Try hitting the keg with some CO2 before filling it up. I clean, and sanitize, mine (plus the beer lines and faucets) with CO2 pushed solutions. Once they're clean, and empty, there's still CO2 in there. I just vent the CO2 via the lid release valve before I connect up to fill (I fill via the liquid post, using a CO2 push from the fermenter). This helps since a blanket of CO2 is over the brew as it fills the kegs.

You might want to get one of the gas QD accessory items that allows you to check the keg CO2 pressure before you hook it up after your 25psi push and rocking. Or try the two week, set and forget, method to see how that works.

I did have a keg over-carbonate before. It's pretty easy to fix though. Just disconnect from the CO2 feed for a few days, and vent the pressure 2-4 times a day. After about three days, connect it back up at serving pressure and see what you've got. I would give it at least a few hours from the last venting time before pouring a pint though. The venting tends to stir up the sediment from the bottom of the keg.

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Wait, can you explain this or supply a link to how it is done? Thank.

sb68 said:

Wait, can you explain this or supply a link to how it is done? Thank.

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My fermenter setup


Shot of it set for ferment


The tube under the cap (shown in the above picture) is a thermowell. That's so that I can send a sensor down into the middle of the fermenting batch and get a temperature reading. I close off the top of the thermowell with a stopper to keep the temperature stable (or not influenced by the temperature outside the fermenter).

The post in the top of the keg (to the right) is for a gas QD. The one on the TC cap is for liquid. The fitting has been reamed out to allow a dip tube to go through (cut to length by myself) so that I leave x quarts behind. Then it's just a simple matter of making a liquid jumper (beer QD's on either end of a length of Bevlex. The last time I did this, I used 5/16" ID Bevlex to make the transfer faster. Since I'm not looking to maintain any carbonation level, the larger ID isn't an issue.

BTW, I remove the liquid ball lock post from the fitting before fermenting. I simply attach a small (a few inches long) section of 1/2" ID tubing to it and set the airlock into that. No issues that way. It's also ready for a blowoff tube setup.

You have hard alkaline water in your new town. I almost 100% positive on that. Get a water report and you will probably see that your CaCO3 levels (hardness) are probably higher than 150 ppm. I found out experimenting that I can make really good dark beers with tap water, stellar stouts, porters but light or hopped beers were really harsh and not very good at all. Once I got water report I plugged numbers in BrunWater and it all made sense. Now I cut my tap water with 50% RO to lower bi-carbonates and lower pH to adequate level as well as various additions of CaCl2 and little bit of gypsum to get Ca levels to where I need them. May be 0.2-0.3 ml/gal of lactic acid and/or Acid Malt if I make Kolsch or something really light like Blonde Ale where I want hops to take a back seat. My beers improved dramatically just because of that.

elderbrewer said:

I force carbonate, Chill overnight,turn pressure up to 25 l bs and rock for a few minutes,put in the fridge and wait a couple days. Thanks for mentioning the temp. My kegerater is and an old old classic round top that I repainted red, its cute, but I it wants to keep everything little over 32 deg, I would like it to be around 45 to 50, but I can't seem to get it to cooperate. The beer in discussion has been in the keg for 2 weeks

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That's definitely ONE of the problems. Your beer is probably overcarbonated. People using the "boost carb" method like you're going for will typically only leave the keg hooked up to the high pressure for 24 hours, then turn it down to serving pressure.

Water may also be an issue, but I would look at the carb first.

Thanks everyone for your answers to my question, I'm sure you saved me a lot of time experimenting trying to find a solution. thanks a lot

Golddiggie said:

My fermenter setup
...
The tube under the cap (shown in the above picture) is a thermowell. That's so that I can send a sensor down into the middle of the fermenting batch and get a temperature reading. I close off the top of the thermowell with a stopper to keep the temperature stable (or not influenced by the temperature outside the fermenter).

The post in the top of the keg (to the right) is for a gas QD. The one on the TC cap is for liquid. The fitting has been reamed out to allow a dip tube to go through (cut to length by myself) so that I leave x quarts behind. Then it's just a simple matter of making a liquid jumper (beer QD's on either end of a length of Bevlex. The last time I did this, I used 5/16" ID Bevlex to make the transfer faster. Since I'm not looking to maintain any carbonation level, the larger ID isn't an issue.

BTW, I remove the liquid ball lock post from the fitting before fermenting. I simply attach a small (a few inches long) section of 1/2" ID tubing to it and set the airlock into that. No issues that way. It's also ready for a blowoff tube setup.

Click to expand...

That is a super interesting fermenter setup you have Golddiggie, thanks for sharing it. I would sorely miss watching my brew ferment in the carboy if I did something like this. Yes, fermenting is a spectator sport and I love to just stand there and watch the yeast go to town. :cross:

sb68 said:

That is a super interesting fermenter setup you have Golddiggie, thanks for sharing it. I would sorely miss watching my brew ferment in the carboy if I did something like this. Yes, fermenting is a spectator sport and I love to just stand there and watch the yeast go to town. :cross:

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I've gone past that 'need'... I'm on the verge of signing to rent a house up in Nashua, NH (just waiting to hear about a few jobs first) where I'll be fermenting in the basement. While I do like to be able to check on how active the vent is on the fermenter (or the airlock) it's really only to confirm other readings. I use temperature to determine if fermentation is active or not. I do like being able to tell when it's actually peaked and has started to slow down (again, temperature indications).

Once you get past the 'need' to see things inside the fermenter, you open up the possibilities. Being able to transfer via a CO2 push, without having to worry about blowing the carboy cap off is a big plus. You could do a CO2 push with a carboy, but it's not nearly as easy as it is for me. Of course, the zero influence of hot wort on the fermenter is another good thing. IF I ever get an infected fermenter, I can sterilize it by boiling water in it. Then there's the two, beefy, handles built into the fermenters. :rockin: I could go on, but I won't... :rockin: :fro: