Insane bitterness.

So, for my first kit I brewed a brewers best IPA kit, here are the ingredients from a 2006 post.....I doubt they've changed?

one lb. Crystal malt 60L
1/2 lb. Victory
2 oz N. Brewer(bittering)
1oz Cascade(finish)

This stuff is BITTER, holy ****.....we're talking bitter, Hopslam is smooth compared to this. I'm very newb but I would call it something other than hop bitterness, it's something that sticks with your tongue. I'm pretty sure it's my water combined with my thinking that 5 gallon boil was better than 2.5...increasing IBU's.....but this is over the top bitter. My water tested at approximately 7.4 PH.....bad with extracts? I am able to De-ionize my water (saltwater reef) so totally pure water is pretty feasible. Any thoughts?

RyanN said:

So, for my first kit I brewed a brewers best IPA kit, here are the ingredients from a 2006 post.....I doubt they've changed?

one lb. Crystal malt 60L
1/2 lb. Victory
2 oz N. Brewer(bittering)
1oz Cascade(finish)

This stuff is BITTER, holy ****.....we're talking bitter, Hopslam is smooth compared to this. I'm very newb but I would call it something other than hop bitterness, it's something that sticks with your tongue. I'm pretty sure it's my water combined with my thinking that 5 gallon boil was better than 2.5...increasing IBU's.....but this is over the top bitter. My water tested at approximately 7.4 PH.....bad with extracts? I am able to De-ionize my water (saltwater reef) so totally pure water is pretty feasible. Any thoughts?

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I'm guessing its from the fact that you did a 5 gallon boil instead of 2.5. However, what was the rest of the ingredient list? I know it wasn't just 1.5# of grain.

I think Ph of water is a possibility even though it was an extract brew. Did you use your tap water for all parts of the brew process?

I think what you have is astringency, not bitterness. It can come from steeping your grains at too high a temp or for too long. Can also come from excessive oxidation or overcrushing the grain. Is the taste on the front of your tongue? Is it like drinking a hoppy beer or sucking on a tea bag?

2 ounces of NB is pretty intense if you boiled them for 60 minutes. I think you're talking about 60 IBUs for a 5 gallon boil

RyanN said:

Hopslam is smooth compared to this. I'm very newb but I would call it something other than hop bitterness

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I think the bitterness is right on. What my guess would be is that you would prefer a beer that has more of a taste and aroma hop addition than a bitterness addition. the longer the hops boil, the more hop flavor you lose and the more bitterness you gain

pkeeler said:

I think what you have is astringency, not bitterness. It can come from steeping your grains at too high a temp or for too long. Can also come from excessive oxidation or overcrushing the grain. Is the taste on the front of your tongue? Is it like drinking a hoppy beer or sucking on a tea bag?

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It's the back of my tongue and it sticks with you even after the beer is gone. I steeped at the recommended temperature and for the recommended amount of time.

The second batch I brewed also has this odd bitterness but it's not as intense. I used the same process for this batch.

All of the brews I've made so far have used tap water, the third batch is probably ready to drink or will be within the next week or two, the fourth batch is in the fermentation bucket. The last batch was done differently. Since it's a wheat beer I wanted to make sure there was very little bitterness so I followed the kit directions to a T. I think that beer will help decide what the problem is? Either the water or my process.

I have a Two Hearted Ale clone extract kit being delivered this coming Tuesday. I will follow the directions that came with the kit but I'm wondering if I should use all distilled or spring water instead of my tap water? I believe it comes with 2 pounds of steeping grains (from AHS), should those be steeped in distilled water or water with a certain PH?

Thanks for all the help!