After reading a response in an earlier post (https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f128/what-happens-when-you-undershoot-your-mash-ph-128855/), I may have figured something out that was bothering me. I'm hoping someone can let me know if I'm on the right track.
A stout I entered into a homebrew competition fared pretty well, but the judges detected a sour/tart flavor that detracted from the overall brew. I have not been able to figure out where this may have come from (and must admit, my palate does not seem refined enough to really taste it).
I recently received my water report and discovered that my residual alkalinity is quite low (12-15 ppm) and, overall, my water is more suited, as is, to pilsners than to stouts.
So, this is what I am thinking: When I did my partial mash, my residual alkalinity was not enough to counteract the acidity of the dark grains, resulting in a low mash pH. The low mash pH resulted in a more acidic-than-desired beer, so the beer turned out sour enough to be noticed by a panel of beer judges.
This was only a partial mash, with a partial boil, but do you think I'm on to something?
A stout I entered into a homebrew competition fared pretty well, but the judges detected a sour/tart flavor that detracted from the overall brew. I have not been able to figure out where this may have come from (and must admit, my palate does not seem refined enough to really taste it).
I recently received my water report and discovered that my residual alkalinity is quite low (12-15 ppm) and, overall, my water is more suited, as is, to pilsners than to stouts.
So, this is what I am thinking: When I did my partial mash, my residual alkalinity was not enough to counteract the acidity of the dark grains, resulting in a low mash pH. The low mash pH resulted in a more acidic-than-desired beer, so the beer turned out sour enough to be noticed by a panel of beer judges.
This was only a partial mash, with a partial boil, but do you think I'm on to something?