Tantalus
Well-Known Member
I've made a fair share of batches at this point and all have turned out more-or-less good. I was trying to make a Vanilla Brown Porter, but the beer after carbonation tastes pretty much like slightly malty water. We've been calling it "Nutty Light." A friend who is a fellow craft beer drinker hit it pretty much on the nose - there's nothing wrong with, it just doesn't taste like beer. No off flavors at all.
Anyway I have some ideas about what could have happened:
1. I get my grain crushed by NB online, this time I forgot to specify a fine crush for BIAB.
2. Also forgot to sparge in a second pot as I usually do.
3. This is the first time I've messed with water by "building up" from distilled water - could have been problems with alkalinity, mash pH (which would be odd considering the roasted grain), or flavor expression of the ions.
Here are my notes in full:
Thanks for the help!
Anyway I have some ideas about what could have happened:
1. I get my grain crushed by NB online, this time I forgot to specify a fine crush for BIAB.
2. Also forgot to sparge in a second pot as I usually do.
3. This is the first time I've messed with water by "building up" from distilled water - could have been problems with alkalinity, mash pH (which would be odd considering the roasted grain), or flavor expression of the ions.
Here are my notes in full:
6:00 PM 9/28:
Made yeast starter. Combined 3/4 cup + 3/8 cup DME in 6.3 cups of water (1.5 liters) in sanitized stainless steel pot.
Boiled for 15 minutes, covered pot with lid and placed in ice bath for 15 minutes. Slightly above room temperature or right on the mark.
Smacked pack of Wyeast 1318, poured into wort in gallon jug, added 1/4 tsp yeast nutrient, swirled and shook to aerate.
Covered with loose piece of aluminum foil and left on shelf in room.
1:00 AM 9/30
After swirling starter intermittently placed in fridge to crash.
3:30 PM 9/30
Put 3.1 gallons of distilled water in 5 gallon stainless steel pot and began to heat.
Added 2.75 tsp CaCO3 (Chalk), .75 tsp NaHCO3 (Baking Soda), .4 tsp CaSO4 (Gypsum) and .4 tsp NaCl (Sea Salt).
Water was cloudy, likely from chalk addition. Added a few dashes of Lactic Acid to help dissolve.
Strike water heated to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mashed in:
6lb Warminster Floor Malted Marris Otter
1lb Briess Organic C60-L
1lb Briess Victory
1lb Flaked Oats
.5lb Belgian Special B
.5lb English Chocolate
Mash temperature read 152 degrees Fahrenheit at 0 min.
Mash temperature read 152 degrees Fahrenheit at 20 min.
Mash temperature read 151 degrees Fahrenheit at 40 min.
At 60 min lifted bag from wort and squeezed for 5-10 minutes. Could have been wort left in bag.
Did not sparge.
Began to heat to boil and stirred intermittenly.
At beginning of boil added 1oz East Kent Goldings and ~.5oz Fuggles. Stirred occasionally throughout boil.
Added 1 Whirlfloc tablet at 45 min.
Sanitized and rinsed vanilla bean. Let dry.
Removed from heat at 60 min. Put lid on. Placed in ice bath in sink, replacing water every time it got hot.
Sanitized frozen water bottles and placed in wort.
Poured wort into bucket, added ~2 gallons spring water to top. Hydro sample taken from top read 1.040.
Sample was watery and hopefully did not reflect actual OG.
Scraped some seeds into bucket and cut pod and dropped in bucket as well.
Shook bucket and placed in fridge with temperature control set to 64 degrees Fahrenheit.
11:30 AM 10/1
Removed lid from bucket inside fermentation chamber. Some krausen beginning to form, 15 hours after pitching.
Calculated efficiency at read (incorrect) OG - 55%
7:30 PM 10/1
Thick creamy brown krausen has formed in bucket. Fermenter temperature reads 67 degrees Fahrenheit.
11:00 AM 10/2
Krausen still in place. Fermenter temperature reads 67 degrees Fahrenheit.
Roused yeast a little with sanitized wooden spoon and took hydro sample.
Sample read ~1.025-1.020.
7:50 PM 10/2
Krausen appears to be gone? Some yeast or something floating on top.
Will try to rouse if condition persists.
Roused yeast shortly after.
11:00 PM 10/2
Krausen does not appear to be coming back.
Lowered temp to 66 degrees Fahrenheit in anticipation of clean-up phase.
1:00 PM 10/3
Krausen still gone. Temperature hovering around 64-65 degrees Fahrenheit.
Roused yeast and took hydro sample. Sample read 1.022 SG.
Sample is starting to taste more like beer, some maltiness with a husky tannic note. Richer mouthfeel starting to develop.
Set temperature control setpoint to 65 degrees Fahrenheit and covered bucket loosely with lid.
11:00 AM 10/4
Temperature reads 62 degrees Fahrenheit, optimal range 64-74F.
Set controller SP to 66 degrees Fahrenheit in hopes of hitting 64-65.
11:00 PM 10/4
Santized vanilla bean, split, scraped out seeds, and chopped pod. Put all into bucket.
Smell in bucket seems to be improving.
2:00 PM 10/6
Gently stirred bucket and took sample. Hydrometer read 1.020, not much change from a couple days ago.
Twangy, hopefully "green" taste in beer, otherwise honestly not very good.
Hopefully flavor will improve with time as it has so far.
Also a lot of condensation and what looks like mold in the fridge. Should clean it.
11:30 PM 10/7
Took a small sample off the top of the bucket. Amazingly, off flavors seem to have pretty much cleaned up.
Keg and carb soon? Will clean fridge tomorrow and see how soon CO2 can be gotten.
6:50 PM 10/10
Pretty much cleaned inside of fridge with StarSan and wiped dry.
Set temperature control to 40 degrees Fahrenheit for cold crashing.
Thanks for the help!