Hey guys, I'm looking for some advice in desperation to try to resolve a repeated issue I've had with my homebrew.
The flavour I'm getting is massively bitter, but it has a really bad taste to it. Not like a big iipa, more like a really really green beer. The flavour overwhelms all other flavours in the beer. It also has a slight smell to it too.
Other symptoms: not sure about this brew (it's only been bottled 3 weeks) but in other batches I've had really over carbed gushers. I think largely because I have under pitched yeast and unfinished beers have then fermented in the bottle and created what I think is carbonic acid flavour. All of those batches have had the same flavour in that my recent batch had.
My recent batch was a pale ale, expected OG was # and actual was # but I used the exact amount of grain, exact mash temp and time.
I've detailed my brew process as it was for my last batch (which had this issue) in the hopes that this will help someone to help me work it out!
Cheers guys
Brew process
- Sterilise/clean with VWP (similar to PBW) - I take everything apart inc taps, then rinse
- Use tap water - cold - from Manchester uk - and heat to mash temp. Our water is known to be quite soft and I've had 2 fantastic IPAs and 3 good said one from it (with 1 teaspoon of gypsum) turn out great in the past
(I mash in with 25L water as its BIAB)
- add brew bag and gradually add grains when water had reached mash temp (I use BIAB inside a 32L/ 5uk gallon plastic brew kettle)
- cover over with the lid (this has a small hole to vent steam) and leave to sit in bag for mash time - always 60 minutes
- sparge - this has varied over time. I have almost always run off all the wort, then poured it straight back in to the run over the grains - then drain off. Then, run about 4L water at 77c slowly over grains and drain off
(This last batch my friend and I circulated the 77c sparge water repeatedly through the grains a bit more - this could have been over sparging)
- bring to the boil and then after hot break, add hops to recipe (recent batch was only meant to be 40IBU or less) and boil for 1 hour. NB I always have the lid mostly over - at least half covered - to try to keep liquid from evaporating. I've learned recently I shouldn't cover it.
- add (sterilised) copper chilling coil @10mins
- at flameout - add 0mins hops and steep for 10 mins before turning on chiller. All 5 batches I have successfully done in the past I didn't steep and chilled right away.
- cover kettle during steep and period of chilling to avoid oxidation
- when chilled, add to primary fermenter (bucket), splash as much as possible, pitch yeast and put lid on - then shake up as much as possible
- leave at around 18-20c for fermentation time
- ferment for usually 10 days before dry hopping for about 7 days - all in primary - pellet hops in hop socks/mesh bags that have been sanitised and rinsed (as don't want VWP in the beer)
- transfer into bottling bucket with tap and bottling stick - all of which have had hot water soak with VWP - and bottle
That's pretty much it. I figured I'd had at least a few infected batches, as they end up with the same terrible bitter taste and are massively over carbed. Although often I haven't hit exact OG or FG with these brews so figured it might be that. However with recent batch OG was too high, FG was spot on, stayed stable for 10 days before bottling.
Sorry that's so long but I'm dying to get my process right as I've made some great beers and know I can do it - so don't know where I'm going wrong!
Cheers!
Chris
The flavour I'm getting is massively bitter, but it has a really bad taste to it. Not like a big iipa, more like a really really green beer. The flavour overwhelms all other flavours in the beer. It also has a slight smell to it too.
Other symptoms: not sure about this brew (it's only been bottled 3 weeks) but in other batches I've had really over carbed gushers. I think largely because I have under pitched yeast and unfinished beers have then fermented in the bottle and created what I think is carbonic acid flavour. All of those batches have had the same flavour in that my recent batch had.
My recent batch was a pale ale, expected OG was # and actual was # but I used the exact amount of grain, exact mash temp and time.
I've detailed my brew process as it was for my last batch (which had this issue) in the hopes that this will help someone to help me work it out!
Cheers guys
Brew process
- Sterilise/clean with VWP (similar to PBW) - I take everything apart inc taps, then rinse
- Use tap water - cold - from Manchester uk - and heat to mash temp. Our water is known to be quite soft and I've had 2 fantastic IPAs and 3 good said one from it (with 1 teaspoon of gypsum) turn out great in the past
(I mash in with 25L water as its BIAB)
- add brew bag and gradually add grains when water had reached mash temp (I use BIAB inside a 32L/ 5uk gallon plastic brew kettle)
- cover over with the lid (this has a small hole to vent steam) and leave to sit in bag for mash time - always 60 minutes
- sparge - this has varied over time. I have almost always run off all the wort, then poured it straight back in to the run over the grains - then drain off. Then, run about 4L water at 77c slowly over grains and drain off
(This last batch my friend and I circulated the 77c sparge water repeatedly through the grains a bit more - this could have been over sparging)
- bring to the boil and then after hot break, add hops to recipe (recent batch was only meant to be 40IBU or less) and boil for 1 hour. NB I always have the lid mostly over - at least half covered - to try to keep liquid from evaporating. I've learned recently I shouldn't cover it.
- add (sterilised) copper chilling coil @10mins
- at flameout - add 0mins hops and steep for 10 mins before turning on chiller. All 5 batches I have successfully done in the past I didn't steep and chilled right away.
- cover kettle during steep and period of chilling to avoid oxidation
- when chilled, add to primary fermenter (bucket), splash as much as possible, pitch yeast and put lid on - then shake up as much as possible
- leave at around 18-20c for fermentation time
- ferment for usually 10 days before dry hopping for about 7 days - all in primary - pellet hops in hop socks/mesh bags that have been sanitised and rinsed (as don't want VWP in the beer)
- transfer into bottling bucket with tap and bottling stick - all of which have had hot water soak with VWP - and bottle
That's pretty much it. I figured I'd had at least a few infected batches, as they end up with the same terrible bitter taste and are massively over carbed. Although often I haven't hit exact OG or FG with these brews so figured it might be that. However with recent batch OG was too high, FG was spot on, stayed stable for 10 days before bottling.
Sorry that's so long but I'm dying to get my process right as I've made some great beers and know I can do it - so don't know where I'm going wrong!
Cheers!
Chris
