Tannins in first all-grain batch

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Buckeye_Phil

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So I've been doing BIAB for 3-years now and have decided to start doing the igloo cooler MT / HLT process. First batch went smoothly from a process standpoint, but wort sample tastes very tannic, which I've never had before. Process details below. Any thoughts on where I went wrong? Also - any chance it will dissipate during fermentation?

Recipe:
4 lb Pils
4 lb Vienna
4 lb Munich
1 lb Caramunich
1 oz Tett (90-min, 5% AA)
1 oz Tett (15-min, 5% AA)

4-gal strike at 165 degF. Stabilized at 158 degF, added cold water to get to 150 degF within a minute. Temp held steady for entire mash.

Added 2-gal boiling water to get to 162 degF for mash out. Fly sparged with 170 degF water over 30 minutes. Thermometer in grain bed never exceeded 165 degF. Got about 70% efficiency and boil was uneventful.
 
Buckeye_Phil said:
So I've been doing BIAB for 3-years now and have decided to start doing the igloo cooler MT / HLT process. First batch went smoothly from a process standpoint, but wort sample tastes very tannic, which I've never had before. Process details below. Any thoughts on where I went wrong? Also - any chance it will dissipate during fermentation?

Recipe:
4 lb Pils
4 lb Vienna
4 lb Munich
1 lb Caramunich
1 oz Tett (90-min, 5% AA)
1 oz Tett (15-min, 5% AA)

4-gal strike at 165 degF. Stabilized at 158 degF, added cold water to get to 150 degF within a minute. Temp held steady for entire mash.

Added 2-gal boiling water to get to 162 degF for mash out. Fly sparged with 170 degF water over 30 minutes. Thermometer in grain bed never exceeded 165 degF. Got about 70% efficiency and boil was uneventful.
Click to expand...

If you've been doing BIAB for three years, this wasn't your first all grain :smack: :goat:

If you get tannins, it's usually because your pH is too high (above about 6). You need to look into your water chemistry, and particularly your sparge water. Check out the Brew Science forum on HBT, and Bru'nWater site to learn about water chemistry. High alkalinity water could be your problem. The buffering power of the grain goes away towards the end of a fly sparge, and that is when you are most at risk for tannins. Also, have you calibrated your thermometer in the 150°F to 170°F temperature range. If your thermometer has significant linearity errors, calibrating at 0°F and 212°F won't be sufficient.

Brew on :mug:
 
Doug's advice above is best, to fix the problem check PH / water chemistry. If you want to try an easy work around, try a single batch sparge, or even a full volume mash in your new MT.

Taste testing unfermented wort can be tricky IME, sometimes the hops can taste aggressive, might this be what you think is tannins?
 
Could be the hops. My water is low alkalinity, so not likely that. I was using a digital thermometer that I use for cooking - always gets me pretty accurate for meat doneness.

As for calling it my first all grain... Nice zinger! Haha. It's the first where I did a true mash out and sparge.

I'm hopeful it won't be too bad, my wife didn't pick it up initially tasting the wort sample. Going forward, I guess I should invest in some pH strips and water additives. Thanks all.
 
I also got 10% phosphoric acid that I use to get my entire water volume down to a PH of 5.5 at room temp before I start the brew day and that's helped out a lot.
 

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