Sierra Madre All Grain kit too sweet

[johnny1211]

Hoping someone here can help me out a bit so I don't make the same error again. I bought a Sierra Madre kit from Northern Brewer for a 5 gal batch. Brewed as per directions. Mash was 153, not 152 as called for (but it's close enough for me) I am learning a relatively new electric brew kettle so I boiled off an extra .25 gal due to learning curve. I ended up w/4.75 gallon of finished beer.

Anticipated OG was 1.052. I hit 1.060 (I know lower volume played a role here). My FG was 1.010. I primaried for 2 weeks and secondaried for 2 weeks. US 05 was the yeast. Fermentation temp was between 66-68 degrees as basement temp varied slighlty. Force carbed as usual using carbing procedure that I always do.

The finished beer is very, very sweet. Never expected this from a beer that went from 1.060 to 1.010. Also, there is no hop profile at all. Being a Sierra Nevada clone I was surprised at this.

I brewed this w/a fellow brewer. We've been over notes. We double checked temps and readings from one another. We are stumped on this one. Any ideas as to why it would have stayed so sweet?

 

[kh54s10]

The first thing that comes to mind is to check your thermometer. If the mash was hotter it would create more unfermentable sugars.

 

[bucketnative]

No hop profile... does that mean that it isn't bitter enough? Perhaps a lack of bitterness makes the beer appear to be sweet? I agree that 1.010 should be all that sweet.

 

[brick_haus]

Hows the color? Darker than expected? Could it be oxidized?

 

[johnny1211]

Thanks for the replies.

I did check the thermometer first w/boiling water and ice water to calibrate. Then against my friends. All readings were well w/in limits.

There is a definite lack of bitterness. No hop presence at all like there is when you take a drink of SN. I was surprised how little hops went into this recipe. When I checked the recipe against other clones, it was similar.

It was darker in color...will oxidation lead to sweetness? I'd like to hear more about this if you get a minute.

 

[Rush]

Thanks for the replies.

I did check the thermometer first w/boiling water and ice water to calibrate. Then against my friends. All readings were well w/in limits.

There is a definite lack of bitterness. No hop presence at all like there is when you take a drink of SN. I was surprised how little hops went into this recipe. When I checked the recipe against other clones, it was similar.

It was darker in color...will oxidation lead to sweetness? I'd like to hear more about this if you get a minute.

Oxidation doesn't increase sweetness, but it will decrease hop presence (aroma, flavor and bitterness) which would have balanced the sweetness that is already in the beer, but since oxidation diminishes the hop profile the sweetness just becomes more apparent.

Oxidation can also darken a straw colored IPA all the way down to a mid brown color like a red ale.

 

[Rush]

Also, how long has it been since you bottled/kegged this beer?

 

[johnny1211]

All total, it's been in the keg for about 3.5 weeks.

 

[Rush]

All total, it's been in the keg for about 3.5 weeks.

I'm really going with oxidation, especially since it's definitely had time to take hold of the beer. Oxidation rears it's face around the 2-3 week point after oxygen contact. I'd bet you had some oxygen contact during the kegging process. What is your purging procedure when you close-up your keg after filling it? Are you opening and closing the purge once or multiple times back to back? Does your siphon/racking cane create any bubbles during transfer? Did the beer splash around in the bottom of the keg during transfer?

There are a few threads on the front page of the General Beer Discussion forum currently. Read them and see if you can find a hole in your process.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=587188

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=587169