Salty Beer Issue

I bottled a Robust Honey Barrel Porter today. When taste testing the unfermented brew left in the bottle bucket, I found it has a very salty taste.

I have used filtered local tap water before without this problem. The only thing I can figure is, it was always there but this time I got a lot more attenuation. The brew smells great but like I said is very salty.

I also found out that in a Porter you should NOT use yeast that can get 80.6% attenuation. OG was 1.062 and FG was 1.012.

I based my yeast choice on temp tolerance. I used White Labs Dry English Ale (WLP007) and it is DRY.

I hope it ages out.

Had I noticed it before bottling I may have tried a little gelatin to clear it up some.
If you guys think that might help, I will sacrifice 26 caps and rebottle before it carbs. Just pop a top, suck a syringe full out, add a syringe full of gelatin solution and recap.

Any thoughts?

 

Anyone?

 

Do you have high sodium in your water? As for adding the gelatin in the bottle, I wouldn't. They will clear on their own most likely. Gelatin is most often added to the fermenter then cold crash, or keg then cold crash. IIRC, the height of the container aids in gelatin fining, it has further to travel to the bottom and it's attracting proteins as it descends.

 

Did you use 5.2? I've heard that adds sodium to your beer, and some people have reported a salty beer.

 

I'd be looking at your mineral additions...also be suspicious of a pissed off SWMBO (you wouldn't be the first to get a heap of salt put into their beer).

 

One brewer I know said it may be do to the use of Honey AND Oak Chips. The dry from Honey and the astringency of the Oak combined to give a perceived salty taste.

It made sense because it is very subtle and yet lingers in the aftertaste a lot. The more you drink the more you notice it. The more it builds up in your taste buds.

Sadly, I do not know if it is fixable in this batch without brewing up a strong batch of Malto Dextrin and mixing it in. Then just rebottling it. A lot of work without knowing the end results. I may open a bottle after it carbs in a week or so and try adding a little sugar water to the glass. If that helps enough, I will order some Malto Dextrin and do it. Or just keep some strong sugar water handy. If I have to doctor each glass, I won’t be sharing any bottles of it.

Hmmm… Maybe add some good bourbon to it to help cut the Honey dryness.

Something, I cannot stomach dumping ANOTHER batch.

(Sure glad I have been doing small batches.)

 

I just HAD to know how this was going to turn out.

I wanted to get other taste test opinions.

So…. Friday around noon (4 1/2 days of carbing) I put one bottle in the fridge. That night I opened it to share at our local brew club meeting. I am very pleased to report the brew had NO salty taste and the only comments were that it was a “Little Green”. The astringency from the oak had mellowed and it looks like by Turkey Day it will be a nice beer ready to share with family and friends.

Needless to say, I am very relieved and will defiantly be letting my first oaked brew age.

 

I've had similar issues with two of my beers. I tasted them out of the bucket and thought that they sucked and were going to be super salty. They ended up mellowing just fine, and I still can't figure out the issue (I have little sodium in the water and don't add 5.2 or any other salts usually).

 

I believe it was due to the astringency of the oak chips combining with the dryness of the other ingredients or honey in my case. I would think a green uncarbed oaked rye might also make the brain think “salt”. I am sure there are others.

 

I sampled one on Saturday and WOW. Then I shared a couple with the son-in-law on Sunday (11/14). He gave me the ultimate complement when he said that he would buy it.

Moral of the story is, RDWHAHB.

I already have some more Oak Chips soaking to brew another batch. This time I have the chips soaking in Amaretto.