All my brews have the same stupid flavor...

[cyanmonkey]

I had high attenuation on a series of batches and finally narrowed it down to my thermometer. I also had 1968 t finish at 90%AA. Beers we dry and thin. Seems like you checked the boiling temps; you can also check the low end with crushed ice and water. I like the idea of a small batch mashed high as well.

Well, if the boil temp is correct, but let's say the ice test reads high/low, what does that tell me? Just that I need a new thermometer?

 

[sboyajian]

I recently had issues too. Had a stout I expected to finish at 1.020, get to 1.010. An IPA I planned for 1.010 got to 1.004.

Turned out my thermometer was reading 8 degrees high. If I thought I was mashing at 150, I was really at 142.

Glad I only got 2-3 batches through it before I figured it out.

 

[cyanmonkey]

I recently had issues too. Had a stout I expected to finish at 1.020, get to 1.010. An IPA I planned for 1.010 got to 1.004.

Turned out my thermometer was reading 8 degrees high. If I thought I was mashing at 150, I was really at 142.

Glad I only got 2-3 batches through it before I figured it out.

Hmm...I HAVE noticed my thermometer reads two degrees higher than what my temp strip says on my fermentor. That might make some sense why, now.

 

[nhindian]

Hmm...I HAVE noticed my thermometer reads two degrees higher than what my temp strip says on my fermentor. That might make some sense why, now.

Where are you taking the temperature from with you thermometer? Against the fermentor or inside it? If inside, reading higher isn't surprising.

 

[cyanmonkey]

Where are you taking the temperature from with you thermometer? Against the fermentor or inside it? If inside, reading higher isn't surprising.

Strips on the outside and I probed inside.

I just bought ingredients for a gallon of dark mild. We'll see how it turns out.

 

[ImNoExpert]

Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

 

[beerkench]

This really sounds like wild yeast. Wild yeast are not as choosy about what they eat so are really good at drying out beer and stripping away flavour. I had the same trouble once and was making great looking clear beer that had a tonic taste to it.


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[DrunkleJon]

Question, do you bottle or keg?

Have you cleaned out the valve in your bottling bucket? Valve in BK? CFC or Plate chiller maybe (debris stuck in there)?

 

[PGEduardo]

Can you describe the bitterness a little more detailed? Do you taste it immediately out of the fermenter, in the wort, or after carbing?

If you keg, make sure your temp/pressure is within range. I was carbonating at 14 psi and 33F and had a harsh bitterness that turned out to be carbonic acid. Backed off to 12psi and 40F and all's well...

 

[kombat]

Do you have an air filter on your oxygen tank?

Wait ... what?

Why would you need an air filter on an O2 tank? It's pure O2, isn't it? I understand needing one if you're using, say, and aquarium aerator, or something that's taking air from the room and forcing it into the wort, but a pure oxygen tank oxygenation system shouldn't need one, does it? I've never used one, and I've oxygenated several batches with pure oxygen and an oxygenation stone, without any infections (yet - knock on wood).

 

[cyanmonkey]

I have a filter on my oxygen. I'm bottling and I can taste it pre carbonation.

I don't think it's anything wild or infectious, I think I'm tasting my beer with no malt flavor, so just hop bitterness.

I think I've been mashing too low and creating a wort that's too fermentable. I'm making a small low og batch tomorrow that I'mashing really high (158F). If it remains as dry as it's been then I'll look into switching out my system but by bit.

 

[MNDan]

I've never heard of filtering pure oxygen.

 

[Gerry_P]

I think I've been mashing too low and creating a wort that's too fermentable. I'm making a small low og batch tomorrow that I'mashing really high (158F). If it remains as dry as it's been then I'll look into switching out my system but by bit.

You were talking about mash temps, but I didn't see any mention of your fermentation temps. Could they be too high? That might produce some off flavors too, but I'm just throwing it out there.

 

[cyanmonkey]

You were talking about mash temps, but I didn't see any mention of your fermentation temps. Could they be too high? That might produce some off flavors too, but I'm just throwing it out there.

Naw, I keep it at 67 or below for the most part. I pushed my Tripel to 70, but I wouldn't call that extreme. They're all very clean.

 

[Gerry_P]

Naw, I keep it at 67 or below for the most part. I pushed my Tripel to 70, but I wouldn't call that extreme. They're all very clean.

yeah...that seemed a little too easy.

 

[beerkench]

Do you bottle or keg?


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[cyanmonkey]

Do you bottle or keg?


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Bottle, as answered before.

 

[electric_beer]

What is your elevation? 210 isn't usual boiling point for sea level. That is 212, so perhaps you think you are mashing at 151, but really closer to 149....which would explain the high attenuation.

 

[cyanmonkey]

What is your elevation? 210 isn't usual boiling point for sea level. That is 212, so perhaps you think you are mashing at 151, but really closer to 149....which would explain the high attenuation.

879 feet.

 

[beerkench]

Like I said, I would put all my money on wild yeast somewhere in your equipment.
Really clean and bleach eveything if you need to. Boil your hoses and make sure your chiller is spotless.
Bottling also gives wild yeasties in your batch an even bigger chance of taking over as your bringing your beer up to room temp for a few weeks and adding sugar which is like throwing fuel onto the fire.
Is your beer over carbing slightly in the bottle?

 

[joshesmusica]

Didn't you say the OG was that low? So bottling isn't the issue...
My only suggestions are that since you're gonna do a small batch, don't rule out two possible problems at one time. Mash like normal, but no starter.
Another idea is to just go ahead and buy a new thermometer. Then, if they're both accurate, at least you have the ability to check mash temps in two separate locations in the future.
What did you say you're fermenting in? That could be the down side with the small test batch, if the infection is in your fermenter.

 

[cyanmonkey]

I've used 3 different fermentors. One glass carboy, a bucket and Saturday was a 1 gallon glass carboy. I brewed a mild so I'm hoping for a really quick turnaround. I mashed at 158, so if it finishes low, again I'll know it's either an infection or my thermometer. I had two thermometers reading the same temp. Will let you guys know!

 

[joshesmusica]

what kind of thermometers? didn't realize you had two. chances are there they could both be off, but i would think the chances are slim.
have you checked them at lower temps? or do you have any other kind of thermometer in your house to check them against. it's sounding more and more like an infection problem.

 

[cyanmonkey]

what kind of thermometers? didn't realize you had two. chances are there they could both be off, but i would think the chances are slim.
have you checked them at lower temps? or do you have any other kind of thermometer in your house to check them against. it's sounding more and more like an infection problem.

One is a meat thermometer that I have no faith in, but since it read the same as my other one I'm hoping it's a good sign. I have not checked them at lower temps.

I don't see how it could be an infection, but I'm certainly not ruling out the possibility.

 

[joshesmusica]

what are you using to transfer from kettle to fermenter?
i thought about it some more, and actually you should be able to tell from this batch whether your problem is coming from infecting your starter, or even some kind of infected fermenter, or from the mash temps. basically because if it's got a lot of residual sweetness (aka, that the FG is way too high), then you know your mash temps are hitting what they're supposed to, and therefore, the mash temps are not the problem. and all the while, you didn't have an over-attenuated batch on your hands, therefore you must be infecting your starter.
of course it this one over-attenuates, then you've got quite a problem on your hands.

 

[Gavin C]

Of course.

Never heard of an air filter for an oxygen tank and wand setup. What does it look like. Can you post a link to it. I wasn't aware of the need to filter O2.

 

[cyanmonkey]

what are you using to transfer from kettle to fermenter?
i thought about it some more, and actually you should be able to tell from this batch whether your problem is coming from infecting your starter, or even some kind of infected fermenter, or from the mash temps. basically because if it's got a lot of residual sweetness (aka, that the FG is way too high), then you know your mash temps are hitting what they're supposed to, and therefore, the mash temps are not the problem. and all the while, you didn't have an over-attenuated batch on your hands, therefore you must be infecting your starter.
of course it this one over-attenuates, then you've got quite a problem on your hands.

I typically use my ball valve. Suppose it could come from that...this time I used a siphon in a different pot, no starter, in a new fermenter.

 

[cyanmonkey]

Never heard of an air filter for an oxygen tank and wand setup. What does it look like. Can you post a link to it. I wasn't aware of the need to filter O2.

http://www.brewinternational.com/oxygen-wort-aerator/

Just came on it. I don't have a reason not to use it, I guess.

 

[Gavin C]

http://www.brewinternational.com/oxygen-wort-aerator/

Just came on it. I don't have a reason not to use it, I guess.

That's great. Thanks for the info. I don't use a filter on my O2.

 

[cyanmonkey]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1430265295.872971.jpg

I think I figured it out.

My old thermometer was reading 2 degrees low and wasn't showing any change in mash temp over an hour. This one showed a 7 degree drop in 20 minutes (never preheated my tun).

I was able to convert my mash to a no sparge about 20 minutes in and got up to 150 on a Tank 7 clone, so I'm hoping it works.

I think the "stupid flavor" was a complete lack of malt character with a sharp hop bitterness. I'm disappointed because the last Tripel I did is basically rocket fuel. I'd guess I ended up mashing it at 143-145. No wonder I was always getting crazy attenuation.