Chalk like taste???

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Beer-lord

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The last few beers I've done have all had a similar but to different degrees of a chalk taste to me. I've done absolutely nothing different but I do have a somewhat new RO filter though when I first got it, I didn't have this problem.
Here's some info:
BIAB, usually 6 gallon batches. I've brewed for decades, use Brewfather for the recipe and for the water profile. I've done NEIPA's, pales, ipa's and a few dark beers. The dark beers are great so I assume the dark malts cover up any problems.
It seems to be worse when the beer is cold and after a month in the keg, slightly reduced and drinkable, just not enjoyable. During most of 2020, I made what I felt were stellar beers, one after one and was on a roll. Then this wall hit me.
I did make some adjustments to my grain mill to crush a little tighter but certainly not to powder or anything I'd think would introduce tannins. My yeast is fresh, usually use starters. I'm the cleanest brewer I know :) so this isn't anything that seems to be an infection.
I clean my keg lines between each keg change with line cleaner. I like hoppy beers but even those with minimal hops get this flavor. It's almost semi-metallic but not minerally. At least not to me. I use a keezer to ferment, usually in the mid 60s, cold crash for 24 or so hours then keg.
What am I missing?
 
Whenever I troubleshoot something, I go to the last time it worked and investigate what changed.

Calcium, Carbonates, or bicarbonate can seem chalky at high levels. I’d check that water filter.
 
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Has the TDS of your RO water changed? That could let you know your water output quality is declining
 
Definitely need to keep track of RO system health with an inexpensive TDS meter. Without knowing that one is operating in the dark.
I always test mine before drawing RO for brew day...

Cheers!
 
I have 2 TDS meters, they show 000 and 003 even after running 12 gallons.
Gonna brew this weekend and see where that gets me. Not sure what, if anything to try except I'll keep doing recipes I've done a number of times that were good.
 
Excellent. Clearly if you're seeing those numbers whatever is causing the chalky/mineral character it isn't your RO water :)
What are you using to adjust the RO to make it suitable for brewing?

Cheers!
 
What are your typical mineral additions in a non-dark beer?

BTW, tannins are not causing "chalkiness," they can cause astringency, think of sucking on a tea bag. Although a dryness left in the mouth can also point to tannins.

Are you adding minerals and acid to your sparge water?
 
What are your typical mineral additions in a non-dark beer?

BTW, tannins are not causing "chalkiness," they can cause astringency, think of sucking on a tea bag. Although a dryness left in the mouth can also point to tannins.

Are you adding minerals and acid to your sparge water?
I BIAB so no sparging. I use gypsum, calcium chloride, non iodione salt and epsom salt on a regular basis. I usually use both Brewfather and Bru'n water for my calculations and while they never are extremely close, I usually choose somewhere in between.
 
New bag of malt, maybe?
I go thru sacks pretty quickly as my brother brews and he uses my stock too. But, many times I'm mixing my 2 row. I've used Mecca Lamonta, Great Western, Proximity and recently, a bit of Montana Crafts 2 row. Sometimes I blend depending on my stock and other times, solely use 1 main base malt.
 
Here's my update. 8 days ago I brewed an 11 gallon batch of a beer I brew a few times a year so that I know how its supposed to taste. I took half and pitched some Hornindal and gave my brother the other half and he pitched Imperial Flagship.
I kegged my half yesterday and took a taste today. Other than a little dry since Hornindal dropped it to 1.008 (and a higher ABV than I wanted) it had none of the characteristics in my last 4 or 5 brews. I did nothing different.
Now I'm wondering if my scale I use for hops and salts is off. I'm tired of being OCD.
 
Now I'm wondering if my scale I use for hops and salts is off.
What kind of scale is that?

I weigh hops on an 11 pound flat glass "kitchen" scale that measures in grams, probably with about one gram precision. Good enough for those.
But brewing salts are weighed on a small 0.01-100 gram scale.
 
That scale should be very fine, it's similar to mine. Internally those are probably all the same.
Have you tested/calibrated it?
For example, could a piece of hops gotten underneath the weighing platform monkeywrenching your measurements?

Then again, you sort of know what 3-4 grams of gypsum (or calcium chloride) looks like. ;)
 
I printed off the water report for Crystal Geyser jug mountain spring water, and it looks pretty much usable as-is for a number of styles, or watered back with distilled water.

Maybe you could find a local usable water and run a batch without doing the additions you are doing. Just for a test to determine if it is your water.
 

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