Chalk Taste

[Buell]

My recent BIAB recipe of Northern Brewers Fresh Squished IPA turned out terrific... for the most part.

After only 2 weeks fermenting and one week in the keg, it tasted wonderful, even though it was young. Now, after another week in the keg, it has a slight chalk after flavor.

The kit called to dry hop in the fermenter for 5-7 days but I opted to keg hop instead. I did the same thing with my last batch of Dead Ringer IPA and it too developed that chalky flavor after time.. could the keg hopping be the culprit?

I do a CO2 transfer from the fermenter to the keg, so it shouldn’t be oxidation.

 

[hilts]

Did you do any water adjustments?

 

[RPh_Guy]

"Chalky" to my non-expert ears suggests a problem with water or oxidation.

What kind of water do you use?
Do you make water adjustments for style and hitting mash pH?
You thoroughly rinse any cleaning solutions?

I do a CO2 transfer from the fermenter to the keg, so it shouldn’t be oxidation.

There are so many ways for oxygen to get in...
What kind of fermenter and airlock do you use?
Do you cold crash in the fermenter?
Do you open the fermenter for any reason between pitching yeast and packaging? E.g. Tasting, hydrometer samples, dry hopping, fining agents.
How long was it in primary? Do you use a secondary?
Do you fill the keg with deoxygenated water and then push that out with CO2?
What grade of CO2 do you use?
Have you considered spunding?
The keg holds pressure even without CO2 flowing (or you checked for leaks)?

 

[ba-brewer]

My recent BIAB recipe of Northern Brewers Fresh Squished IPA turned out terrific... for the most part.

After only 2 weeks fermenting and one week in the keg, it tasted wonderful, even though it was young. Now, after another week in the keg, it has a slight chalk after flavor.

The kit called to dry hop in the fermenter for 5-7 days but I opted to keg hop instead. I did the same thing with my last batch of Dead Ringer IPA and it too developed that chalky flavor after time.. could the keg hopping be the culprit?

I do a CO2 transfer from the fermenter to the keg, so it shouldn’t be oxidation.

I have had a few beers with keg hops get a minerally/chalky like after taste too, seemed to come as an after taste. Not sure why it happens to some beer but other it is not a problem so I try to avoid keg hopping now. I think it might happen when the hops are old or past their prime, but really don't know. I do know the change in flavor happened almost instantly with my beers.

"Chalky" to my non-expert ears suggests a problem with water or oxidation.

What is the mechanism that oxidation make the beer chalky?

 

[SanPancho]

Its often the hops. Old, not stored well, and sometimes just too much green matter. Ranges from a chalky/gritty taste to dirt/roots to even a generic harshness that develops. (As opposed to bitterness which typically is always fading somewhat). Have even noticed it when using different source of hops in a well known recipe. It happens.

 

[RPh_Guy]

What is the mechanism that oxidation make the beer chalky?

Taste is pretty subjective, and flavor progression from oxidation is complex. "Chalky" to me seems potentially similar to papery or bready flavors from oxidation. ..Just a guess. Certainly could be wrong.

 

[ba-brewer]

Thanks for clarifying @RPh_Guy.

 

[thehaze]

I only experience chalkiness in IPAs, with a specific water treatment. From experience and for my taste, chalkiness is a result of water treatment.

 

[Buell]

Thanks for all the replies.

I have been doing a lot of searching on here and I think it's a water problem. Not just because of the chalkinessbut now only after a few more days, the hoppiness and "fresh" flavor is gone. The beer is good overall but almost seems old.

I downloaded Bru'n Water but my first impression is that it's very complex. Not sure I want to jump into all that right now.

Might just take a break for a few months and come back to brewing.

BTW - I didn't treat the water, I just used tap water with a campden tablet.

 

[ba-brewer]

brewers friend has a simpler water tool as does beersmith.

take a look at the water sticky here on HBT
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/a-brewing-water-chemistry-primer.198460/

Once you do some reading brunwater might not look so complex.

 

[Buell]

Thanks BA, that Primer is great stuff.

Maybe it’s the New Years Fog, but I still don’t understand what he is saying needs to be done for RO water and brewing an IPA. He mentions a baseline, some other measurements and then talks about doubling.
———————————————————

Baseline: Add 1 tsp of calcium chloride dihydrate (what your LHBS sells) to each 5 gallons of water treated. Add 2% sauermalz to the grist.

Deviate from the baseline as follows:

For soft water beers (i.e Pils, Helles). Use half the baseline amount of calcium chloride and increase the sauermalz to 3%

For beers that use roast malt (Stout, porter): Skip the sauermalz.

For British beers: Add 1 tsp gypsum as well as 1 tsp calcium chloride

For very minerally beers (Export, Burton ale): Double the calcium chloride and the gypsum.

 

[ba-brewer]

look at this post in that thread
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/a-brewing-water-chemistry-primer.198460/#post-2465880

I would start with the base line and see how you like the beer.