electronjunkie
Well-Known Member
Summary: I can make any beer from extract, AG, etc and they taste awesome everytime except when an English yeast is used.
First let me give you a quick brewing background to help rule out most of the usual suspects:
I have brewed about 30 batches of beer. I have done mostly all-grain, though I have made a few extract batches using LME and/or DME.
Here is what I have made successfully so far with 0 (noticeable) infections: American Pale Ales (S-05 using LME/DME), Hefeweissens (WY3068 & WY3638 using AG), Belgian Dubbels (WY1214 using AG), Belgian blondes (WY1214 AG), Belgian Pales (WY1214 AG), American Wheat S-05 and LME (for the wife).
All of these beers came out tasting delicious except my 1st dubbel where I used too much licorice root and coriander. I now know to not spice beer ever unless its after the fact. Some people can do, I won't be doing it again though. Also I know using low temperatures the 1st few days helps keep some of the offtastes below normal thresholds.
As of 4 months ago I have temperature control using a Johnson TC and freezer with the therm sensor taped w/ shipping tape to the fermenter and keg everything. I used to use the ice bath method to keep my fermenter cool the 1st few days. I have fermented in Glass, Plastic Buckets, and Carboys (in the darkest corners of my house). I honestly can't tell a difference.
Now the troubling part. Every time I have made a beer using S-04, WY1968, or Whitbread I get an overpowering tartness. I really have no way to describe it. I have not tasted it in any commercial beers except for Bad Penny brown ale has a slight hint of it (they are a local brewery).
Nut Brown: WY1968
MASH INGREDIENTS
-- 7.5 lbs English Maris Otter
-- 0.25 lbs. Simpsons Chocolate
-- 0.25 lbs. Belgian Special B
-- 0.25 lbs. Belgian Biscuit
-- 0.25 lbs. Briess Special Roast
BOIL ADDITIONS & TIMES
-- 1 oz. Fuggle (60 min)
Fermenter 70*F, 3 weeks
Taste: tart like you wouldn't believe, undrinkable even after 2 months in the keg.
English Bitter: S-04
7lbs Maris Otter
0.50 lbs. Crystal 120L
0.25 lbs. Special Roast Malt
Fermenter 70*F, 3 weeks, no sign of infection
Taste: very very very tart, undrinkable
English Bitter: Whitbread
7lbs Maris Otter
0.50 lbs. Crystal 120L
0.25 lbs. Special Roast Malt
Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.80 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 5.00 19.7 60 min.
0.50 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 5.00 6.3 30 min.
0.50 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 5.00 2.1 1 min.
Fermenter 68*F, 2 weeks, no sign of infection
Taste: very tart
English Special Bitter: Whitbread
12lbs Maris Otter
0.50 lbs. Crystal 40L
0.4 lbs. Crystal 120L
0.25 lbs Special Roast Malt
0.5 lb Aromatic Malt
Fermenter 68*F, 4 weeks
Taste: very tart
English Special Bitter: WY1968
12lbs Maris Otter
0.50 lbs. Crystal 40L
0.4 lbs. Crystal 120L
0.25 lbs Special Roast Malt
0.5 lb Aromatic Malt
1.50 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 5.90 31.4 60 min.
0.50 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 5.90 3.5 20 min.
1.00 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 5.90 3.5 1 min.
Fermenter 65*F, 4 weeks
Taste: tart but drinkable, no discernable malt and very little hops, hidden by tartness
I have tasted many commercial ESBs, Bitters, etc and none have any of this tartness. What is going on here? I am baffled and considering using S-05 for my next attempt.
Is it possible the English yeast want a lower temperature?
Is it the Raleigh city water interacting with the english yeasts somehow?
I sanitize w/ starsan and clean everything w/ oxyclean.
I have had no problems using raleigh city water in other brews, even when they up the chlorine/chloramine to clean the pipes. I can't taste it or any off flavors from it in any of my beers.
Next ESB I plan to use different water.
First let me give you a quick brewing background to help rule out most of the usual suspects:
I have brewed about 30 batches of beer. I have done mostly all-grain, though I have made a few extract batches using LME and/or DME.
Here is what I have made successfully so far with 0 (noticeable) infections: American Pale Ales (S-05 using LME/DME), Hefeweissens (WY3068 & WY3638 using AG), Belgian Dubbels (WY1214 using AG), Belgian blondes (WY1214 AG), Belgian Pales (WY1214 AG), American Wheat S-05 and LME (for the wife).
All of these beers came out tasting delicious except my 1st dubbel where I used too much licorice root and coriander. I now know to not spice beer ever unless its after the fact. Some people can do, I won't be doing it again though. Also I know using low temperatures the 1st few days helps keep some of the offtastes below normal thresholds.
As of 4 months ago I have temperature control using a Johnson TC and freezer with the therm sensor taped w/ shipping tape to the fermenter and keg everything. I used to use the ice bath method to keep my fermenter cool the 1st few days. I have fermented in Glass, Plastic Buckets, and Carboys (in the darkest corners of my house). I honestly can't tell a difference.
Now the troubling part. Every time I have made a beer using S-04, WY1968, or Whitbread I get an overpowering tartness. I really have no way to describe it. I have not tasted it in any commercial beers except for Bad Penny brown ale has a slight hint of it (they are a local brewery).
Nut Brown: WY1968
MASH INGREDIENTS
-- 7.5 lbs English Maris Otter
-- 0.25 lbs. Simpsons Chocolate
-- 0.25 lbs. Belgian Special B
-- 0.25 lbs. Belgian Biscuit
-- 0.25 lbs. Briess Special Roast
BOIL ADDITIONS & TIMES
-- 1 oz. Fuggle (60 min)
Fermenter 70*F, 3 weeks
Taste: tart like you wouldn't believe, undrinkable even after 2 months in the keg.
English Bitter: S-04
7lbs Maris Otter
0.50 lbs. Crystal 120L
0.25 lbs. Special Roast Malt
Fermenter 70*F, 3 weeks, no sign of infection
Taste: very very very tart, undrinkable
English Bitter: Whitbread
7lbs Maris Otter
0.50 lbs. Crystal 120L
0.25 lbs. Special Roast Malt
Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.80 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 5.00 19.7 60 min.
0.50 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 5.00 6.3 30 min.
0.50 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 5.00 2.1 1 min.
Fermenter 68*F, 2 weeks, no sign of infection
Taste: very tart
English Special Bitter: Whitbread
12lbs Maris Otter
0.50 lbs. Crystal 40L
0.4 lbs. Crystal 120L
0.25 lbs Special Roast Malt
0.5 lb Aromatic Malt
Fermenter 68*F, 4 weeks
Taste: very tart
English Special Bitter: WY1968
12lbs Maris Otter
0.50 lbs. Crystal 40L
0.4 lbs. Crystal 120L
0.25 lbs Special Roast Malt
0.5 lb Aromatic Malt
1.50 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 5.90 31.4 60 min.
0.50 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 5.90 3.5 20 min.
1.00 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 5.90 3.5 1 min.
Fermenter 65*F, 4 weeks
Taste: tart but drinkable, no discernable malt and very little hops, hidden by tartness
I have tasted many commercial ESBs, Bitters, etc and none have any of this tartness. What is going on here? I am baffled and considering using S-05 for my next attempt.
Is it possible the English yeast want a lower temperature?
Is it the Raleigh city water interacting with the english yeasts somehow?
I sanitize w/ starsan and clean everything w/ oxyclean.
I have had no problems using raleigh city water in other brews, even when they up the chlorine/chloramine to clean the pipes. I can't taste it or any off flavors from it in any of my beers.
Next ESB I plan to use different water.