Help me figure out this taste

[Lodovico]

I'm going to try and explain this but I'm not sure how to. My last couple of beers have come out tasting almost the exact same but they were different styles.

I made Jamil's Blonde Ale a few months ago and I just made his American Pale Ale. I dry hopped the American Pale Ale with an ounce of Amarillo.

I tasted the American Pale yesterday and it tastes exactly like the blonde I made, which I thought turned out wrong.

The only way I can describe the taste is that it has too much bitter hop taste at the very end of the sip. Not grassy, but kind of bitter. It kind of overwhelms the entire palatte.

Any idea what this could be?? It is the same taste with both beers. These were both done all grain.

I'm supposed to brew tomorrow but I don't want this next pale ale to come out tasting like this as well.

Any ideas???

 

[Bobby_M]

Maybe your water is way out of whack. Very low or very high sulfates. Your alkalinity could be way high also which would cause a high mash PH for your light colored beers. That would theoretically cause a lot of astringency. You really have to get a water report to know for sure. If sulfates are low and alkalinity is high, gypsum added to the mash would be one solution.

 

[rocketman768]

High sulfate content in your brewing water? That causes sharp hop bitterness. What's your water report look like?

 

[Texron]

How about trying Spring Water from the grocery store? Or try cutting your local water in half with RO water.

 

[Lodovico]

I have filtered my water in the past and maybe that helped. I did not filter the last two batches. I used it right out of the tap. I let it sit overnight to let chorline dissipate but that was it.

Here is a link to my city water report: http://www.mawa.us/view/27

It's only 3 pages long and if anyone were willing to give it a look and make suggestions, I would be really grateful!! Thanks.

 

[rocketman768]

Doesn't really give us the ions we look at in brewing. Check out this section in How to Brew. Call up your water department and ask them to give you all those numbers.

 

[dleonard]

Do you take gravity readings on your runnings?
I know that if you let them run too much past 1.008 (is that right everyone?) that you'll get a strong astringent flavor, that to me is very bitter. On my first few all grain batches I let it go to 1.000 to get my pre-boil volume, and that lead to a very bitter feeling in my throat after every drink, just like you're talking about.
Just an idea, hope it helps.