Help with astringent after taste?

[MashStirBrew]

My last three beers have this harsh lingering bitter aftertaste. Very puckering. One is Orfy’s Hobgoblin another an ESB, and the latest is Northern Brewers Czech Pilsner all hopped to the low end of the style. All three 5gallon recipes had a 60 minute 153F mash and batch sparged with roughly five gallons of 170F water. I forgot to Vorlauf the Goblin but I did on the ESB and pilsner. Now I am a little confused about when to stop vorlaufing but the runnings did not seem to have any husks or too big of particles in them. I used spring water and 5.2 mash stabilizer on all three. The Pilsner has laagered in the keg for a good 6 weeks and the other two were made last October. I can list the recipes if needed but that should sum them up.
This is getting depressing as I was extremely thorough on the pilsner. So either my DIY 5 gallon Rubbermaid MLT with SS braid is letting through more husk than I am aware or I have some sanitation issues. I did just figure out that the plunger on my BB spigot comes out completely so it could be a source of contamination.

Any ideas? They definitely seem astringent with maybe a hint of grainy/yeasty flavor in the pilsner. No definitive “OFF” flavors (although I am no expert). What do you think? BUG or Bad process.

On a side note the Pilsner and Orfys Goblin are drinkable but the ESB is ready for the drain. And yes you Can come get the ESB’s if you want. I will keep sampling one here and there but if I need bottles they will be sacrificed.

 

[Kai]

Perhaps you are simply oversparging/sparging too hot. I can't think of how a bug could make tannins (although perhaps they could, but my impression is that they don't).

edit: alternately, a bad crush could be shredding your husks into little bits that get into the boil and cause astringency.

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

Astringent is not really a typical infection related flavor.

In which way do you mean astringent? Grainy?

Are you sure your sparge is not exceeding 170F? How accurate is that thermoter?

How long are you letting the the beers age?

Also

 

[MashStirBrew]

edit: alternately, a bad crush could be shredding your husks into little bits that get into the boil and cause astringency.

The Goblin and ESB were HBS crushed and ended up with about 55% efficiency and had to add a little DME to make up for it. But the pilsner was the factory setting on my Barlycrusher which ended up about 75% efficiency Pre-boil. I will definately have to get some feeler gauges and check the gap. And get another thermometor that can be calibrated so I have 2. Thanks!!

 

[MashStirBrew]

In which way do you mean astringent? Grainy?

Also

the grainy taste in the Pilsner could be yeast from the bottom of the keg. But the ESB has this puckering like harshness at the end. You don't notice it up front but it really sticks out after the first swallow. There is no off flavor like grass or butter or cardboard just that after shock I guess you could call it. makes you want to bite the inside of your cheaks to get it to go away. It is the same with all three just not as overpowering as in the ESB. I am not really sure how else to describe it.

My ESB is what made me get a new thermometor from Northern brewer that can be calibrated. I thought that would solve it.


Should I drain my runnings through a grain bag or cheescloth to see what that gives me or will that give me the feared HSA?

The two ales were brewed about 5 months ago and the Pilsner about two. The Pilsner is a little young yet. But the same pucker from the three really has me scared for Cheeses CCA I hope to brew Sunday.

I am glad to here that Contamination may not be an issue. I am not ruling it out but I am Very thorough with sanitation. SWMBO makes sure of it.

 

[Schlenkerla]

I am a big time coffee drinker. I found that it (coffeee) can fubar my taste buds. Beer can also get mucho better w/ time so don't throw in the towel too soon.

Very young beers will change day to day and as they are poured.

Different hops can screw up the taste buds too.

I'd wait. I dumped two Qrts of AW Strawberry & Raspberry that are 100% better at another 6 mo. Actually very drinkable!!! I had to pop the tops first - drink or dump!

 

[MashStirBrew]

My edit didn't work. I guess I could try draining the runnings through a grain bag or cheese cloth? The feared HSA could come in to play but worth A shot I guess.

And yes I like my coffe strong and black. I will keep that in mind. Thanks.

 

[EvilTOJ]

Are these last three batches the only ones you've made with your all grain equipment? If not, did you change anything or any equipment since then? Whenever I do my vorlauf (sorry, that sounded dirty) I always let it run about a gallon even though I don't need to. My first AG was a pilsner and I didnt' let it vorlauf enough and it had that awesome astringency + tortilla taste we all love so much.

 

[MashStirBrew]

Are these last three batches the only ones you've made with your all grain equipment? If not, did you change anything or any equipment since then? Whenever I do my vorlauf (sorry, that sounded dirty) I always let it run about a gallon even though I don't need to. My first AG was a pilsner and I didnt' let it vorlauf enough and it had that awesome astringency + tortilla taste we all love so much.

I did one PM before these and used a grain bag to filter the runnings. That one came out perfect and was one of my favorites. That has to be my problem! I will vorlauf the crap out of my next batch and see what happens. I can't thank you guys enough for your responses!!

 

[MashStirBrew]

Just thought I would update you guys on the astringency problem. I brewed a batch of EdWorts Haus Pale with excellent results. I replaced the braid on the MLT with a braid that has a larger diameter and tighter weave. After recurculating about a gallon of runnings I used a grain bag as a filter and ended up with about a 1/4 cup of grit. Probably not enough to worry about but it worked so I will be repeating the process. Any way, Thanks everyone, I have you guys to thank for some delicious, non astringent beer!