IPA too sweet after primary?

[Homercidal]

Well, my first AG brew was an IPA and I just transferred to secondary in preparation for dry-hopping (and to help clear a bit since I forgot the Irish Moss).

Anyway, I took a taste while transferring and it seemed a bit sweet to my taste. I realize now that I forgot to get a hydro sample at the time and might tonight to see where it has fallen to. It's been in primary for 2 weeks now and the temp in the house averages around 70 during the day when the furnace is on and drops to maybe 65 at night, so I expect the fermentation to be "complete".

I'm wondering if there is any way that I did the mash that could have caused a higher than expected sweetness. Here is the recipe and process in a nutshell:

12 lbs 2-Row
1 lb. Crystal
4 ounces of Centennial over course of boil

Mash at 155F and loss may 2 degrees over 1 hour. I found my thermometer was inaccurate while adding sparge water. It apparently got moisture in the probe and started reading above boiling. I know that it was accurate to 1 degree when I started. I plan on adding the silicone tubing to the probe to keep my new thermometer from getting ruined again...

Perhaps a chill and carbonation will help, but I am afraid this batch might be too sweet to be a good IPA. I don't want a cloying sweetness to remain for later.

 

[RCCOLA]

I've noticed that a little xtra carbonation can help lessen percieved sweetness.Stone Brewing Co. let BYO print some clones for their brews(IPA) and I noticed the priming sugar amt. for 5gals. was 7/8cup rather than 3/4.Maybe a few more bubbles would help?

 

[Hops-4-Life]

I would guess that you mashed a bit higher than 155.

 

[sonetlumiere85]

Your post is hard to read and unclear on some things that make it hard to provide insight. Did you take an initial gravity reading? You were aiming for about 1.056ish right? What kind of yeast are you using? Starter? Nutrients? Aeration method? There are many many variables that affect the finished product. If it is still sweet, it's likely just not done fermenting, unless you used an inadequate amount of yeast.

 

[schweaty]

What is the gravity currently at and what was the OG? If you mashed at 155 you were going to end up with some maltyness in the beer. If you like dry beers try mashing at lower temps, that way there are more fermentable sugars in your wort. Also, you gotta remember the beer is still "green" so the flavors haven't had time to properly meld together. It will get better over the next 5 weeks I'm sure.

 

[LeeF]

I think dry hopping will help.
I posted the same question a month ago and today the sweetness has toned down a little. My problem was too high of a mash temp.

 

[Homercidal]

Well, according to my thermometer (Which I trusted for the initial mash) it started at 155.6 and dropped to 154 ish (can't remember the exact temp) during that hour.

I thought I posted the OG, but I see that it slipped my mind. I'll have to look it up again to remember. Either 1.070 or 1.060... But it doesn't matter because I still have to take a reading now to see where it is now. Try to remember to do that tonight.

I see the airlock is going again now that I've racked to secondary, so hopefully the roused yeast are taking care of some of that sugar. I just wondered if the mash temps might have had something to do with the sweetness I experienced when racking. I'm not terribly particular about my beer, but would like to get a handle on the process and learn how to control the different aspects of my beer's flavor when brewing.

Of course, too sweet would not be good, but I think that it's working it's way down.

 

[usurpers26]

The highest I usually mash my IPAs is 154 and that produces a noticeable sweet backbone. For the nice dry ones, 148-150.

Ultimately though, give it time!! It might not taste exactly like you wanted but I am sure it will be plenty good. And you could always send it to me

I just wondered if the mash temps might have had something to do with the sweetness I experienced when racking. I'm not terribly particular about my beer, but would like to get a handle on the process and learn how to control the different aspects of my beer's flavor when brewing.

Of course, too sweet would not be good, but I think that it's working it's way down.

 

[Shinglejohn]

Its probobly still got a bit of fermenting to do, plus that dry hop should knock the sweetness down.

 

[BierMuncher]

Chilling and carbonation go a long way to balancing out the IPA sweetness.

That dry hopping will help too.

What were your calculated IBU's?

 

[Homercidal]

Chilling and carbonation go a long way to balancing out the IPA sweetness.

That dry hopping will help too.

What were your calculated IBU's?

Ha ha! What??


I don't calculate IBUs. My recipe came from an online store's ingredients list and by looking at a few IPA recipes. I'm ashamed to say that once again I did not plan real well and the whole brewing process was from the hip, so to speak.

It being my first AG batch, I was more worried about getting the AG aspect down, and of course my equipment was still being made as I started the brew (my crusher 1.0).

I'm not terribly picky about bitterness. It takes an awful lot to turn me off. I thought 5 ounces of Centennial was about right. 4 ounces through the boil and an ounce to dry hop with.

I think the hops additions were like this:

1.5 60 mins
1.5 30 mins
1 flameout

 

[ohiobrewtus]

I like my IPA/IIPA's to be dry with little to no malty sweetness, just like the styles call for. I mash these 2 styles at about 148 for 90 minutes to get a nice fermentable wort.

There should be some malt there to provide a bit of balance, but the last thing that an IPA (especially and IIPA) should be is sweet. Malty sweetness takes you from an IPA to a hopped up Amber or from an IIPA to a Barleywine.

 

[Homercidal]

Yes, I understand. I like mine dry too, and that is why I originally posted the question. I want to do it right next time. But I bet it will still be drank. I was not really thinking about mash temp and the affect it has on the fermentables when I started. I just entered 155 for desired temp because I thought I'd try and hit the middle of the mash range. It worked well, so next time I'll be sure to check on the style and apply as needed.

This next brew is Centennial Blonde, which I've heard so much about. Which temp should I be striving for for that recipe?