NASTY astringent taste in my first homebrew

[Knightrain88]

My first brew (a German Style Light) has an extremely potent and bitter aftertaste. Recent research has led me to suspect it comes from the fact that I knocked a bunch of the "krausen-ring" sludge back into the brew during fermentation.

The beer tastes great... when you can, y'know, taste it.

 

[Drunkenfool]

What do you mean by"it wasn't really cooked at all". How long are your boils? Are you doing full boils or partial and then adding water. What is yourprocess. Also how are you starting the fermentation. Are you using a starter at a low temp> 60 f or are you pitching hot?

 

[Drunkenfool]

What do you mean by"it wasn't really cooked at all". How long are your boils? Are you doing full boils or partial and then adding water. What is yourprocess. Also how are you starting the fermentation. Are you using a starter at a low temp> 60 f or are you pitching hot?

 

[BigB]

Oh boy is this ever the "bump of the day." And the sad thing is that this was "bump of the day" 5 months ago... This thread is 3 years old.

 

[Rover]

Oh boy is this ever the "bump of the day." And the sad thing is that this was "bump of the day" 5 months ago... This thread is 3 years old.

Yeah, kind of strange how this thread went.

That being said, I read through the thing and I'm surprised no one asked Bosh about fermentation temps. All my beers have lost that bite ever since I can effectively control my ferm temps. Now I'm working on pitching techniques to reduce off flavors.

 

[Drunkenfool]

Right, after I posted I saw how old it was......

I have been brewing for 11 years. last year I scored an old fridge a ranco 2 stage controller a few erlenmeyer flasks and built two stir plates. the only way the beer tastes bad now is with what I have done in the mash or the recipe....even my "bad" beers people think are greeat and drink them right up. Temp control and healthy yeast definately the key. Cheers

 

[Drunkenfool]

Right, after I posted I saw how old it was......

I have been brewing for 11 years. last year I scored an old fridge a ranco 2 stage controller a few erlenmeyer flasks and built two stir plates. the only way the beer tastes bad now is with what I have done in the mash or the recipe....even my "bad" beers people think are greeat and drink them right up. Temp control and healthy yeast definately the key. Cheers

 

[CortexBomb]

I'm also surprised that no one was more curious about decanting. Some of the biggest problems that I ran into when I was first brewing was getting foul tasting beers because of the trub getting into suspension while I was pouring. Not so much an issue with the 12 oz. bottles, but much more with the bombers because I didn't have glassware large enough to hold a full one. I would pour out a glass, drink it down a bit, and then fill it the rest of the way.

One day, I realized that any backflow into the bottom of the bottle was disturbing the trub and making my beer taste like crap. So I bought some 25 oz. mugs. Now, when I take my beer places, I usually decant it myself into growlers so people who are less experienced with home brew don't pour it out wrong and ruin the flavour of the beer.

I can't tell you how sad it makes me when I hear stories from friends who like good beer, but who have poor experiences with home brew because the person making it is not serving it properly. I'm thinking of one case in particular, where an acquaintance noted a friend of his was a home brewer, but he didn't like the flavour, he felt it was off, abrasive. I mentioned fermentation possibly being off, &c. but, on a whim, asked him how it was served. Straight from the bottle. His friend just handed him a bottle of the stuff and told him to drink it. Absolutely insane. I can't even conceive of someone who has any understanding of how the carb/bottling process works doing that, but there you go.