I've posted about this before, but need to vent some frustration again. Ever since I started brewing all-grain about a year and a half ago, Ive had off-flavor issues which I never had in over ten years of doing PM. I can't really put my finger on the flavor, but it's a very slight nastiness at the end.
I'm fairly confident it's not a water quality issue as I had no problems with PM batches using the same water.
I'm pretty sure it's not an infection issue, as my practices haven't really changed, the beer tastes great except for the finish, and I've had no issues with my apfel/fruit wine that i make using the same cleaning/sanitation techniques.
I've gone over my brewing techniques a dozen times, comparing them to many of yours, as well as all the available literature, and finding nothing. I do single infusion batch sparge with no mash out which closely follows Bobby M's well documented techniques. I won't list all my practices, as I've done it several times already here to no avail.
Here's what I've tried so far:
I've tested my thermometers multiple times
Ive tested my mash conversion
I've tried different mash temps
I've tried higher and lower sparge temps
I've replace my corrona mill with a barley crusher
I've used smack packs, smack packs with a starter, Dry yeast, and rehydrated dry yeast (mostly S0-5)
I've tried higher and lower ferm temps
I'm sure there's more I can't think of right now.....
There have been many good suggestions from all of you, but no improvement. The beer is drinkable, but that aftertaste.... It's driving me crazy!
I just don't know what to do any more, and I'm too damn stubborn to go back to PM.
The thoughts which keep rolling around in the back of my brain are these:
Could the cleaner I use (TSP, which I rinse VERY well) be leaving some residue?
Could my mash/sparge temps still somehow be too high (tannins)?
Could it just be that I'm not getting good oxygenation and the yeast is causing the off-flavor (I splash heavily when transferring to fermenter, then shake the fermenter vigorously for several minutes)?
Could I still some how have too high of ferm temps (never gotten above 72, mostly around 68, last brew at 64!)?
I'm effing tired of doing all the work for a hobby which I love but not reaping the rewards.
Sorry for the rant.
I'm fairly confident it's not a water quality issue as I had no problems with PM batches using the same water.
I'm pretty sure it's not an infection issue, as my practices haven't really changed, the beer tastes great except for the finish, and I've had no issues with my apfel/fruit wine that i make using the same cleaning/sanitation techniques.
I've gone over my brewing techniques a dozen times, comparing them to many of yours, as well as all the available literature, and finding nothing. I do single infusion batch sparge with no mash out which closely follows Bobby M's well documented techniques. I won't list all my practices, as I've done it several times already here to no avail.
Here's what I've tried so far:
I've tested my thermometers multiple times
Ive tested my mash conversion
I've tried different mash temps
I've tried higher and lower sparge temps
I've replace my corrona mill with a barley crusher
I've used smack packs, smack packs with a starter, Dry yeast, and rehydrated dry yeast (mostly S0-5)
I've tried higher and lower ferm temps
I'm sure there's more I can't think of right now.....
There have been many good suggestions from all of you, but no improvement. The beer is drinkable, but that aftertaste.... It's driving me crazy!
I just don't know what to do any more, and I'm too damn stubborn to go back to PM.
The thoughts which keep rolling around in the back of my brain are these:
Could the cleaner I use (TSP, which I rinse VERY well) be leaving some residue?
Could my mash/sparge temps still somehow be too high (tannins)?
Could it just be that I'm not getting good oxygenation and the yeast is causing the off-flavor (I splash heavily when transferring to fermenter, then shake the fermenter vigorously for several minutes)?
Could I still some how have too high of ferm temps (never gotten above 72, mostly around 68, last brew at 64!)?
I'm effing tired of doing all the work for a hobby which I love but not reaping the rewards.
Sorry for the rant.