Hey everyone! Here lately, I've noticed that I've been making fantastic IPA's and pale ales, but my stouts are far from great! In several stout's I've brewed, I have gotten no roasted flavor, but a very unpleasant taste that can only be described as "twang"n or harsh. What is going on here? I have done a RIS with a ton of roasted barley, chocolate, and black patent and zero roast! Any help is much appreciated!
Stout Issues... no roast flavor!
- Thread starter rgontasz
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Lots of black patent gives an astringent taste that might be what you are describing as twang or harsh. What was your mash temp? In a RIS, you have enough grains to mash a little higher. You will get a higher percentage of unfermentables, which give you the roasty sweetness, but you will still have enough fermentables to get a high ABV. I mash stouts and big porters 154-158
How are you hopping your stouts. Sometimes roast flavors come across as bitter and may get lost in your hops.
I'd guess Water, Water, Water
Your water probably doesn't have enough alkalinity to brew dark beers well. I have the same problem. My water has very little of anything. I make excellent Pale Ales, Bitters, etc, but dark beers usually aren't great.
Kind of a harshness from the dark grain without a lot of depth or roast character.
Use one of the water adjustment spreadsheets and try that.
Your water probably doesn't have enough alkalinity to brew dark beers well. I have the same problem. My water has very little of anything. I make excellent Pale Ales, Bitters, etc, but dark beers usually aren't great.
Kind of a harshness from the dark grain without a lot of depth or roast character.
Use one of the water adjustment spreadsheets and try that.
rgontasz
Well-Known Member
I'm thinking water may be my issue. I usually mash at about 153-155 for my stouts, so I don't really see an issue there. I have never mashed as high as 158, that seems too high! I think I need to do a little research into my water and get to the bottom of this! I love stout too much to be making crap! Thanks for the feedback guys!
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Time in the bottle may be part of what is missing. I find that stouts change a lot in the first few months. I try to avoid sampling until 6 months have passed.
I'd have to agree. When I started brewing, I paid no attention to water chemistry. My IPAs, which is what I mostly brew came out good, but I couldn't get a stout to work, always ended up so so. Began learning water chemistry and my IPAs have gotten better. Haven't done a stout yet, but I am anxious to see what happens.
Even though this is an old thread, for those coming across it, and wondering...... I agree, it is likely a water issue. In my experience, there is no substitute for some high bicarbonate water with porters and stouts. The "twang" could very likely be the acidity of the dark grains pushing pH too low. When it comes to dark beer, I am fortunate that my tap water is high in bicarbonate.... so, I tend to use 60-80% tap water with the rest RO. I shoot for a mash pH in the 5.6 range. This is the profile I use for my Porter and it very consistently gives me a rich, roasty beer.
That's a good point- for my oatmeal stout, it's the only beer that I use 100% tap water for- and it's great! My bicarb level is 225, and my mash pH ends up being 5.5 with the grainbill I use.
I can't brew anything like a kolsch with my tap water untreated, but I can make a rocking stout!
Since beer is 90% water, it's important for the recipe, just as grain selection is.
