Stumped

[Ibrew2little]

All my beers are coming out well. However. All my IPAs are coming out non bitter, no aroma and have a banana taste to them. I'm using good hops from local Homebrew shop. Projected IBU is 70+. Using yeast starters and varying healthy yeast packets. Maris otter as base grain. Mashing at 148-152. I'm lost. Sanitation is huge. I clean everything. Also I'm using a single infusion setup. I've noticed I have varying pockets of temperature. For example one spot on my mash ton I'll read 152 and another at 158 when I'm trying to mash at 154. On top of that I am
Noticing 5-10* temperature drops over my hour mash. Thought and suggestions please? I am moving to a RIMS which I believe will solve my mash temp issues. But any other advice is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[MrFancyPlants]

What yeast and fermentation temperature? Banana says that it might be getting too hot while fermenting. What hop are you using for the boil?

 

[Aristotelian]

Are you experimenting with adding the hops at different times in the boil? I know some of the podcasts say the earlier you put stuff in, the less you taste it.

 

[brick_haus]

I second the high fermentation temp theory. Esters can develop in a short period of time. What temp is the wort when you pitch the yeast? What temp do you ferment?

 

[Gerry_P]

All my beers are coming out well. etc.

I'll third the fermentation temp. comment.

I might lose 2-3 degrees over a 90 minute mash in my 5 gallon Igloo. A couple things I do to minimize heat loss:
-Pre-heat the mash tun with hot water
-Put a sheet of tin foil on top of the mash before putting on the lid
-Seal the gap between the lid and cooler with duct tape
-Wrap the mash tun in towels and place inside a larger cooler

I think I'm losing heat mostly through the ball valve assembly, so I'm trying to come up with a solution for that.

Are you giving your bittering hops a nice long (at least 45-60 min) boil? The alpha acid in the hops need to be boiled to bring them out (aka to isomerize them).

 

[max384]

All my beers are coming out well. However. All my IPAs are coming out non bitter, no aroma and have a banana taste to them. I'm using good hops from local Homebrew shop. Projected IBU is 70+. Using yeast starters and varying healthy yeast packets. Maris otter as base grain. Mashing at 148-152. I'm lost. Sanitation is huge. I clean everything. Also I'm using a single infusion setup. I've noticed I have varying pockets of temperature. For example one spot on my mash ton I'll read 152 and another at 158 when I'm trying to mash at 154. On top of that I am
Noticing 5-10* temperature drops over my hour mash. Thought and suggestions please? I am moving to a RIMS which I believe will solve my mash temp issues. But any other advice is appreciated. Thanks!

How fresh are the hops that your are buying? How are you storing your hops? Are you buying larger packs of hops and opening them and using them over time? Or just buying an ounce at a time and using them all at once? Stored hops lose bitterness over time, so this could have an effect. I buy my hops a pound at a time. I store them in my freezer. If I use hops that were opened some time ago, I add a bit more to make up for the loss in bitterness after being opened and sitting for some time.

I know this may sound stupid, but I've made my fair share of stupid mistakes along the way. Are you calculating the IBUs correctly? Have you tried using more than one software calculator?

How long after fermentation begins are you actually drinking your IPAs? IPAs are a style that is best drank as soon as possible, as the bitterness fades relatively quickly.

Is it the bitterness that you are missing? Or could it be the aroma that you are missing (which can trick our brains into perceiving as bitterness)? You can get hops aroma with late hop additions and/or dry hopping.

For most IPAs, you are going to want a mix of bittering hops, flavoring hops, and aroma hops. Bittering hops are added very early in the boil, usually at 60 minutes in a standard 60 minute boil. Flavoring hops are added near the end of the boil, generally 15 minutes or less left in the boil. Aroma hops are usually added at five or less minutes or at flameout. They can also be added during fermentation (dry hopping).

 

[GCPHomebrew]

Where do you get your water? That's what makes great ipa, proper water.
Also following the basics.
Ferm temp regulation
Lots of hops( I do big hops stands at varying temps from 200 down to 140) then I dry hop 4-8 oz.

 

[Ibrew2little]

Wow thanks for all the replies. Obviously my hops and yeast strain vary depending what IPA I am
Making. English vs British vs IIPA etc. I use Beermsmith for my software. I buy in 1 oz packets from local Homebrew shop who keep fresh products in stock. I drink my IPA with 2 months of brewing. Usually about 10 days in primary. Dry hop with 3+ oz for a 5 gallon batch for 7-10 days then carb for 3-5 days. Set serve pressure and drink away. I do not have a way to regulate fermentation temperature at the moment. So I put the wort (pitch yeast at about 70f) in my basement and turn my AC in house down to 67-68f. Water I use RO/Carbon Filter then use a England style water profile so accentuate the hop bitterness. I use pellet hops during boil and leaf hop for dry hop. I don't transfer any beers to a secondary ferment. I keep in primary and cold crash in that then rack over to keg, oak barrel. Even a IPA at 120 IBU just doesn't feel bitter on the tongue to me for some reason. Friends agree. Maybe I'll build a ferment container and see what that does?

 

[brick_haus]

I don't know about describing it as banana flavor but oxidation will basically eliminate hop bitterness, flavor and aroma. It's usually associated with darkening of the beer, overly sweet and a "wet cardboard" flavor.

 

[jtratcliff]

If your ambient temperature is 68 F, then the temps in your fermenter could be in the mid 70s.... That's your culprit. Bananarama. Use a swamp cooler with frozen water bottles... I can keep my fermentation temps around 65 F if I change out water bottles often enough...

 

[Ibrew2little]

I don't see how oxidation would affect me. I have no splashing when moving to a keg. I'll keep and eye tho. I'll try making a fermenting chamber and see what that does. Thanks everyone!