Third AG Failure...Ideas?

[bigdongsr94]

So with a very light ale with 8 lbs 2row and a water at about 7-7.5 could I be ending up too high pH and releasing tannins? Am I correct saying hard water has a higher RA and does not easy change pH? Also the pH goes down when adding malt. So if I add a smaller amount of light grain to a harder water it will not affect the pH that much? If so I could still be sitting up in the 6s which is at a level to release tannins. How does this sound?

 

[crackhead7]

I can chime in as an Ohio brewer. My first couple AG batches had astringency that was caused by high PH I know this because lowering it corrected my problem. My water in cleveland which is also hard from the tap has an almost 8 ph. being that I was fly sparging that made it even worse. the RA is def. higher taking quite a bit of acid and salts to lower to optimum mash ph. / dilution w/ RO could be helpful but i chose not to employ that as a solution. however with batch sparging there should be less of an issue w/ ph. I would highly suggest and RV charcoal filter and drinking water hose (two of my better investments). a cheap hose can have have a very bad impact on flavor.

 

[crackhead7]

on a second note watch the amount gypsum you are using here in cleveland w/ the water as it is its easy to over do it and end up with an overly harsh hop profile.

 

[Parkinson1963]

Originally Posted by Parkinson1963 View Post
They apparently use Chloramine as a disinfectant, unfortunately this is not removed by Campden tablets.
Since when?!?!?!

Okay I was wrong!!. It seems a carbon filter or a campden tablet will remove the chloramines.

I will still continue to use a carbon filter as it removes other nasties (VOCs) as well.

 

[birvine]

Just skimmed so maybe I missed something, but what about your yeast? Did you wash and/or re-use your yeast? I had a similar problem some months back and through my notes found the yeast to be the common thread through the bad batches.

Just an idea. I was SO frustrated with my problem and it was nice to have so many helpful people chiming in their ideas.

/B

 

[bigdongsr94]

Well I have washed my yeast but since they keep failing, I am yet to use it. It was a fresh smack pack wye yeast 1056.
So gypsom lowers pH?

 

[Shooter]

Originally Posted by Parkinson1963 View Post
They apparently use Chloramine as a disinfectant, unfortunately this is not removed by Campden tablets.
Since when?!?!?!

Okay I was wrong!!. It seems a carbon filter or a campden tablet will remove the chloramines.

I will still continue to use a carbon filter as it removes other nasties (VOCs) as well.

You might have been thinking about boiling, because chloramines definitely do not come out when you boil.

 

[Soma]

Water is the last thing to worry about in brewing.

 

[joeybeer]

I'm thinking it's yeast too... I've had some problems with a similar taste that I am convinced was from underpitching... I wouldn't reuse the yeast from a corny batch (but that's just me). Make a big ass starter in a growler with tinfoil on top a couple of days before you brew, shake it when you pass, and pitch that bad boy when the wort is below 60f and let it come up to temp (around 62f). I bet your problem will be gone !!!

 

[flananuts]

I have water profile to be a major factor in making quality beers. I would recommend that you send your water off to have it professionally analyzed. Once you have that, you can use a water profile calculator (there's a great excel one EZ Water calc) to adjust your mash and boil water with the proper amount of brewing salts for the type of beer you are brewing. I have soft water so I end up adding CaSO4, CaCO3, and MGSO4 to almost every pale, IPA, etc I make. It also helps in getting your ph down to the proper ranges for a successful mash.


A couple questions
0. What was your grain crush like? Were the hulls intact or shredded?
1. What was your strike water temp and mash temp after strike?
2. How long was your mash period and did you test with iodine/iodophor to confirm conversion?
3. I'm not a BIAB brewer but I'm assuming your mashing with all of your pre boil wort.
4. What was your pre and post boil gravity reading
5. What sanitizer do you use on your fermentation equipment
6. What temp did you ferment at?
7. Did you reoxygenate the wort prior to pitching?
8. You indicated primary and secondary. What was the total time your beer was on the cake
9. Did you force carbonate or use priming sugar?

Making great beer is not easy, but it is definitely rewarding!