help ID the source of this taste
#1
Posted 24 September 2009 - 04:34 AM
#2
Posted 24 September 2009 - 04:38 AM
#3
Posted 24 September 2009 - 04:41 AM
I batch sparge so I'm not sure I can oversparge...I tend to not suspect contamination b/c I've never had problems in the past. My practices are pretty solid I think. Any pros want to come to my house and taste this? :cussing:I wonder if it's b/c of the malt I used: My linkThen check out how black roasted barley is classified here: My linkMaybe I should be using regular roasted barley? It seems like maybe what I used is too much "intense bitter"??Is it sort of like a slight mouth puckering effect? Could be astringency. I oversparged on the first Dry Stout I ever did, and it came out astringent.Or, It could be contamination.
#4
Posted 24 September 2009 - 08:34 AM
#5
Posted 24 September 2009 - 09:57 AM
According the strips maybe a little low - according to Palmer + my H2O report I was on the high end but still in range.Which direction was mash pH wrong again? Too low?Before I started controlling water chemistry, my stouts were all rough with harsh bitterness. It was because the pH of the finished beer was too low and the acid was accentuating the bitterness in a bad way. Now that I've got control of mash pH (and therefore finished beer pH), stouts with exactly the same grain bill taste MUCH better.
#6
Posted 24 September 2009 - 10:18 AM
This was my first thought too, the dark malts drove the pH too low and created an an off putting overly acidic stout.Which direction was mash pH wrong again? Too low?Before I started controlling water chemistry, my stouts were all rough with harsh bitterness. It was because the pH of the finished beer was too low and the acid was accentuating the bitterness in a bad way. Now that I've got control of mash pH (and therefore finished beer pH), stouts with exactly the same grain bill taste MUCH better.
#7
Posted 24 September 2009 - 11:33 AM
It's possible but I'm putting in fairly significant amounts of chalk and baking soda to kick the pH up.This was my first thought too, the dark malts drove the pH too low and created an an off putting overly acidic stout.
#8
Posted 25 September 2009 - 03:08 AM
#9
Posted 25 September 2009 - 04:51 AM
#10
Posted 25 September 2009 - 04:52 AM
I probably brewed it in late April based on when I created the spreadsheet although the keg hasn't been tapped all that long so it's possible I'm sucking up some yeast right now...How old is the beer? I find suspended yeast to be sour.
#11
Posted 25 September 2009 - 05:03 AM
#12
Posted 25 September 2009 - 10:49 AM
#13
Posted 25 September 2009 - 11:14 AM
strangely enough the smokiness has dropped considerably since I put this on tap.I'm also a little confused about what "roasted barley" I used since Austin HB calls it "black roasted barley". I have to wonder if this is something closer to black patent (which I don't really like) or something...Smoky, sour, tart says infection to me. I've had infected beers throw smoky phenolics before.
#14
Posted 25 September 2009 - 11:58 AM
I'm hoping you're wrong b/c I can't see any part of my process where there's a problemSmoky, sour, tart says infection to me. I've had infected beers throw smoky phenolics before.
#15
Posted 25 September 2009 - 04:24 PM
Black roasted barley is generally a 500 L unmalted roasted grain produced by American maltsters, and is close to the roasted barleys produced by British maltsters, which hover around 500+ L. It is not close to black patent, mainly because black patent is malted, and roasted barley is not.Some American maltsters also have a roasted barley that is around 300 L. When buying grains, it's very important to know what you're buying since grains with the same name can be significantly different between brands.I'm also a little confused about what "roasted barley" I used since Austin HB calls it "black roasted barley". I have to wonder if this is something closer to black patent (which I don't really like) or something...
#16
Posted 26 September 2009 - 03:55 AM
Well - maybe it is infected then. I wish I knew what I did to cause this though. This is one of the first beers I'm actually considering dumping part of it. It's not awful it's just not something I really want to drink that much of. My wife describes the off taste it has as sort of a smoked ham taste.Black roasted barley is generally a 500 L unmalted roasted grain produced by American maltsters, and is close to the roasted barleys produced by British maltsters, which hover around 500+ L. It is not close to black patent, mainly because black patent is malted, and roasted barley is not.Some American maltsters also have a roasted barley that is around 300 L. When buying grains, it's very important to know what you're buying since grains with the same name can be significantly different between brands.
#17
Posted 26 September 2009 - 07:24 PM
Well - maybe it is infected then. I wish I knew what I did to cause this though. This is one of the first beers I'm actually considering dumping part of it. It's not awful it's just not something I really want to drink that much of. My wife describes the off taste it has as sort of a smoked ham taste.
#18
Posted 27 September 2009 - 10:45 AM
#19
Posted 27 September 2009 - 10:57 AM
would that really work after the fact?If you're thinking of dumping it, you could experiment a bit. Mix a little chalk into water (it probably won't dissolve, so keep shaking it.) and mix some into a a glass of beer to see if it starts to taste better at some point.
#20
Posted 27 September 2009 - 12:09 PM
I dunno. Just a shot in the dark. I doubt it would be able to recover the beer, but it might give you some info about the flaw. If the problem is that the pH of the finished beer is too low, then raising the pH might get rid of the acrid taste.would that really work after the fact?
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