I recently brewed nb’s black ipa extract us05 yeast.I did rush it a bit one week primary transferred to secondary at 1.016 secondary for two weeks. Bottle 2 weeks. I started drinking them as soon as the were carbed about a week cooling a beer or two a day. They seem to be getting worse tasting not better. At first they were good but now they have this astringent taste different than a hop bitterness never experienced this before. Anyone know what could have caused this?
Steeped the grains in too hot of water maybe? Or steeped them in too much water? How did you steep them?
Otherwise, I’m not sure what could cause that off flavor.
Keep in mind that astringency is a mouthfeel, not a taste. Is it possible that you’re mis identifying the problem?
Very possible. This is my third batch so i dont have alot to go by but ive never tasted/felt anything like this in any beer and the weird thing is the first few I drank which were a week younger and tasted better. The Air lock did clog after I added my dry hops my biggest fear is that it’s infected but when I look up astringent tastes all I can find is steeping grains too long.
Very possible. This is my third batch so i dont have alot to go by but ive never tasted/felt anything like this in any beer and the weird thing is the first few I drank which were a week younger and tasted better. The Air lock did clog after I added my dry hops my biggest fear is that it’s infected but when I look up astringent tastes all I can find is steeping grains too long.[/quote]
Astringency can be caused by a number of things. One of the most common is the pH being too low, which can be caused by steeping in roo much water. But homebwers have had “beware of astringency” so beaten into them that it’s also one of the most misdiagnosed flaws I know of. You say you didn’t taste the flaw in beers you tried earliwr. Astringency doesn’t just develop if it wasn’t already there. Astringency is a drying mouthfeel…think sucking on a grape skin. Is that what you’re experiencing?
Very possible. This is my third batch so i dont have alot to go by but ive never tasted/felt anything like this in any beer and the weird thing is the first few I drank which were a week younger and tasted better. The Air lock did clog after I added my dry hops my biggest fear is that it’s infected but when I look up astringent tastes all I can find is steeping grains too long.[/quote]
Astringency can be caused by a number of things. One of the most common is the pH being too low, which can be caused by steeping in roo much water. But homebwers have had “beware of astringency” so beaten into them that it’s also one of the most misdiagnosed flaws I know of. You say you didn’t taste the flaw in beers you tried earliwr. Astringency doesn’t just develop if it wasn’t already there. Astringency is a drying mouthfeel…think sucking on a grape skin. Is that what you’re experiencing?[/quote]
I did a partial boil so I steeped in about 3-3.5 gallons. I know I pulled out the grains at 170. Yeah it’s exactly that, a drying of the mouth feeling. It had a slightly off taste at first i thought was a “green” beer taste but if that was the case it should be getting better not worse. I did notice in this batch some white stuff clinging to the grid marks in the carboy during secondary, I found similar posts that attributed that to yeast. So I thought I was in the clear. I’m trying not to think infection but I cnt help but start to think its about to go down hill fast. I better start drinking
If it’s getting worse, it’s unlikely to be astringency from the brewing process. In the future, though, just to be safe keep the steeping ratio no more than about 2 qt./lb.
[quote=“Beersk”]Steeped the grains in too hot of water maybe? Or steeped them in too much water? How did you steep them?
Otherwise, I’m not sure what could cause that off flavor.[/quote]
How does steeping in too much water result in astringency?
[quote=“Silentknyght”][quote=“Beersk”]Steeped the grains in too hot of water maybe? Or steeped them in too much water? How did you steep them?
Otherwise, I’m not sure what could cause that off flavor.[/quote]
How does steeping in too much water result in astringency?[/quote]
The primary factor in tannin extraction is high pH. Adding grain to water will reduce the pH of the resulting mixture. The darker (and more) the grain, the more the pH will drop. If you use too much water, there won’t be enough grain to drop the pH, meaning it will remain above optimal levels. That will result in increased risk of tannins in your beer.
[quote=“Denny”][quote=“Silentknyght”]
How does steeping in too much water result in astringency?[/quote]
The primary factor in tannin extraction is high pH. Adding grain to water will reduce the pH of the resulting mixture. The darker (and more) the grain, the more the pH will drop. If you use too much water, there won’t be enough grain to drop the pH, meaning it will remain above optimal levels. That will result in increased risk of tannins in your beer.[/quote]
Ok. pH I know and understand; I was more or less concerned about something weird (like diffusion gradients). Has anyone ever explored how much water is “too much”? For the grain & water volumes generally involved in steeping, I’d be surprised to see 2.5 gal vs 5.5 gallons represent a significant issue for 8-24 ounces of grain.
[quote=“Silentknyght”][quote=“Denny”][quote=“Silentknyght”]
How does steeping in too much water result in astringency?[/quote]
The primary factor in tannin extraction is high pH. Adding grain to water will reduce the pH of the resulting mixture. The darker (and more) the grain, the more the pH will drop. If you use too much water, there won’t be enough grain to drop the pH, meaning it will remain above optimal levels. That will result in increased risk of tannins in your beer.[/quote]
Ok. pH I know and understand; I was more or less concerned about something weird (like diffusion gradients). Has anyone ever explored how much water is “too much”? For the grain & water volumes generally involved in steeping, I’d be surprised to see 2.5 gal vs 5.5 gallons represent a significant issue for 8-24 ounces of grain.[/quote]
How much water is too much will depend on your own water and the recipe you brew. It’s best to keep it in the same range as for mashing. Something on the order of 2 qt./lb. is good. 5.5 gal. for 1.5 lb. of grain would not be good in general.
The description is accurate, but my tannin extraction came to light of a grain bill and too high of a mash pH, not to little water. My pH was 7.4 with a bunch of buffering agents (minerals, really hard water). This made it really hard for the grain to bring the pH down under its own power, so the pH stayed high and pulled tannins. I fixed this by adding a calculated amount of phosphoric acid to my mash water before i heat it up. You can cut the water with distilled water to give the grain more of a fighting chance, but it’s a PITA for me to go to the store for 4gal of RO water every brew.
I suppose if i mashed at 0.25qt/lb the grain would have had enough power, or if i stuck with brewing oatmeal stouts, but I like variety.
Well, that explains why my extracts always had a bit of astringency. I was steeping my specialty grains in 4 gal of water. Thanks for the lesson. I’ll try the same ratio as my AG mashes from now on.
If it’s an infection, you’ll likely start getting gushers as the wild organisms consume carbs that the yeast can’t touch and the carbonation will increase.
