I recently brewed the NB American Wheat Ale kit (with an extra 4 lbs of 2-row) and I think I ended up extracting a lot of tannins during mashing/spraying. I did a single step infusion mad at 150-152 for 60 minutes and mashed out at 168-170 for about 15 minutes. Is my mash out temp to high? I used bottled water and pH adjusted the mash and spare water. I did a fly sparge and stopped the runoff at 1.010. The flavor I’m getting is rather harsh bitterness ( not like normal hop bitterness) and a sensation that can only be described as being similar to heartburn. I have had this happen to other AG recipes so I’m pretty sure the problem is in my mash/spare procedure. I just don’t have a clue what is causing it!! Need some advice!!
Ive gotten this same thing too. Your temps seem fine, as do mine but theres definitely something going on.
What do you mean by “bottled water?” Is it RO? What are you building your water with?
I should have been a little more specific about the water I was using. I use “spring water” from the grocery store. The stuff in the two gallon plastic containers on the shelf with the distiller water. I have a well at my house and the water quality is not that great so I buy water for brewing. I only mentioned it because I know that high alkalinity can affect tannin extraction. The water is probably not RO. It’s most likely filtered municipal water from wherever the bottling plant is located.
Tannin extraction is primarily a pH issue. Generally it happens when sparging with highly alkaline water, allowing the sparge pH to rise >6. Have you checked the mash pH? Sparge pH?
Also, in addition to Sean’s advice, tannins are not a flavor (like bitterness). They create a dry mouthfeel, like chewing a grape skin.
Astringent is my twelve cent word for this taste/not taste. your temps don’t seem to be off. you need to buy some beer range pH paper. I have had to work on the pH issue. Sour malt added at 3% by weight of the total grain bill helps but recently I have been out and there is not a LHBS within 3 hours. I have been using the juice of one orange tossed in at mash in. I have heard of a number of acids being used, you just have to get the Ph down (or conversly with the fly sparging - keep it from rising)
Barry
Thanks for all the great advice. Is there any possibility that this problem could be caused by something other than pH? I used buffering salts in the mash water and the spare water. I didn’t actually check the pH, (and i will do this from now on!!) but shouldn’t the buffering salts keep the pH low enough to prevent tannin extraction?
When you say “buffering salts” do you by any chance mean the Buffer 5.2 stuff? If so, what you’re tasting could be off flavors from the sodium in it. I quit using it becasue not only did it not work, but it added weird flavors to the beer.
That’s what I have been using. And I’ve used it for awhile and have noticed the same problem in several different recipes. I’ll try a batch without it and see how it goes. If you check pH and it’s high what would you use to bring it down below 6?
[quote=“uiucche94”]If you check pH and it’s high what would you use to bring it down below 6?[/quote]I highly recommend a spreadsheet called “bru’nwater”, free for download off the interwebs, for salt/acid additions and pH control. But for quick reference, the common salts for lowering pH are calcium chloride, gypsum, and epsom salt. Phosphoric or lactic acids can also be used. For raising pH, chalk and pickling lime are useful.
