Can anybody explain the off flavors that are given off when the grains are heated to too high a temperature? Would it be described as a bitter licorice flavor? I have that in a batch I brewed and fear that I got it too hot. Does it sound like the case?
How hot are you talking about?
Well I didn’t have a mash tun and I was trying to control heat with the burner for an hour lost track of what I was doing and well got to a slight boil a few times so it got pretty hot over the hour
Boiling your Mash is not good. Not sure what flavors you’d get but you pretty much screwed up. I’d try another batch and keep the mash about 150.
What’s the style and recipe? At what temp did you ferment? What yeast? Is this 100% all grain? What do you use to sanitize? Bottle or keg? What’s your process there? When you accidentally boiled the grains did you stir at all?
Most of the conversion happens in the first 15-20 mins. As long as you can maintain temps for that long you should be pretty good. Instead of adding direct heat wrap the MT in an old blanket to insulate it and maintain temps. It’s very easy to scortch mash/wort with direct heat, especially if you add heat too quickly, don’t stir, and aren’t using a false bottom.
Scorched mash/wort is likely what your experiencing.
