Could US-05 still in suspension leave a bitter dry powdery taste on the tongue that lingers? Or is powdery just a description of medium floc yeast strains? I’ve been trying to narrow down an off flavor but can’t figure it out. It first I though it was water. I was using spring water with extract so I used distilled water on my last batch. However it is still noticeable. Could it be as simple as not properly chilling my homebrew long enough before drinking? Should I be aging my beer in the fridge after it is fully carbed to promote yeast floc? I’m pretty sure my steep grain technique is fine. I used 3 qts of water to 1 pound of grains for 20 mins between 150-160 degrees. I also tasted this in my brews without steeping grains. I felt so good about this last batch and did everything I could. I carefully stirred extract in away from the heat to keep it from scorching and stirred thoroughly, I cooled wort fast, sanitized everything I needed to, pitched at the right temp, fermented low to mid 60’s primary for 3 weeks, cleaned rinsed and double rinsed then sanitized bottles after rinsing to keep any residue from drying on them let them sit and then re sanitized them right before bottling.
Sounds like you are doing everything right. A few questions.
What was your last brew and how long in the primary?
What do you use for cleaning your bottles and equipment?
What is your sanitizer?
How long, and at what temperature, do you bottle condition?
I’ve found that US-05 flocs fairly well. I just finished off another 2 beers with it and they flocced well. Now, one of those beers is a Helles-like beer and it still has some haze. I expect that will drop with time. That Helles was purposely made with low calcium content water and that can contribute to less proficient floccing.
If you didn’t add any calcium salts to that RO water brew, its possible that your beer is exhibiting the same slow flocculation as my Helles. The Scottish 70 that I just kegged was brewed with 50 ppm calcium and it dropped very clear.
Give it time.
American Amber Ale extract kit. 3 week primary. Sometimes I use PBW or Oxyclean free to clean and sanitize with Star san. This time I bottle conditioned around 64-65 for 2 weeks.
You may be tasting a green beer, a beer that has not been conditioned long enough.
My American Amber Ales are in the primary for three weeks also. I also use PBW and Starsan. I am bottle conditioning a little cooler than normal, 65° to 67°. I am finding my beers don’t become good until they have four weeks at these temperatures. Six weeks they are even better, and then a minimum of three days in the frig.
I’m using WY 1056, nearly the same strain as US-05. The yeast, even after 6 weeks of conditioning does not compact in the bottle like WY 1084.
Bring your bottles into a room that is about 70° to 72° for a shorter conditioning time.
