Astringency Problem
Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2016 9:17 pm
I seem to be getting some astringency in my beers, more and more lately. I wouldn't call it tannic, but definitely something near the end of the taste of the beer, near the back of the tongue. Definitely has that puckery, thirst quenching sensation. 
Some beers its quite mild, others more pronounced.
Now I've researched and read online for hours. I know not to crush my grain too fine, I have a barley crusher left at factory gap. I measure my mash ph which was 5.41 on my most recent brew. I usually have a mash in, mash out and batch sparge method that I use. Admittedly the mash out addition generally has a temp of about 200-206F, but when I add that addition to the grain bed it never goes above 168F. I always finish my mash and sparge within an hour or so. I have tried doing a simple mash in, drain mash tun and batch sparge thinking it was the high water temp of the mash out addition causing it but this seemed to make it even more pronounced.
I have used essentially the same methods for the last 18 months or so. I've used multiple recipes though I've only ever noticed this problem in my hop forward styles, though that is what I brew most of the time (likely 8-9 batches out of ten). I keep those styles fairly low on speciality malt, base malt, flaked oats, flaked or malted wheat, maybe munich or carapils some times and acid malt for ph adjustment. I've obviously used multiple kegs, carboys, different yeast strains.
I do adjust water chemistry now, which I started about 9 months ago. This is what I adjusted my water profile to for my most recent brew for a NEIPA.
Ca 54, Mg 11, Na 92, Cl 100, SO4 100 I am on well water
Am I missing anything else that could be causing this? I've run out of ideas and things to try. I was planning not to adjust water chemistry at all next time simply because I don't know what else to try. This is not something I've encountered until now, certainly not when I wasn't playing with water chemistry at all.
Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.
I'd love to just RDWAHAHB but I just filled two kegs of otherwise tasty NEIPA's and don't have anything else on tap right now.
Some beers its quite mild, others more pronounced. Now I've researched and read online for hours. I know not to crush my grain too fine, I have a barley crusher left at factory gap. I measure my mash ph which was 5.41 on my most recent brew. I usually have a mash in, mash out and batch sparge method that I use. Admittedly the mash out addition generally has a temp of about 200-206F, but when I add that addition to the grain bed it never goes above 168F. I always finish my mash and sparge within an hour or so. I have tried doing a simple mash in, drain mash tun and batch sparge thinking it was the high water temp of the mash out addition causing it but this seemed to make it even more pronounced.
I have used essentially the same methods for the last 18 months or so. I've used multiple recipes though I've only ever noticed this problem in my hop forward styles, though that is what I brew most of the time (likely 8-9 batches out of ten). I keep those styles fairly low on speciality malt, base malt, flaked oats, flaked or malted wheat, maybe munich or carapils some times and acid malt for ph adjustment. I've obviously used multiple kegs, carboys, different yeast strains.
I do adjust water chemistry now, which I started about 9 months ago. This is what I adjusted my water profile to for my most recent brew for a NEIPA.
Ca 54, Mg 11, Na 92, Cl 100, SO4 100 I am on well water
Am I missing anything else that could be causing this? I've run out of ideas and things to try. I was planning not to adjust water chemistry at all next time simply because I don't know what else to try. This is not something I've encountered until now, certainly not when I wasn't playing with water chemistry at all.
Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.
I'd love to just RDWAHAHB but I just filled two kegs of otherwise tasty NEIPA's and don't have anything else on tap right now.
