Fermenter Sample Tastes Sweet At 1.007

[hopnerd]

Hi everyone, had an interesting experience tonight. I am getting ready to bottle this weekend so am taking a few sample to make sure that the SG is steady. It's coming in at 1.007 - should be right to go for Sunday. But when tasting it, I get this bitter sweet taste hanging around at the back of my throat. Here's the recipe:

1kg light LME
250g DME
150g Crystal 55L
12g Goldings EK at 60 min
12g Goldings EK at 30 min
12g Goldings EK at 1 min
Batch Size 10L (small I know)
OG 1.035
FG 1.007
Fermented between 20-22degC for 12 days now.

I'm not too worried and won't do anything rash until its good and carbed, I'm more just curious as to why and how this sweet aftertaste can occur - not real keen on it hanging around in an Ordinary Bitter.
Thoughts?

 

[kelbygreen]

it is from the malt and crystal. Malt extract will always finish sweeter then all grain. You need to use a little dextrose to balance it out I used about 80% malt to 20% dex. Also the Crystal will add sweetness and not much fermentablity as your just steeping it.

I am infact shocked you got it down to 1.007! I never got a extract to get under 1.013 even with dextrose (although I usually had OG at 1.045+, More like 1.050 or so )

What was your IBU??? maybe you can add more bitterness to balance it out?? not sure the AA% of goldings but 12g is not much for bittering

 

[hopnerd]

Yeah I was a bit put off with the Hop numbers when I put the small batch recipe into iBrewMaster, but at 5% for Goldings it comes out at roughly 30 IBUs. I should of mentioned earlier that I also used a full pack of dry Fermentis British Ale yeast. It took off like a rocket and had peaked in about 36 hours.
Good advice on the dextrose, I can see how that'll avoid having some of the more complex sugars hanging around. What do you think that'll mean for the body of the beer? Minimal impact?

 

[pcmfisher]

Yes it will lower the body by replacing some of the malt with dextrose as you have a more fermentable wort.

To me there is nothing worse than a sweet beer that hangs around in your mouth.

Actually, I am boiling up a brew as we speak. Trying for a lower body and lower bitterness as a good throw down lawnmower beer.

Usually I go for about 30-35 IBU using,
1.5kg LLME
750g LDME
500 Dex


This time I am going drop the LDME to 500g and up the Dex to 750g and bittering to 24 IBU. I may be over doing it but who knows.

BTW. If I threw away every brew that didn't taste so good from the fermenter, I wouldn't get to drink many.

 

[hopnerd]

That sounds delicious, and your ratios generally line up with kelby's advice. I reckon the carbonic acid will mitigate some of the sweetness during carbonation, only time will tell. Will post results in 3 weeks. Very much appreciate the advice.