Help With Astringency In Fermenter

[michaelcocks]

HI Brewers

I made a Timothy Taylors Landlord Ale clone last weekend using a recipe suggestion from the forum

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...9871&st=120

[topic="0"]Link[/topic]

It fermented really quickly but the gravity samples are a biot puckering adn astringent - before I keg - Is there anything I can do - would adding a bit of crystal help ?

TIA

Michael

 

[buttersd70]

HI Brewers

I made a Timothy Taylors Landlord Ale clone last weekend using a recipe suggestion from the forum

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...9871&st=120

[topic="0"]Link[/topic]

It fermented really quickly but the gravity samples are a biot puckering adn astringent - before I keg - Is there anything I can do - would adding a bit of crystal help ?

TIA

Michael

Michael, are you sure it's astringency, and not bitterness?
Did you ammend the recipe to account for the particular alpha levels of your own hops? (as the alpha varies year to year...and the newest fuggles are the highest I've seen in years....)
Did you check the mash temp after doughing in, and did you check the temp when you added the water for mash out?

edit: what did the fg end up being?

 

[michaelcocks]

Michael, are you sure it's astringency, and not bitterness?
Did you ammend the recipe to account for the particular alpha levels of your own hops? (as the alpha varies year to year...and the newest fuggles are the highest I've seen in years....)
Did you check the mash temp after doughing in, and did you check the temp when you added the water for mash out?

edit: what did the fg end up being?

Hi Butters

I am pretty sure it is astringency...

I note the AA on the hops to be less than your recipe - but I did not up the dose or time (for the Fuggles I have 4.5% AA the EKG - I have 3% and the Stryian Goldings 4.2% on the bottle from daves

It tastes like a bit of that unripe banana feel (mouth puckering) not strong...

I was a bit hotter than you said - my notes are 68C for 40 min. Then raise to 72C for sparge 40 min

1/4 tablet of Whirlfloc 15 min out

FG was a bit lower than beersmith predicted 1042 v 1045

I added a handful of rice to ease the wort flow during sparge and pinch of sodium metabisulphate (to keep oxygenation down)

 

[michaelcocks]

Michael, are you sure it's astringency, and not bitterness?
Did you ammend the recipe to account for the particular alpha levels of your own hops? (as the alpha varies year to year...and the newest fuggles are the highest I've seen in years....)
Did you check the mash temp after doughing in, and did you check the temp when you added the water for mash out?

edit: what did the fg end up being?

Beersmith file (as brewed ) attched

View attachment TTLA.bsm

 

[buttersd70]

slight side note, that won't have anything to do with your current issue....the length of time at mashout is too long...that's my bad, I put the step in and forgot to change from the default 40min in BS, to the 15min that it should be. As I said, though, this won't have led to the issue, particularly since you only went to 72: that's a fairly common rest for alpha anyway.....

Temps look ok, the water volumes are fine, and it was batch sparged anyway, yes?. Could be a pH issue with the water, but I'm not familiar with sydney water, so am only speculating....

If it's not all that strong, it will probably ease off once carbonated, that should smooth it out to a degree. Maybe a bit green atm, as well....milds and bitters are best green, but the hoppier varieties need a little bit of age just to smooth the rough edges slightly, so it could well be that. I'd suggest that, unless it's very strong astringency, to keg it and carbonate it, and give it a few days to a week in the keg to settle itself in.

 

[michaelcocks]

slight side note, that won't have anything to do with your current issue....the length of time at mashout is too long...that's my bad, I put the step in and forgot to change from the default 40min in BS, to the 15min that it should be. As I said, though, this won't have led to the issue, particularly since you only went to 72: that's a fairly common rest for alpha anyway.....

Temps look ok, the water volumes are fine, and it was batch sparged anyway, yes?. Could be a pH issue with the water, but I'm not familiar with sydney water, so am only speculating....

If it's not all that strong, it will probably ease off once carbonated, that should smooth it out to a degree. Maybe a bit green atm, as well....milds and bitters are best green, but the hoppier varieties need a little bit of age just to smooth the rough edges slightly, so it could well be that. I'd suggest that, unless it's very strong astringency, to keg it and carbonate it, and give it a few days to a week in the keg to settle itself in.

Thanks Butters

So you don't think its worth adding 200gm of crystal (held at 75C for 30 mins then boiled and dumped into fermenter) ??

Being a pom I am pretty familiar with milds bitters Special Bitters and ESB's etc. and always taste my hydrometer sample

Just tasted again ... Maybe it's the Styrian Goldings...!!! Hmmm now I am not so sure - it's got a bit less pronounced (been drinking a lot of Northern English beers - heavy on the crystal and caramel toffee notes ... SO maybe I am not thinking straight - taste is such a subjective thing...

I'll follow your advice and leave it maybe --- I used to be indecisive but n ow I am not so sure !!!

<_<

 

[buttersd70]

Just tasted again ... Maybe it's the Styrian Goldings...!!!

snip

taste is such a subjective thing...

taste is very subjective...personally I find the styrian (which is my favourite hop) a bit like this as well, when first out of the fermenter. I percieve it slightly differently (to me it's more grassy), but if you think it's the styrian, it may very well be. I find that it calms down very quickly, though.