My all grain (BIAB) no chill beers are all really bad...

[manticle]

There are other methods to deal with chloramines. Campden is one I'll grant but not the only. Unnecessary for melbourne water

 

[bum]

Brain fart on my part. Please accept my apologies. I was thinking of the tannins comment. My point would have remained the same had I recalled it correctly, though.

You're giving shit to someone for making assertions (based on a lifetime of study and experience) yet here you are - a complete noob - telling people how to suck eggs. You're not in a position to be instructing anyone on anything but the simplest of brewing techniques. Stay out of the contentious shit, yeah?

 

[Bada Bing Brewery]

I'm running out of popcorn
BBB

 

[jc64]

Slightly off topic, but the subject of this thread has to be one of the greatest things to see for someone who doesn't think BIAB and no-chill are viable!

 

[citizensnips]

/// with regard to your biab opinion, you are wrong, do not argue

 

[Mizz]

FWIW - and this comes with a disclaimer that i know absolutely nothing and have never attempted anything harder than a tin of coopers and some hops, but last year i had three brews in a row fail. All tasted like vinegar.

I bleached the shit out of my PET bottles, fermenter and everything in contact with the wort etc after failed brew one, and in between 2 & 3. One thing i didn't do was disassemble my tap (because at the time i didn't realise it pulled apart)...

Well, after an extended hiatus of brewing (because of said failures, and wasted money, and frustration) i finally got the nerve to get back into brewing. I got some pink powder stuff from my local brew shop that burns my nose if i get a whiff - i soaked everything including my pulled apart tap in that. I also did the same with bleach, and repeated. I moved to glass and threw the PET bottles (just seems that much cooler bottling with glass anyway) - i'm two weeks bottled into the first brew i've done back and there's no vinegar. Infact, they're tasting quite nice (a little malty, but they're very young!).

I'm unsure whether my problems were bottles (as i've heard from a couple of locals PET's are renowned for harboring bacteria), or something else. What i do know though, is those taps are a haven for bacteria when inspected pulled apart. Lots of tiny little nooks and cranny's...

My tap was a coopers kit tap,

That might have all been a waste of time, but i thought i'd share anyway.

thanks for that mate, I also think it's most likely the tap, or dry hopping that did it on the last batch.. not that I'm going to stop doing that just wont bother with a bag and shot glasses..

I also think my water chemistry is way off. I've been looking into over the last few weeks and if I'm right melbourne has a need for some Calcium Chloride and some Epsom salt to get even an even balance.. That's going off the water report from the dam where my water comes from, which I believe is Sylvian? I live in the inner north. Anyway I've plugged it into a couple of online calcs and they both seem to work with a 5g addition of cal chl and a 7 g addition of Epsom (this is just a balanced profile) without them them ratio is around 8.11 (malty) this could be affecting hop presence for sure. Any thoughts melbourne brewers?

 

[manticle]

Yes. Water chemistry is not your issue.
Forget any adjustments whatsoever until you find the culprit. Eliminate the variables, find the problem and subsequent solution, then tweak.

 

[manticle]

And when you do toy with water chem again, forget mgso4.

 

[Mizz]

anyone want to suggest what they do with water chemistry? at this stage i can only go off what the data is suggesting.

 

[manticle]

I'm more than happy to tell you what I do and why ( same reservoir too) BUT at this point you are best off doing nothing until you sort out your problem. It isn't water chem considering your water source. Happy to taste and critique your beer if it helps further.

 

[Mizz]

yeah that's reasonable but an infection isn't going to stop me learning this stuff! if i make a beer and everything turns out fine with the intense clean out I want it to be great beer not average beer. The water chem won't stop or create an infection. I've played with it once on a porter (chalk and cal chloride) and it's better than the others.

 

[stakka82]

Hydro test the finished beer already FFS!

 

[Mizz]

Calm down stakka. The beer was carbed.. Not many bubbles left the porter was 1.012 and the IPA was 1.011

 

[manticle]

yeah that's reasonable but an infection isn't going to stop me learning this stuff! if i make a beer and everything turns out fine with the intense clean out I want it to be great beer not average beer. The water chem won't stop or create an infection. I've played with it once on a porter (chalk and cal chloride) and it's better than the others.

I'm suggesting eliminating variables, not that water chem will create an infection. You're not sure whether it's water xhem or infection or something else. Take water chem out of the equation for now.
More than happy to help with understanding whys and wherefores esp. since we share the same water source but I suggest, strongly, that you deal with one issue at a time.
Said my piece now. Let me know if you want assistance eith tasting, water chem reading etc and we'll arrange it separately to this thread.

 

[Mizz]

porter 1.012 IPA

I'm suggesting eliminating variables, not that water chem will create an infection. You're not sure whether it's water xhem or infection or something else. Take water chem out of the equation for now.
More than happy to help with understanding whys and wherefores esp. since we share the same water source but I suggest, strongly, that you deal with one issue at a time.
Said my piece now. Let me know if you want assistance eith tasting, water chem reading etc and we'll arrange it separately to this thread.

Yeah thanks manticle. I'm not the kind of guy to take things slow.. but I do feel the water chem could be a big help and would love to know what you guys are doing to it.. I would like as much assistance as possible!

 

[manticle]

Pm me

 

[felten]

Who knows

Well if you don't, then I'm not sure who does.

While we're dragging this thread OT, whats your opinion on a mash filter press?

 

[anthonyUK]

My heart goes out to you Mizz as it sounds as if you have done evertyhing right.
I have just done my first BIAB and perhaps it was beginners luck and I know I am not as scrupulous as I should be with sanitation, water treatment, following recipes, fermentation temperature control etc but it just worked out for me so I would say your process isn't the issue.
Maybe try mashing on the high side of 66'c rather than under is all.
Don't lose heart as we have all been there at some point and consider chucking it all in

 

[WarmBeer]

porter 1.012 IPA

Yeah thanks manticle. I'm not the kind of guy to take things slow.. but I do feel the water chem could be a big help and would love to know what you guys are doing to it.. I would like as much assistance as possible!

I take the very scientific approach of an eyeballed heaped teaspoon of either Gypsum or CaCl in the mash tun.

Melbourne's water supply, from most of our major reservoirs, is low in most chemicals relevant to mash efficiency and yeast health. I only bother compensating for the low Calcium.

My beers are okay.

 

[Nick JD]

///, wins the 2013 Bunny With Something On Its Head award for Professionals Who Have Yet To Remove Their Head From Their Arse.

This year the bunny has a roll of poo tickets on its head comensurate with shit wipe information /// offered that BIAB is a bad process. I fear he has been beaten in a competition by a BIABer and still shows signs of a couple of wads of lace bunching up against his vagaina where his panties meet his bulbous labia.

I strongly suggest we all do two things: firstly, find out what beer he brews (says he brews but I bet you he actually is the guy who mucks out the mash tuns) and discredit without merit (like he's done with BIAB) and secondly, hit the ignore button because after hearing that, I'm not sure any of his information is worth listening to now.

And to the OP - what's your FG?