All Grain too sweet

[davidgrace]

I have now completed five 11L batches of all grain beer using brew in a bag. I would say they are all lacking balance as they are too sweet and lacking in bitterness. Can anyone tell me what the possible causes might be?

 

[BeerCat]

The sweetness could be balanced with more bitterness or a higher attenuating yeast. Hard to say without seeing your recipes. Can you post some up. Do you use lots of crystal malt? Do you control your fermentation temp?

 

[Brianbrewed]

First guess would be lack of bittering hops. Post up recipes you were using

 

[Dutto]

Too little Bittering Hops + too high a Mash Temperature can both contribute to a sweet brew.

As a Rule of Thumb:

• Mashing at 68*C to 72*C will produce unfermentable sugars that will give an element of sweetness.
• Boiling the Bittering Hops for less than 60 minutes won't get all of the available bitterness out of the Hops.

 

[davidgrace]

The sweetness could be balanced with more bitterness or a higher attenuating yeast. Hard to say without seeing your recipes. Can you post some up. Do you use lots of crystal malt? Do you control your fermentation temp?

I am still a learner in all grain brewing and because of that I am using 11L all grain kits that I get from a supplier. That means I am unable to to supply recipes. I trust that the ones I am purchasing are correct in their proportions and instructions.

 

[davidgrace]

I am still a learner in all grain brewing and because of that I am using 11L all grain kits that I get from a supplier. That means I am unable to to supply recipes. I trust that the ones I am purchasing are correct in their proportions and instructions.

 

[MyQul]

I am still a learner in all grain brewing and because of that I am using 11L all grain kits that I get from a supplier. That means I am unable to to supply recipes. I trust that the ones I am purchasing are correct in their proportions and instructions.

In that case you may be getting stuck fermentations. What is you OG and FG fr your brews

 

[davidgrace]

My final gravity is exactly as stated in the instructions, but my original gravity is usually higher than stated in the instructions. E.g. Original gravity 1.051, actual 1.054. However, in one of the brews the actual original gravity was lower than the desired.

 

[Covrich]

What was the recipe? if you say the finishing gravity was correct then it does sound like a balance issue with bittering additions..

 

[Slid]

My final gravity is exactly as stated in the instructions, but my original gravity is usually higher than stated in the instructions. E.g. Original gravity 1.051, actual 1.054. However, in one of the brews the actual original gravity was lower than the desired.

That is a bit of a puzzle, then. If you were mashing at too high a temp, the final gravity would be higher than the instructions indicate. Which supplier are you using? We can perhaps spot something from there, as if you are following the instructions and the final gravity is fine, there is no clear reason that the result should be too sweet and not bitter enough.

 

[davidgrace]

I have to go to a family celebration right now so I am going to pause this conversation and return to it maybe tomorrow.