Astringent after taste

[Vimes]

:cry: Astringent after taste

Issues with my first two all grain brews.

Brewed lots of kits and always found the end product excellent. Recently started trying all grain brewing but having issues. The final beer looks perfect and the initial taste is good, however, there is an after taste that is astringent or possibly tannin.

Looking for ideas for the cause of this.

Mash tun temp is 69 deg but may be slightly higher as I use strike water at 75 deg and only test final temp at top of grain.

Sparging using slow running water at 75 deg. :cry:

Brewing with tap water.

Any help welcome.

Paul

 

[carl_saint]

Mash temp of 69 is high for a normal brew. Consider using a strike temp of 72 to get a mash temp of around 66.

 

[Dave1970]

As Carl said, mash temp is a bit high, which could lead to you extracting some tannins if the temp gets too high during the sparge.
Also are you pre-treating your tap water with Campden? This removes chlorine/chloramine from the tapwater that could lead to a TCP like taste in your finished beer that could be described as astringent.

 

[Vimes]

Plan is to use bottle water for the next brew on Saturday and try a lower strike / mash temp.
Also going to make sure The first sparge water is returned to the mash until its totally clear, in the past returned the first two jugs but never checked its clear.

Paul

My tap water always smells of chlorine when allowed to run. Did not treated it for the first two brews

 

[pittsy]

next time you mash test your wort ph after around 20 mins and let the test bit get to 20c and test , my ph was around 6 to 6.2 now i use acid malt and water treatment and get a mash ph of around 5.3/5.4 , no i get a cleaner tasting beer (before 1 in 4 was astringent )

 

[Dave1970]

Treatment with Campden is a doddle, just crush half a campden tablet and add it to your HLT before it starts heating up....job done.

There are other reasons for using bottled water.....I can't make lager from my tapwater because it's too hard, and have to dilute it with low mineral water...I use reverse osmosis water from a tropical fish shop. I wouldn't use bottled just because of chlorine though, using campden is so easy

 

[graysalchemy]

I doubt a mash temp of 69 would cause the extraction of tannin that is due to much higher temps in th elate 70's when you sparge and the mash temp changing as the sparge progresses.

I would have a look at water chemistry. :thumb: You need a water hardness test kit from a aquarium shop and a water chemistry report from you water companies website and use the water chemistry calculator in the menue above left. :thumb: :thumb: