NEIPA - more bitter than expected, what did I do wrong?

[Nicks90]

To check if it's bitterness or astringency, in your next pint put a pinch of salt in your glass before you pour.
If it tastes less bitter then it's ibus too high for your taste.
If there is no change then it's astringency

 

[BottlesCansCraft]

Hi BCC go into Brewers friend then select Equipment Profiles and then go to the hop option section and the default you can set is suggested @ 5% that should give you a average IBU reading for dry hopping

Thanks, that's really helpful!

 

[BottlesCansCraft]

To check if it's bitterness or astringency, in your next pint put a pinch of salt in your glass before you pour.
If it tastes less bitter then it's ibus too high for your taste.
If there is no change then it's astringency

I'll definitely try this later today. If it's astringency, would that shed any light on what the cause would be?

 

[The Baron]

Astringency results from phenolics, particularly polyphenols in beer. Phenols arise from the husks of malt and the stems of hops and polymerise to polyphenols during brewing and in beer maturation. These polyphenols include drying, mouth-puckering tannins.
That's why if you look at say Carafe malts they say de-husked as it is not as strong in flavour and less chance of astringency as no husks also anything that creates too much Tannins will usually add to astringency
Many years ago I got astringency in 3 beers on the trot, as soon as I corrected my PH with acidulated malt it was back to normal.

 

[MashBag]

How would swapping hops from dry hop to whirlpool reduce bitterness?

It would expect it to increase bitterness

 

[BasementArtie]

To check if it's bitterness or astringency, in your next pint put a pinch of salt in your glass before you pour.
If it tastes less bitter then it's ibus too high for your taste.
If there is no change then it's astringency

Can you explain the salt IBU thing as I've been having this problem bitterness (even with only <80C hop stand additions and dry hops at 14C) with all my NEIPAs and added salt and it seems then my IBUs must be too high as the taste changed. What is the relationship?

 

[TNP]

Nothing, in fact you may have done a decent NEIPA, although I admit that "decent NEIPA" sounds like an oxymoron

 

[malhal]

I would guess forgot to acidify sparge water.
Forgot to acidify before whirlpool hops.

Probably hop or grain tannins are the "bitterness".

 

[Antbeer]

I would guess forgot to acidify sparge water.
Forgot to acidify before whirlpool hops.

Probably hop or grain tannins are the "bitterness".

I’m still a beginner so please forgive the dumb question; I thought I only needed to adjust ph for my mash water. How does ph affect the sparge water?
I can see some adjustments in the boil but thought the main purpose for adjusting ph was to get sugars extracted from the grain..
What am i missing please?

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Without pH adjust in sparge the pH of the cut off raises and this is said to increase astringency from any tannins washed out during sparge.
A lower pH reduces this.
A further thing is that dry hopping raises pH and a higher pH will also increase bitterness perceived in the final beer.
This is why some brewers acidify the wort post boil prior to whirlpool. Some are aiming for a final post dry hop pH of 4.1 or a little above this.

 

[The Baron]

I also add extra Lactic when dry hopping to reduce the same action although I do not do large dry hops anymore as it does increase the bitterness/perceived IMO

 

[Antbeer]

Without pH adjust in sparge the pH of the cut off raises and this is said to increase astringency from any tannins washed out during sparge.
A lower pH reduces this.
A further thing is that dry hopping raises pH and a higher pH will also increase bitterness perceived in the final beer.
This is why some brewers acidify the wort post boil prior to whirlpool. Some are aiming for a final post dry hop pH of 4.1 or a little above this.

Thank you for your reply.
My tap water has a ph of 7.4 so that may explain one of my challenges.
I’m not dry hopping yet but i have had trouble with astringency in the past so what you are saying about higher ph makes sense.
I’ve been reducing hops and adding lactic acid to the mash to reduce bitterness but this can dumb down the flavour. It will be nice to be able to add hops without worrying about astringent bitterness.
I’ll try adding lactic acid to my mash water too.
Does anyone have some guidance about target sparge PH?
Thanks again

 

[Antbeer]

Thank you for your reply.
My tap water has a ph of 7.4 so that may explain one of my challenges.
I’m not dry hopping yet but i have had trouble with astringency in the past so what you are saying about higher ph makes sense.
I’ve been reducing hops and adding lactic acid to the mash to reduce bitterness but this can dumb down the flavour. It will be nice to be able to add hops without worrying about astringent bitterness.
I’ll try adding lactic acid to my mash water too.
Does anyone have some guidance about target sparge PH?
Thanks again

I’ve found the sparge water adjustments on Beersmith 3 so I’ll give it a go next brew.
Thanks again