I have had an on off problem with some beers being too bitter. It's my IPAs and Pale Ales and I suspect a combination of switching to pellets and getting more bitterness out of post boil steeping than Beersmith is calculating. I can't find an obvious pattern. As follows, two recent beers:
A pale ale 4.7% BU:GU 0.699 not bitter
An IPA just made 5.5% BU:GU lower at 0.65, too bitter!
It's been going on like this for two years, and the fact one beer will be ok, then another isn't is what is doing my head in.
Some measures I have taken:
1. I noticed the temp inside hop spider was over the 76C I was steeping at. The grainfather temp gauge not used to measure temp inside the hop spider anymore, add a probe. Started doing this a few months ago and that helped stop some really rank beer bittereness.
2. Make sure sparge water is ph <6.
3. Been bringing down my BU:GU ratios, significantly below recommended ranges.
Any advice really appreciated, as getting fed up chucking every other beer.
I really suspect the post boil steeping is generating a lot more bitterness than the calcs. Or am I just missing something else blindingly obvious?? Been brewing for 8 years and the first 6 never had this problem, which is why suspect the switch to pellets. But, they say add another 10% to compensate for a hope spider, I don't do that, and still getting some beers that are too bitter.
I should add, another suspect. As I use a hop spider I don't whirlpool, could that be the culprit?
Can pH affect the bitterness, I get around 5.2 at room temp, which is a bit low. But, that is as per advice from water chemistry lab who analyse my water.
A pale ale 4.7% BU:GU 0.699 not bitter
An IPA just made 5.5% BU:GU lower at 0.65, too bitter!
It's been going on like this for two years, and the fact one beer will be ok, then another isn't is what is doing my head in.
Some measures I have taken:
1. I noticed the temp inside hop spider was over the 76C I was steeping at. The grainfather temp gauge not used to measure temp inside the hop spider anymore, add a probe. Started doing this a few months ago and that helped stop some really rank beer bittereness.
2. Make sure sparge water is ph <6.
3. Been bringing down my BU:GU ratios, significantly below recommended ranges.
Any advice really appreciated, as getting fed up chucking every other beer.
I really suspect the post boil steeping is generating a lot more bitterness than the calcs. Or am I just missing something else blindingly obvious?? Been brewing for 8 years and the first 6 never had this problem, which is why suspect the switch to pellets. But, they say add another 10% to compensate for a hope spider, I don't do that, and still getting some beers that are too bitter.
I should add, another suspect. As I use a hop spider I don't whirlpool, could that be the culprit?
Can pH affect the bitterness, I get around 5.2 at room temp, which is a bit low. But, that is as per advice from water chemistry lab who analyse my water.