WHAT CAN BE CAUSING HARSH HOP FLVOURS

[fisherman]

Hello lads.
Does anyone know what can be causing astringent harsh hop and malt flavours even at hop rates of 15 ibu on the hop calculator. My water Alkilinity 125.5 the rest are averages from my water board
Total hardness as CaCo3 183.00
ph 7.3
Sullphate 66.513
Total chlorine 0.259
Manganese 1.753
Sodium 34.750
Can anyone comment on my water figures regarding contents. apart from the alkilinty the figures came from the liqour page on this website SEVERN TRENT page two postcode CV3 5LW
I was advised to try a brew without water treatment just camden which I have fermenting at this time.Do you think I should do the same brew but use CRS 13ml and 1 tsp gypsum in the dry goods. bottle and leave and compare the two. I have used a 25 kilo sack of malt trying to solve this. Do you think my water is a type that is not worth using for brewing beer.
Cheers
fisherman

[Manx Guy]

Hmm...

I'm no expert on water treatment but the total hardness does look high...

Mine is 22.7 (CaCO3) and I was advised not to use treatment - just a camden tab & teaspoon of gypsum in the mash & boil...

I'm sure Steve or Chris will be along with some sage advice shortly...



Guy

[steve_flack]

My water Alkilinity 125.5 the rest are averages from my water board

Total hardness as CaCo3 183.00
ph 7.3
Sullphate 66.513
Total chlorine 0.259
Manganese 1.753
Sodium 34.750

Do you think my water is a type that is not worth using for brewing beer.

Trust me, my water is a lot worse.

I think we've been through this before (forgive me if it was someone else). IIRC, you were overdoing your water treatment in the past. You have now done one without treating it. Wait and see what it's like. If the harshness has gone...well there's your answer. If not then it's something else.

Personally, you just need a little CRS to bring the alkalinity down to 50 for pale ales and bitters. Cheer yourself up and go and brew a mild, stout or porter - your water is fine as it is for those. If they come out great then you know you're not a crap brewer.

[vacant]

My calcium is 277. My notes remind me to use about 40ml CRS. I also use 1 teaspoon of gypsum and the usual 1/2 campden tablet.

If I don't bother with anything other than 1/2 campden tablet I can get a reasonable bitter but golden ales are poor.

For your water I make that 24ml CRS

183 - 128 = 55 = 0.70 ml CRS per litre (times 34 litres) = 23.8 ml

[fisherman]

Hi lads,
My alkilinity is 125.5 . My total hardness is 183. Vacant when you did your golden ales were they bitter regarding the hop rates. Steve I am going to make Highgate Mild next week. I'm sure you are right when I have got the crs right I have added to much gypsum or dls. I have found Brupacks information regarding the amount of dls confusing and I have over dosed i'm sure. Two brews ago I used 8grm in mash and 19 grms in sparge.I wont put any in the sparge water in future just in boil.
Cheers
fisherman

[symptomlesscoma]

Boiling with the lid on? Thats what was causing my harsh bitterness.
One of those little things they seem to leave out of 'How to brew' books.