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can't get a good batch!

Hi. My wife and I have been brewing for 4 years now, the last 3 being all-grain, and we have hit a stumbling block. We used to make our beer in a single pot, on a propane burner. We have upgraded to a brewing sculpturefrom beer, beer, and more beer, and we haven't had a good batch yet. It seems in every batch, we still have a pretty noticible grain taste. The first two batches were so strong, they tasted like we were eating bread. We also had problems with carbonation with the first one, but that is another story. We let our grains steep at about 150-155 for an hour or so, and sparge at 170. We are following the same recipes we always have, but can't get a decent batch. Any ideas??? Cheers! Mike

Reply to
Mike Guess
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It's proof that equipment alone doesn't make good beer, I'm afarid. Go back to basics, and see what happens. FWIW, I have a friend who had a big B# system and, like you, couldn't make a decent batch. He went to this

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and is making great beers now.

---------->Denny

Reply to
Denny Conn

Any ideas???

What style were you shooting for and by grainy do you mean "husky" or astringent?

_Randal

Reply to
Randal Chapman

We have tried two lagers and an ale. Not really shooting for any particular style really, I just want good beer :) By grainy, I mean husky. It doesn't taste like beer, it takes like I soaked the grains in water and then drank that water.

Mike

Reply to
Mike Guess

I have one question here. You use a perforated copper tube in the kettle, close to the bottom and in the centre. Doesn't this design drain all the hot break material into the fermenter? Steve W.

Reply to
QD Steve

I'm sure it drains at least some. The hops do filter some of it, and I don't worry about the rest. AFAIAC, it seems the concern about hot break in the fermenter is more academic than real.

--------->Denny

Reply to
Denny Conn

Mike,

Check your thermometer. It sounds like you may be leaching tannins into your wort. 170 is right on the edge of the high side to begin with, so if your thermometer is 5 degrees too high...

Good luck,

- Benny

Reply to
milton-benoit

Reply to
msclvr

There's really no hard and fast dividing line, and it depends on mash pH as well as temp. I shoot for a grainbed temp of 168-170 and haven't had any issues.

-------->Denny

Reply to
Denny Conn

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