Well, got feedback last night from the BJCP judges at the local brewclub. The off flavours are definitely still there. Very different to the previous batch, but still there.
This time though, the comments and suggestions all leaned towards mash temperature and schedule. One of the guys suggested I start looking at a decoction mash… but I just can’t justify the cost of setting one up. Another said he tastes tannins – possibly from mashing too high (which I’m sure I didn’t).
Oh well. Needless to say, this is frustrating.
So here’s the changes for the next brew:
- Still boil all water and use metabisulphite (in case of chlorine or chloramine)
- New fermenter (in case some gunk or something is hidden away in a scratch somewhere)
- Clean kettle elements as much as I can before hand (they look kinda manky at the moment)
- Forego the use of a nochill cube and let it chill in the fermenter (one less vessel to worry about)
One of the other guys that runs a microbrewery has offered to come and observe my next brew to make sure I’m not doing something completely stupid. Maybe my technique is failing me somewhere.
All I know is I need to kick this thing. I can’t keep wasting time on bad batches like this. It’s very demotivating.
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