Raw All Grain Taste

[Justinaaront]

Hi,

Brewed my first AG this weekend and the wort going into the fermenter post boil had a really strong grain smell. Basically smelled similar to the crushed grain going into the mash.

Does this smell/taste ferment out of the final beer or is it possible I have a bad batch of grain. Read a few posts that suggest it could be bad grain but wondered if people who have brewed very nice tasting beers experience this before fully fermented?

Thanks

 

[Nosybear]

It's your first all-grain batch, why not wait and see what comes out? Here are the problems with your question: No recipe referenced or attached. I don't know what grains you used, what hops, how long you boiled.... In many beers, particularly light lagers and ales, you want the grain flavor to come through. I don't even know if you used extract! So give us a bit more to go on and maybe we can help....

 

[J A]

What style of beer are you brewing? What grain did you use? What sort of mash schedule did you use? What was the boil length? Etc, etc... More info will be very helpful.
Beer is supposed to smell and taste like malted grain. That's the whole idea. The sugars produced by mashing are composed mostly of maltose and then that's used by the yeast to produce alcohol. Some of the flavor and aroma stays, of course, but a lot of the molecules are broken down.
Bad grain would might be oxidized but it would just smell and taste stale like several- day-old bread. That's not very likely unless you crushed the malt and let it sit for more than a few days. There's a possibility that under-boiled wort could exhibit aroma and flavor of cooked corn if a lot of DMS was present, but that's not particularly likely if you did at least a 60 minute boil.
Tell us more!

 

[Justinaaront]

Thanks both for the comments.

The recipe was as follows: (conversions may be slightly off)

Pale Ale

4kg (8.8lb) pale malt (Maris Otter)
0.5kg (16 oz) Crystal Malt

Northern Brewer 20g (0.7 oz) 60 minutes
Cascade 20g (0.7 oz) 45 minutes
Cascade 20g (0.7 oz) 10 minutes
Cascade 20g (0.7 oz) 0 minutes
Will be dry hopped

Mash
This was a BIAB due to current equipment
Strike water 72C/161F 12 litres/10.5 qt
Mash temp 66C/150F 60 minutes
Batch sparged 66C again for around 20 minutes 10 litres/ 8.8qt

Yeast Safale US-05

My numbers above may well be off what’s required given my first attempt!

I can’t remember what the pre boil gravity was as forgot to write this down but going in to the fermenter it was around 1.050.

Regarding the boil, this wasn’t very vigorous but more of a pulsing boil which I think is down to my induction stove top so could be a factor?

 

[Mase]

Based on your reply with the recipe, etc., I’d say everything is normal and in all likelihood, so long as your technique is solid, your beer will turn out fine as well. You say this is your first All Grain... is it also your first homebrew or have you brewed other extract recipes?

 

[Justinaaront]

Based on your reply with the recipe, etc., I’d say everything is normal and in all likelihood, so long as your technique is solid, your beer will turn out fine as well. You say this is your first All Grain... is it also your first homebrew or have you brewed other extract recipes?

I have brewed other extract recipes and kits which have turned out fine.

I will see what happens at the end of fermentation and whether to proceed with dry hop and as you say it may well be ok.

Maybe just my impatience!

 

[J A]

That recipe and procedure looks fine. A lot of people brew with a stove top or other heat source that only achieves a low boil. That shouldn't be a problem as long as it's boiled without a lid. It's unlikely that there's any problem with DMS and I think you're just experiencint the difference between extract and all-grain. There's more flavor and aroma up front. Maris Otter is a very fragrant malt, too.
I think you'll be very pleased with the results, assuming a proper fermentation, etc.
Good luck!

 

[Nosybear]

Second all above. I don't see anything wrong with the recipe. It should come out fine.

 

[Juddlight]

I'd think it's the Maris Otter, I do a smash ale with that grain and it's a very strong smelling and tasting grain

 

[philjohnwilliams]

As others have said, everything should be fine. Something you should consider doing for future brews is to make a point of tasting and smelling the brew at every stage of the process. After a while, you will learn what is normal and how the taste of the wort at various stages relates to the taste of the final beer. This, along with careful measurements (temp, gravity...) can help you to spot problems before they ruin your beer.

 

[Mark D Pirate]

That's a pretty thick mash, I'd suggest adding more water to mash and sparging less.
That said we still have no idea what equipment you're using so it may be just right.
What water are you using?

 

[J A]

^^^Valid point, there...^^^
I like to get to at least 1.25 qts/lb for main conversion mash.