didn't treat it right?

oliver

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Few weeks back brewed an IPA (2.25gal batch size), first time with treated distilled water. used 3.46g Gypsum, 1.03g Epsom, .36g table salt, and .67g CaCl- ,, bottle conditioned with pineapple juice again, popped a half bottle tonight. It was the most crystal clear looking thing we've ever made. High hopes coming from the nose, great hop and tart aromas, then it was like drinking sparkling white wine or something? It just seemed thin, and it's like the hops didn't work or something. Plus not much pineapple flavor shining through, sweet or tart. All of this contrary to our last pineapple IPA which had everything we wanted.

Sooooo, did we just not treat it with enough salts? What happened? I remember having a tough time getting the strike water to read on the pH strips, it must've been way under for it not to read on the strips. Guessing. Any help?
 
I would imagine the amount of Ca in solution would be short of the optimal amount for yeast. On top of that, the SO4 to Cl ratio appears very much skewed to be bitter (possibly overly so), that may be impacting the taste/flavor.
 
A more likely scenario is the bromelain in the pineapple juice destroyed all the proteins in the beer, leaving you a thin bodied brew that is crystal clear. Here's why I think that: Bromelain is a powerful enzyme sometimes used as a meat tenderizer because it breaks down proteins. Proteins form a significant part of what we perceive in beer as body but they also form chill haze when they precipitate out of solution in cold beer. You don't have any. Based on the two factors, thin body and crystal clarity, I'd guess the cause wasn't your water, but the enzymes in the pineapple juice.

To use pineapple juice in beer, you have to denature the enzyme. Heat and time do it, I can't remember how much, but if you google "denature bromelain" you'll find the instructions.
 
I agree I think Ive tried lime or lemon juice before and had the same effect
 
we've used pineapple juice twice before with no issues. Both times we used the required amount for priming, boiled it, then racked onto and bottled that. The only difference in brews was the water treatment up front. I have to guess that there wasn't nearly enough minerals in the water to start.
 
sometimes those salts and minerals aren't really mixed well and just drop to the bottom
 
It doesn't sound to me like water chemistry is your problem. Without knowing quite a bit more about your brew, we can't tell if you're in the proper residual alkalinity range or not so it being an IPA, I'd assume your brewing liquor is good for the style. Try this: Brew the beer again exactly as you did this time then split the batch when you bottle. Prime half, or even just a few bottles, with corn sugar, the rest with exactly the same pineapple juice you used this time, then compare them after conditioning. I'd lay money on the outcome: Your corn sugar primed beers will be fine, perhaps with some haze; the pineapple juice primed beers will be crystal clear but thin bodied.
 
2nd batch with treated water about to be bottled tonight, priming sugar this time. I'll try and report back in a couple weeks whether this one comes out thin or not.
 
Alrighty, just popped another pineapple bottle, and no thinness, quite hazy, everything we expected. not sure how to explain that. The previous bottle opened was a half bottle if that means anything?? This one was also conditioned for an extra day? Just guessing. Dunno, this one is good. Issue solved, but..
 
Ooops - a half bottle. Oxidation, anyone? Dang, sometimes I feel like the Car Guys (RIP, Tom)....
 

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