Water Treatment

Talking to a few friends today who brew, they sampled my latest batch, a batch I thought carried off flavors. In their opinions, there was no off flavor, but the water was possibly treated incorrectly. Appears I had too many adjustments in my beer when brewed. This calculation came from the water calculator. So I am confused on how not to screw this up going forward. The target water was "light and hoppy" but the flavor just isn't correct for, what was supposed to be a WCIPA.
 
StephenT said:
Talking to a few friends today who brew, they sampled my latest batch, a batch I thought carried off flavors. In their opinions, there was no off flavor, but the water was possibly treated incorrectly. Appears I had too many adjustments in my beer when brewed. This calculation came from the water calculator. So I am confused on how not to screw this up going forward. The target water was "light and hoppy" but the flavor just isn't correct for, what was supposed to be a WCIP
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Did you show them the calculations or could they taste something?
I take those numbers with a grain of salt
I just try to get the ratios close without adding a lot of brewing salts which I find does more harm than good IMO
 
Another thought
If there were no off flavors and the beer was good why is there even a discussion about your water calcs
You did it correctly
Sounds like some dudes just trying to sound smart
 
Initially, I poured the first two bottles after just a few sips because I feel there was a medicinal flavor to the beer. It just didn't taste as I expected and this flavored I experienced wasn't something I normally taste in other beers. So I decided to get a few more opinions. Neither guy who tasted it, both experienced in brewing did not taste ay off flavors.

Yes the water calculations were shared and both thought the CACL2 was high, when compared to their beer brewed in larger quantities, but percentages were very high in my beer. At this point, I am transitioning to a BrewZilla from my buckets and kettle, into a keg from bottles. So lots to think about on my next batch. Guess I will share water calcs with those on here with more experience and hope for the best. It's a pale ale, seen here: https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1644428/estrella-pale-ale
 
So you tasted medicinal and they did not ?
We are our worst critics but we brew for ourselves
Something is triggering that taste in you but not others so it needs to be addressed of course but IMO a little higher CaCl will not give that
You probably have a more sensitive palette than your friends
Not all brewers have good taste buds
Medicinal might be chlorine
 
You will always be your own biggest critic. If I may suggest, ask for their input but don't tell them what to look for. Start with do you like it. If they are brewers themselves, and are friends I would like to think that they would be trying to help. If they aren't brewers themselves, just ask if they like it or not, and take this as a learning experience. Brew, learn, repeat.
If you are getting a medicinal taste, I would think that chlorine, or chloramine might be the culprit. No amount of brewing salts great or small will help 2ith that.
 
...and that is the decision we collectively came after sharing the amount of additions to the water. But yes, giving them the beer and asking for feedback will be the route I take.
 
Where I used to live the water was so hard we had to chip off chunks just to wash our hands…

At least the soap washed off easily.

Current water is fairly soft, but not so soft that the soap doesn’t rinse. I very much dislike getting slimed in the shower when I travel (and yes, I’m looking at you, Ohio).
 
Donoroto said:
Where I used to live the water was so hard we had to chip off chunks just to wash our hands…

At least the soap washed off easily.

Current water is fairly soft, but not so soft that the soap doesn’t rinse. I very much dislike getting slimed in the shower when I travel (and yes, I’m looking at you, Ohio).
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god i hate that feeling. and its even worse with the garbage hotel soaps....never feel clean.
 
Donoroto said:
Current water is fairly soft, but not so soft that the soap doesn’t rinse. I very much dislike getting slimed in the shower when I travel (and yes, I’m looking at you, Ohio).
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Is that why we all stayed in Kentucky for ZinZinnati last month. ;)
 
Bigbre04 said:
i wonder if hotels use water softeners to prevent hard water build up? combined with prison quality soap bars....
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Absolutely yes. The life of a hotel building is much longer than the time it takes for the pipes to get degraded by calcium. Replumbing a hotel is far more expensive than 40 years of water softener.
 
Donoroto said:
Absolutely yes. The life of a hotel building is much longer than the time it takes for the pipes to get degraded by calcium. Replumbing a hotel is far more expensive than 40 years of water softener.
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makes cents! but also explains why it happens all over the place!
 
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