I brew small batch - 2 1/2 gal BIAB batches. I've been having a problem with NEIPA batches having extreme bitterness making the beer undrinkable. Often the beer has the proper aroma - fruity, citrusy but it tastes bad.
I've had this experience with a few different yeasts - White labs Burlington ale yeast (WLP095), wyeast london ale III (1318) and dry Lallemand East coast yeast.
The issue happens in the fermenter and after dry hopping. For these NEIPAs I am not doing any bittering hops - I am adding hops at flameout and then I do some whirlpool hops at 160F-170F. I usually dry hop around day 2 or 3 and again around day 7-8. I always dry hop in hop sacks.
Hop amounts are usually
Flame Out or last 5 mins of boil - 2oz
WP - 2oz
1st dry hop - 2oz
2nd dry hop - 2oz-4oz
I think I'm ruling out water since I've brewed a NEIPA kit twice from my LHBS that comes with a water mineral pack and you use distilled water - I still have the issue.
I have a hazy pale ale that is carbonating now that doesn't have this bitterness. I used S-04 yeast and it has less dry hops than the NEIPAs I've brewed. Plus when I went to dry hop around day three, it was almost done fermenting.
I don't seem to have this issue with american IPAs, pale ales and lagers. I have a stainless steel Anvil fermentor. For ales I ferment in my basement where the temperature is a relatively constant temperature between 62F-64F and fermentations are around 68F. I will usually move the fermenter upstairs near the end of fermentation where the room temperature is around 70F
What I've found out is that if I cold crash and after the beer sits in a cold keg for a couple of weeks the bitterness reduces but doesn't fully go away - there's no juiciness to the flavor. The beer also doesn't have not the normal NEIPA haze.
This almost seems to be an issue with hop particles still in suspension. But I can't seem to eliminate the bitterness and I don't get the juicy flavor at all - even after being cold in the keg for weeks.
Could this be just the case of too many hops? I've only had this issue for the last 1-2 years, I did have some NEIPA batches before that that were good.
I don't know what to do/try at this point. Any help or suggestions is appreciated.
I've had this experience with a few different yeasts - White labs Burlington ale yeast (WLP095), wyeast london ale III (1318) and dry Lallemand East coast yeast.
The issue happens in the fermenter and after dry hopping. For these NEIPAs I am not doing any bittering hops - I am adding hops at flameout and then I do some whirlpool hops at 160F-170F. I usually dry hop around day 2 or 3 and again around day 7-8. I always dry hop in hop sacks.
Hop amounts are usually
Flame Out or last 5 mins of boil - 2oz
WP - 2oz
1st dry hop - 2oz
2nd dry hop - 2oz-4oz
I think I'm ruling out water since I've brewed a NEIPA kit twice from my LHBS that comes with a water mineral pack and you use distilled water - I still have the issue.
I have a hazy pale ale that is carbonating now that doesn't have this bitterness. I used S-04 yeast and it has less dry hops than the NEIPAs I've brewed. Plus when I went to dry hop around day three, it was almost done fermenting.
I don't seem to have this issue with american IPAs, pale ales and lagers. I have a stainless steel Anvil fermentor. For ales I ferment in my basement where the temperature is a relatively constant temperature between 62F-64F and fermentations are around 68F. I will usually move the fermenter upstairs near the end of fermentation where the room temperature is around 70F
What I've found out is that if I cold crash and after the beer sits in a cold keg for a couple of weeks the bitterness reduces but doesn't fully go away - there's no juiciness to the flavor. The beer also doesn't have not the normal NEIPA haze.
This almost seems to be an issue with hop particles still in suspension. But I can't seem to eliminate the bitterness and I don't get the juicy flavor at all - even after being cold in the keg for weeks.
Could this be just the case of too many hops? I've only had this issue for the last 1-2 years, I did have some NEIPA batches before that that were good.
I don't know what to do/try at this point. Any help or suggestions is appreciated.