[DrewG]

Just tapped an IPA, more or less a blind pig clone. I've done it a number of times before, and it's usually one of my favorites. I was cross checking my old brewing logs with a published version of the recipe just to make sure i hadn't wandered too far away from the core beer, and I noticed that the RR version used a 90 minute (I'm sure for the sake of utilization) bittering charge instead of the 60 I had done in the past. So thats what I went with. 3/4 oz of Chinook and 1/2 oz Columbus for roughly 50 of the 60 IBU's total. The result was a really harsh bitterness, almost solventy in the nose and really not all that pleasant to my palate. It dominated the flavor of the beer.

 Has anyone else experienced this? 

[denny]

Nope, never had that happen. 

[redbeerman]

Nope, never had that happen.

Me either.  Sounds like a water or fermentation issue, perhaps.

[duboman]

How fresh we're the hops? Old hops can do that sometimes

[DrewG]

Normal fermentation, pitched at 64 and fermented at 66 with 090. Ramped to 69 for a d-rest toward the end.  I did raise the sulfate to 200 ppm from 150 and mashed a little cooler (149). Hops were less than a year old, vac sealed and kept in freezer

[HoosierBrew]

I use Columbus and Chinook often for bittering IPAs because I like the coarse bitterness they give the style.  But I've never bittered for 90 mins with either of those hops.  I wonder if the extra 30 mins bring out more of the coarseness, to the point of being this unpleasant.

[denny]

I wonder if the extra 30 mins bring out more of the coarseness, to the point of being this unpleasant.

Not that I've ever noticed.  Also, boiling for 90 min. increases the utilization by VERY little.

[kylekohlmorgen]

How old is the beer?

My IPAs usually taste fairly harsh (astringent) in the primary and then for about a week in the keg. I always attributed this to yeast/hop matter in suspension. If you didn't use whirl floc or fine you may just need to add some keg finings and crash cool.

Sounds like your process is pretty sound, but you may check the age of your 090 and starter size to make sure you grew up enough yeast (underpitching + violent ferment could give you solventy alcohols).

[DrewG]

How old is the beer?

Brewed 6/8

My IPAs usually taste fairly harsh (astringent) in the primary and then for about a week in the keg. I always attributed this to yeast/hop matter in suspension. If you didn't use whirl floc or fine you may just need to add some keg finings and crash cool.

Half tab whirlfloc at 15 mins. Primary for 2 weeks, 3 day cold crash and then racked to keg with gelatin. Its pouring very clear.

but you may check the age of your 090 and starter size to make sure you grew up enough yeast (underpitching + violent ferment could give you solventy alcohols).

I didn't record the date on the vial in my notes (I vaguely remember it being a bit older than normal), but starter size was 2L calculated on the mr malty app.

[redbeerman]

Give it another week or two.  Another suggestion, try to split your bittering between early and late additions 50/50 or first wort hop and leave the 60 minute out altogether, I think you will like the results.  The bitterness will be less harsh.

[kylekohlmorgen]

^^^ This


My IPA and DIPA recipes have no bittering additions. First charge at 15 min.