[qm3k]

Hi all,

I recently brewed an ESB that has had many issues. It has finally settled out into something that's ridiculously light-bodied...has a nice biscuity finish, but no bitterness, and a watery quality to it. I've been drinking it grudgingly, but am ready to dump it.

I brewed the recipe out of Brewing Classic Styles, so I'm assuming that the issue is not with the recipe. I am not a beginner...been brewing for many years. I made an appropriate starter. My OG was right on the button for the recipe. I have toyed around with serving temps and carb levels as well.

I have been messing with mineral additions, but what I used in this beer doesn't seem to line up with what I'm getting. I did find that my thermometer on my mash tun was registering about 6 degrees too low, but that should've had me mashing too high, giving me more body, not less.

Can't figure this out. Any thoughts?

[joelv]

Maybe Google issues related to flabby beer...?  I had this happen when my ph crawled up on me during the sparge. The beer had a flavor that just disappeared quickly leaving the impression of little flavor. It could be described as watery.

My well water was changing over time and I wasn't measuring ph and didn't know.

Adjusting the ph with acid seems to have resolved it.


Sent from my iPhone using non Tapatalk

[Bob357]

How did your OG and FG compare with those of the recipe? Following a recipe often means a lot more than using the same ingredients and following the same steps. Different equipment will produce different results even when carefully following the same recipe.

 Having never tasted the original beer, you have nothing to compare yours with. Evaluate the results of your beer and make the adjustments needed to meet with your expectations.

[brewinhard]

I have been messing with mineral additions, but what I used in this beer doesn't seem to line up with what I'm getting. I did find that my thermometer on my mash tun was registering about 6 degrees too low, but that should've had me mashing too high, giving me more body, not less.

Can't figure this out. Any thoughts?

What did your ESB finish at gravity-wise?

So you are saying that when you thought you were mashing around 152F, you were really mashing around 146F?  If so, that could definitely give you a thin, watery product. I stopped using dial thermometers for this exact reason in my mashtun. Any little bump or nudge, and they are easily moved out of calibration range. If you plan on sticking with this thermometer you may want to consider re-calibrating it every time before brewing.

[Todd H.]

[/quote]
So you are saying that when you thought you were mashing around 152F, you were really mashing around 146F?  If so, that could definitely give you a thin, watery product. I stopped using dial thermometers for this exact reason in my mashtun. Any little bump or nudge, and they are easily moved out of calibration range. If you plan on sticking with this thermometer you may want to consider re-calibrating it every time before brewing.
[/quote]

If the thermometer registers 6F too low, if he was aiming for 152F he would have hit 158F.

How was the OG and FG?  My second last batch was a little thin (or light, if you will) compared to what I was aiming for, but my OG was maybe 0.005 lower than I had expected so that's what I was blaming.

[blair.streit]

In addition to the OG and FG, it would help to know pH (if you measured it) or the mineral/acid additions (if you didn't measure pH).

If you push the pH too far outside optimal it can mess with your conversion. That should be reflected in gravity, but it's not always that simple. I made a few watery beers mashing below 5.2 even though my gravity wasn't far off (maybe a point or two low).

[brewinhard]

If the thermometer registers 6F too low, if he was aiming for 152F he would have hit 158F.

Oops. Gotcha. I had that one backwards. That's what I get for trying to use my brain after a  4 day bender in
Chicago.