So here's what's up. In three days I brewed three beers. All things being the same my hoppier beers have a soapy after taste. I don't know my water chemistry but I did adjust my mash ph down to 5.2-5.4 I fermented with wyeast 3944 at around 65-70F I kegged all three on the same day and my cream ale is perfect, but both IPAs leave a lot to be desired. I kegged after fg had been reached on the 24th which gave 1.5 weeks in the fermentor. Any suggestions?
Palmer's book HowToBrew.com says the soapy flavor can come from allowing the beer to sit too long on the trub in the primary fermentor. http://howtobrew.com/book/section-4/is-my-beer-ruined/common-off-flavors That doesn't sound like what you've got, so is there a chance that a better descriptive word might fit?
Perhaps it could be yeast bite? It could be a floral flavor that ends bitter and very dry. I doubt it's some sort of astringency since I monitor my sparge gravity and ph. I wouldn't expect yeast bite to continue on through to now though
3944 would not be my 1st choice for either style you mentioned (cream ale or IPA). The clove phenolics don't play well (imho) with some pungent hops and are better suited for the first few styles here: https://www.wyeastlab.com/yeast-strain/belgian-witbier
Two white IPAs that I got as AG kits. The cream ale was actually fermented with US05, but I'm doubting that yeast choice has too much play here.
://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/off-flavor-in-ipas.125055/page-3 So this thread details the same issues I'm having but the OP never seems to have gotten a straight answer. I don't want to stop brewing hoppy beers.
I did just order a water test kit from Ward Labs. I treat my water with campden tablets. An earlier extract dry hopped batch I did in summer didn't have this flavor.
What were the ingredients for the kits? I'm thinking that the combination of the phenols from the yeast and possibly floral hops, along with bitterness are combining to give off a flavor reminiscent of soap.
https://www.brewtoad.com/recipes/permafrost-white-ipa-northern-brewer Summit Centennial Amarillo Galaxy DH
I think I'll have to try a brew without dry hopping. Or I could do a dry hopped version of my cream ale just as a way to see if that's the issue. It's just so confusing. Why only hoppy beers? I'd expect it to come through on all beers especially the light ones.
You kegged them after 1.5 weeks. Not sure the yeast you are using are up for that sort of turn around. You didn't list a gravity for your IPAs, but... You may be rushing a schedule that doesn't want to be. But also. You didn't provide your schedule for the hops during boil. THey all could do things you might not enjoy if they are added inappropriately at the wrong volume. Provide those please. But also. Get back to us about this situation in 2 more weeks.
