How about a Pliny Clone?

Sour sounds like very low pH or an infection. Or possibly a lot of magnesium in the water.

 

I'd think you have some sort of infection going on.

If some are way over carbonated and then some aren't..

Was the one that was over carb'd, was it just as sour, or more sour than the under carbed one?

 

Blame the sourness on the fizz drops too. Kidding, just kidding.

 

My water is as pure as it comes, I live in a national forest 2 miles from a designated wilderness. Every time we get it tested it is impeccable. I like to think it would make decent beer.

They all had pretty much the same over powering sour finish. I tried 5 different bottles, 2 no carb, 2 wayyyyy over carbed and 1 just a little too carbed.

 

So what is its mineral profile?

 

Sounds like an infection.

 

I don't actually have that information available. I rent and hear about our water reports from my landlord. Also, being still new to this I am not well versed in the science of water pertaining to brewing. However, I have read that if the water tastes good, it will make good beer. Not only does my water tasted great it has passed many a quality test with flying colors. I did a full 5 gallon boil for this batch but later realized it was necessary to start with six gallons to make up for the loss of volume due to the huge amount of hops. While boiling the wort I filtered, boiled and cooled another gallon of water to add to the fermenter as I didn't have room in the kettle to just add it during the boil. If it is indeed an infection I think it would have occurred during the dry hop or the bottling. The Grolsch bottles were given to me by a friend who had them sitting in his basement for 10+ years. They were very dirty but I did scrub each one, soaked them in an oxygen based cleanser and and sanitize them twice. Once after I cleaned them and once on bottling day after having filled them with water to test the seals.

P.S. - Thanks to all of you for helping me out with this. I can read about it all day but it helps so much to talk to people who know what they're doing. I greatly appreciate the advice.

 

Just FYI...when we talk about water profiles, we're usually not talking about purity testing (i.e. contaminants/health requirements)...it's taken almost as a given that the water meets those standards. We're usually talking about concentrations of several mineral ions that are important in mash pH (which doesn't matter unless you're doing all grain brewing) and flavor (which matters whether you are doing all grain or extract).

IMO the idea that if water tastes good it will make good beer is an over-generalization. Or it at least depends on one's definition of good.

 

The bottles may be at least partially at fault here. Were they truly 100% clean and sterile? Did you replace the seals on the bottles? Bottles that old and dirty I would probably have passed on and at a minimum I would have replaced the seals on them (after I cleaned the shit out of them).

 

The seals were not replaced. I had enough bottles that the couple that weren't tight were just tossed and I was still left with enough to cover more than 2 full five gallon batches. Also I didn't sterilize them, just sanitize. Maybe some heat would've been the way to go.

 

Buy Steele's India Pale Ale book.

http://www.amazon.com/IPA-Brewing-T...qid=1398813859&sr=1-1&keywords=india+pale+ale

 

I'm going to order one of the plinian legacy AG kits soon. After looking over the ingredients and trying to price it out, it looks like a good deaL!

 

I was able to get some Pliny on my recent trip to the west coast, and the comparison of my Pliny clone to the real thing is interesting. The aroma is identical, but nothing else is. The real Pliny is also not as great tasting as what I had at the brewery, but transporting it home over a 3-week trip may have caused some degradation of the Pliny's freshness.

In reality, my taste comparison causes me to say that I like my clone better than the real thing. My wife agrees with that assessment, so I'm very satisfied with my clone brew even though it's not what I expected. (Mine was the extract version of the recipe posted at the top of this thread.)

Next up: a comparison of the real Pliny with Heady Topper. I'm in Boston now and will head to Vermont for the weekend, and I sure hope to latch onto some Heady.

 

Those are different beers for sure. Will be interested as to your preference.