In all of my batches I have the same problem whether it is an IPA or a light beer with low IBUs: a harsh, lingering bitterness that tastes earthy or even almost ashtray like. This taste is present throughout primary and secondary fermentation, at bottling, and is still just as bad after 2 weeks in bottles. However, after about 4 weeks in bottles the taste starts to go away, and after 5-6 it is completely gone. I have spent a lot of time reading on the forums about bitterness problems and it seems the consensus is that the main culprit is water chemistry problems, followed by hop and astringency problems, so I know what I should be troubleshooting. My question is if it possible my problem is actually water chemistry if it goes away so easily with time? Or is it more likely to be hop-related and the hop matter is settling out over time?