Carbonic acid after force carbonation

[Dovage]

Maybe this should be in the beginner forum, however every time I keg and I sample after 4-5 days I get that carbonic acid bite. Usually after about 2 weeks it’s gone. Is that normal or am I doing something wrong? I usually put it under 20psi for 24 hours or so and then turn it down to serving pressure.

 

[lumpher]

I see you've been brewing a while, so not trying to treat you as a rookie, but a few questions to start. I've been brewing a few days too, and kegging almost all that time, with many forced carbs and no carb bite. How long do you ferment? Do you chill before force-carbing? What temp do you ferment at with what yeast, usually? Carbonic bite is easy to confuse with other tastes.

 

[Dovage]

No worries. I’m fairly new to kegging. Fermentation is usually a week or two after it’s hit stable gravity so that varies. I cold crash sometimes depends on the style. Yeast etc is also varied. I don’t make the same styles over and over. I just kegged an IPA (torpedo clone) about 5 days ago and I have an altbier in the fermenter. I have temp controlled fermentation so I wouldn’t think that is the issue.

 

[sibelman]

Carbonic bite is easy to confuse with other tastes.

Indeed, though @Dovage may be accurate, the only answers I can think of to excess carbonic acid flavor would be less carbonation or higher beer pH. The flavor could be from dark malts or hops -- especially because it subsides after a while.

 

[day_trippr]

Interesting. I'm surprised "20psi for 24 hours" would result in significant carbonic acid bite as that schedule is highly unlikely to get very close to a desirable carbonation level for most beers (which tend to be somewhere around 2.4~2.5 volumes). The few times I've done the "burst carb" process like that I used 30 psi for 24 hours (on 36°F kegs) and they still needed a few more days at chart pressure, and at no time did I find the carbonation character to be harsh...

 

[SonomaBrewer]

As per @lumpher are you sure it's carbonic bite and not just normal maturation?

Almost all IPAs better @3-4 weeks, allows any acetaldehyde to process, vegetals to subside, and some oxidation character is probably good.

 

[day_trippr]

What styles of beer are involved?
I wonder if there's some polyphenol hop burn going on. That could fit the "gets better after a couple of weeks" observation...

Cheers!