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Bisco_Ben · 01-11-2013, 10:25 PM

So I made a fat tire recipe found here. Only difference was that the LHBS was out of US-05 so I used Nottingham instead and this was my first time using this yeast. The beer is now just reaching week 6 and has spent 3 weeks in primary and almost 3 in the keg. I have made many many batches of beer and never come across this medicinal/band-aid off flavor/aroma. In fact my beers have been getting pretty damn good as off lately and the only off-flavors I can detect in my beers anymore are recipe-related. The only thing I did different with this beer was that I racked to keg after 3 weeks in primary as opposed to my usual 4 and put it directly into the keezer. Fermentation was well done and over with for at least a week. So one question is, why all of a sudden did I wind up with this off-flavor/aroma? I use filtered tap water and even make my star-san with filtered water just to be sure that its cleaner than my tap water when the residual foam mixes with the beer. I also pitched the yeast in the low 60's and fermentation temps never exceeded 64-68. So another question is, should I take the keg out of the keezer and allow it to age at room temperature for a few more weeks to see if the medicinal notes dissipate? Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

**eastoak** · 01-11-2013, 10:39 PM

it could be some kind of spoilage bacteria, it probably will not go away whatever the source.

jtejedor · 01-11-2013, 11:15 PM

It could be chloramines. Usually filters don't get rid of chloramines but camden tablets can quickly take care of them. I would check with your water provider to see if chloramines are used on your water supply. That is usually the most likely cause to band aid/plastic beer.

Bisco_Ben · 01-12-2013, 12:25 AM

@jtejedor. If that were the case, then wouldnt all of my beers have this off-flavor? As stated, I have been making countless batches of decent-to-really good beer and this is the first time I have encountered it.

**afr0byte** · 01-12-2013, 12:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bisco_Ben

@jtejedor. If that were the case, then wouldnt all of my beers have this off-flavor? As stated, I have been making countless batches of decent-to-really good beer and this is the first time I have encountered it.

It's probably something else, but it's always possible they could have just started using chloramine.

duboman · 01-12-2013, 01:13 AM

Look under phenolic:

http://www.kroc.org/Links/TroubleshootingGuide.htm

Relate it to your process and go from there. IMO your filter is off . Try a batch using bottled water or RO and see if it goes away

**cheezydemon3** · 01-12-2013, 01:15 AM

What to do?

Dump it. Save yourself the trouble. Time doesn't fix it.

ONLY possible exception is a BITTER IPA. Last bandaid beer I had, I was ready to dump. Due to my lupuline shift, or "hop desensetivity"..all I tasted was band aid.

Everyone else loved the beer, I guess the bitterness masked the band aid.

shadows69 · 01-15-2013, 04:54 PM

If I remember correctly its the yeast. Nottingham can have a band aid like taste. Did you ferment at the correct temp? I would leave it sit for another 2 weeks about 70 for a temp, then revisit. As said before dry hoping in that 2 week time period will also help.

**AmandaK** · 01-15-2013, 05:16 PM

From the BJCP:

Quote:

e) phenolic

This is an aroma and taste often compared to Band-aids (tm), medicine chest or disinfectant. Chlorophenols are particularly offensive members of this family with bleach-like flavors in addition to the ones listed above. High levels of phenols are generally produced by bacteria or wild yeast, both of which indicate a sanitation problem. Phenols may also be extracted from grain husks by overcrushing, oversparging or sparging with hot or alkaline water. Chlorinated water or sanitizer residue are possible sources of chlorophenols. Phenolic flavors are generally never desirable, the exception being the clovelike, vanilla-like or slightly smoky flavors and aromas in Bavarian wheat beers and some Belgian ales.

In my own experience, Band-Aid comes from chloramines (some water suppliers have started using them recently in the Midwest due to the extreme drought we've had) or from poor sanitation.

Bisco_Ben · 01-16-2013, 04:28 PM

@shadows69, I think you have the right idea here. I feel that this may have come from the Nottingham yeast because the band-aid like aroma has seemingly been fading as the beer has reached the 6 week mark. I will note what happens over the next few weeks as the beer continues to condition, although the keg is in the keezer and not at room temp. I fermented right around 62* just as i would with us-05, and i have to say that I am not very impressed with nottingham so far. However, if the aroma/flavor persists and doesnt completely fade I will consider another cause.