Aging carbed beer - Page 2

**abarhan** · 02-02-2012, 09:37 PM

Yea I have heard that as well but I cannot imagine that two different styles of beer having the same off flavor. The Brown ale was the Caribou slobber from NB and peole rave about this kit so it makes me think it is something on my end. The IPA was the Diamond Knot IPA. The kits were followed to a T, a wee bit anal when it comes too beer but obviously not enough.

**abarhan** · 02-03-2012, 02:01 PM

So brewed a batch of Amber ale last night and tasted the chilled wort that was is in the test tube and the taste is there as well. Below is the setup I am using, anyone notice anything that is off?

Keggle with 3peice ball valve and weld less fitting. Copper center dip tube with a SS scotch bright pad to filter hops/grain. White thermo tubing and a Dudadiesel 40 plate and a glass 6.5 carboy. I bought filtered spring water so it cannot be the water either.

I cleaned everything with PBW, rinsed and sanitized with StarSan. I diluted the SS to the directions on the package and was racking on to foam when I noticed the taste so I rinsed the carboy out and finished racking. At least I narrowed it down to the first step.

Any thoughts...

**unionrdr** · 02-03-2012, 02:39 PM

Rinsing the starsan is counter productive. Might be letting nasties back in. I wonder about the copper dip tube maybe reacting with something?

**JLem** · 02-03-2012, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unionrdr

Rinsing the starsan is counter productive. Might be letting nasties back in. I wonder about the copper dip tube maybe reacting with something?

I can't imagine it's the star san or the copper. Both are used extensively in homebrewing. I use star san on everything and my immersion chiller is 30' of copper.

This one is a head-scratcher. I'll keep scratching and see if I can't think of something helpful. Other than process, what are the commonalities? Same type of extract perhaps?

**abarhan** · 02-03-2012, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JLem

I can't imagine it's the star san or the copper. Both are used extensively in homebrewing. I use star san on everything and my immersion chiller is 30' of copper.

This one is a head-scratcher. I'll keep scratching and see if I can't think of something helpful. Other than process, what are the commonalities? Same type of extract perhaps?

Yea I was just thinking of anything outside of the norm. For the commonalities:

Caribou Slobber kit from NB with LME and DME--Tap water
Diamond Know IPA clone kit with only DME Assorted hops--Tap Water
Phat Tyre Amber Ale from NB with LME AND DME Assorted hops.--Filtered Spring water.

I did not taste the wort from the first batch only the chilled and carbed version but the taste is kinda the same for all three. I wouldn't go as far as saying that it is "industrial flavor" but soapy is fairly accurate. I am hoping they are "green" and there is nothing to worry about but its a little alarming that I have a lifetime supply of dish soap, makes me leery to brew more until I can narrow it down.

venquessa · 02-03-2012, 06:38 PM

Does chlorine not settle out / evaporate off water in 24 hours? Or is that an urban myth?

**JLem** · 02-03-2012, 08:33 PM

OK, I just took a look at John Palmer's How to Brew, which has a section on off-flavors. Here's his info on "soapy"

"Soapy flavors can caused by not washing your glass very well, but they can also be produced by the fermentation conditions. If you leave the beer in the primary fermentor for a relatively long period of time after primary fermentation is over ("long" depends on the style and other fermentation factors), soapy flavors can result from the breakdown of fatty acids in the trub. Soap is, by definition, the salt of a fatty acid; so you are literally tasting soap."

Not sure that this helps any since I would assume you would have mentioned the use of soap in your process and since you taste that same flavor pre-fermentation, it clearly cannot be a time on the trub issue.

I wonder if it is something about the DME. ANy idea how fresh it is?

Do you have a LHBS you could bring some beer to? FOlks there might be able to help you pin-point the off-flavor.

venquessa · 02-03-2012, 09:07 PM

Can fatty acids not come from many sources? Notably DNA, RNA and general biomass?

**JLem** · 02-03-2012, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by venquessa

Can fatty acids not come from many sources? Notably DNA, RNA and general biomass?

Well, not from DNA or RNA, but certainly from fats and oils (ie triglycerides). But I can't imagine those would be present in these beers.

**abarhan** · 02-04-2012, 04:13 PM

The DME and LME that was used is from Northern Brewer so I would imagine that they are fresh but I kind ruled that out due to the same issue in 3 different batches from 2 different companies. The sping water version sans the chlorine tastes soapy as well.

The soap in the glass and too long in primary unfortunately don't explain the taste in the sample taken from the line after chilling. I wish it was that easy.

On the plus side I did drink a glass of the IPA last night and the taste seems to have mellowed a bit and is at least somewhat drinkable now, I am hoping it is just a "green" taste that will mellow and fade to gone.

Thanks everyone.