Clementine
Well-Known Member
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have some off flavors after modifying my brewing equipment. I made a HLT out of an old cooler and a hot water element. As it is water and not acidic wort or beer in the HLT I saved some cash and used a regular 110volt hot water element and brass fittings. I left the strike water heating too long and it boiled in the cooler. There was no noticeable distortion or melting of the cooler. Could this be responsible for my off flavors.
Secondly replaced a my dip tube as it was damaged when I moved from Hawaii to PA and although usable it need to be replaced. I have not fitted a filter so 100% of the trub is not getting into the fermenter.
The flavor I'm experiencing is not dominate but rather a mild off bitterness kind of flavor. To elaborate it does not have the fruitiness of hop bitterness but the flat bitterness on the palate noticeable after the first wash of hoppy bitterness is leaving your palate where I would expect so taste some malt flavors. I would say it tastes oxidized but my process has not changed aside form the above changes to equipment.
The recipes that have been effected are my common pale ales and IPAs nothing complex, Pale Ale Malt + small % of Crystal 60+ some wheat + truck load of hops. I have done this recipe dozens of times with no problems. I played around with different mash temps different yeast around my basic recipe with not problem now, three consecutive batches since I changed equipment have the same flavor.
So my resolution is to fix both problems, go back to old strike water heating (stove and three pots) filter trub better and double trip check equipment for contaminate. However I'm curious on other peoples opinions of this problem.
Clem
I have some off flavors after modifying my brewing equipment. I made a HLT out of an old cooler and a hot water element. As it is water and not acidic wort or beer in the HLT I saved some cash and used a regular 110volt hot water element and brass fittings. I left the strike water heating too long and it boiled in the cooler. There was no noticeable distortion or melting of the cooler. Could this be responsible for my off flavors.
Secondly replaced a my dip tube as it was damaged when I moved from Hawaii to PA and although usable it need to be replaced. I have not fitted a filter so 100% of the trub is not getting into the fermenter.
The flavor I'm experiencing is not dominate but rather a mild off bitterness kind of flavor. To elaborate it does not have the fruitiness of hop bitterness but the flat bitterness on the palate noticeable after the first wash of hoppy bitterness is leaving your palate where I would expect so taste some malt flavors. I would say it tastes oxidized but my process has not changed aside form the above changes to equipment.
The recipes that have been effected are my common pale ales and IPAs nothing complex, Pale Ale Malt + small % of Crystal 60+ some wheat + truck load of hops. I have done this recipe dozens of times with no problems. I played around with different mash temps different yeast around my basic recipe with not problem now, three consecutive batches since I changed equipment have the same flavor.
So my resolution is to fix both problems, go back to old strike water heating (stove and three pots) filter trub better and double trip check equipment for contaminate. However I'm curious on other peoples opinions of this problem.
Clem