The process is frustrating sometimes...

I started brewing February of this year. I have 7 batches to date. All have been extract-based brews with steeping grains added for flavor. I have been moderately happy with all of them, but they all seem to share a slight twang that I am not fond of. I have tried some different things with all of them, but that strange twang is still there regardless of what recipe I brew. The only thing that has been a constant is the water that I use and the extract (Briess extra-light DME).

I have been reading that medicinal tones can be caused by chloramine. I am not sure if I would describe this "twang" as medicinal, but my next batch I am going to try treating the water with campden to see if that helps.

I am on the verge of going all-grain, but I would really like to crank out an extract brew that really "wowed" me first. Don't get me wrong, all of my brews so far have been pretty good - but not amazing.

The frustrating part is that each thing that I try takes so long to see the results. I wish that I could just make these changes in my process and see quicker results instead of having to wait for 4-6 weeks or more before seeing the effect of the change. Oh well, it is what it is.

Rant over.

I suggest your next batch be with another water source, spring water from the store or something to see if your water is the problem.

menerdari said:

I suggest your next batch be with another water source, spring water from the store or something to see if your water is the problem.

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This, first two I brewed had a "taste" to them. I actually stepped up to a full carbon block <1 micron water filter and I can actually pull my water from a garden hose now. Chlorine and Chloramine will definitely leave a "twang" in your beer. I went to home depot, grabbed a whole house water filter housing (2.5 x 10 inch filter) and bought the best solid carbon block filter they had for it. It has made a world of difference in the taste of my beers. The twang is gone.

Since you are doing extract I would suggest buying RO water. You will only need 6-7 gallons which can't be more than 2-3 dollars.

Due to the Chloramine in our water I used distilled for my first batch. Hoping it worked out. Our water dist. recently changed the well they used and the water since then has been very minerally... yeah think I made that up.

Not sure why no one is saying it, but a lot of people taste what is known as "extract twang" in all of their extract batches, and has nothing to do with the water. Search it, a lot of good info and may be able to help pinpoint what you're tasting.

xjmox14x said:

Not sure why no one is saying it, but a lot of people taste what is known as "extract twang" in all of their extract batches, and has nothing to do with the water. Search it, a lot of good info and may be able to help pinpoint what you're tasting.

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I agree with xjmox14x. However, I haven't experienced the twang in my extracts but below is a link with some good theories as to what causes it. Perhaps trying a DME instead of LME would cure your aches. Or, finding a different source of LME; perhaps adding yeast nutrients. Regardless, there is some interesting reading in that link, cheers.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f37/possible-extract-twang-explanation-32621/

On a off note OP, That is a sweet Bronco.

All of my brews have been made with DME.

Hernando - thanks. That was/is a long project!

There is always a bit of controversy on extract brewing and the "twang". You can listen to some pretty good discussion on the BYO podcasts that go into detail about brewing with extract and not having any twang. There point is that it is more the process than just extract vs. all grain. One area they continually stress is fermentation temperature control.

I also found my first batches having a off flavor that I couldn't quite get rid of. A while back I bought a freezer, some temp controllers and built a fermentation chamber. Since controlling my fermentation temperature more closely, I have zero off flavors.

So how do you control the temperature of your fermentation?

I get that same twang as OP.......I also steep grains, but I've been using LME with my batches.... All the beer has been good, but that twang is always there. Even used all spring water on 2 batches, but it was still there...

I wouldn't use water from a garden hose. I have never had water from a garden hose that didn't have a weird taste to it. If your water tastes good before brewing, then water isn't your problem.

Phunhog said:

Since you are doing extract I would suggest buying RO water. You will only need 6-7 gallons which can't be more than 2-3 dollars.

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+1
I have one at my local grocery store; take a look around your town and look for one of these or similar:
http://glacierwater.com/ask-glacier/faqs/
It cost $1 per 5 gallons for RO water.
Extract Brewing Water does not need mineral additions since all the minerals needed for healthy yeast growth are already in the extract.

Just beware of the machines that add minerals like the Primo machines in Walmart since they will not tell you what they are adding:
http://www.primowater.com/Water/Taste-Perfection.aspx

LarryC said:

So how do you control the temperature of your fermentation?

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I have a fermentation chamber that I built out of a chest freezer.

xjmox14x said:

Not sure why no one is saying it, but a lot of people taste what is known as "extract twang" in all of their extract batches, and has nothing to do with the water. Search it, a lot of good info and may be able to help pinpoint what you're tasting.

Click to expand...

I was just relaying my experience. There are so many factors that go into off tastes in beer, water is actually a good start imo. Heck, having brewed the first two batches 7 weeks ago, some of that "twang" has gone away, but then again, so is most of that beer. Plus, moving to all grain, isn't water quality one of the big issues?

I've had extract brews that didn't have that underlying "taste". A couple I have tasted I never would have known were extract if someone hadn't told me. Then again, they were darker beers. I would assume it's easier to have those flavors hidden in a darker beer than if you are brewing lighte styles.

I'd just be surprised, if you aren't brewing good extract brews, that all grain is going to be the solution to the problem. Extract seems a good way to work out all of those "brewing" issues, before you add the all-grain work into the mix.

I have the same issue, see any of my posts, they almost all degenerate into the WTF is wrong with my beer. I have done 4 extract brews, 1 partial mash and 1 all grain brew. The first extract was the best by far, all since have been mediocre at best. The only one that has not been tasted yet is the most recent all grain. I have been round and round with this, thinking it was infection though the off taste never gets worse, just a fruity sharp/sour that is sort of there - almost comes and goes when drinking a glass. I replaced hoses and buckets but results are the same. I have tried different yeast, filtering water, campden tablets etc.

My latest attempt changed 2 things: 1 it is all grain and 2 I decided to ferment in a tub of water with regular adds of ice to keep the temps way down. I am hoping that the problem will be solved - the question for me will still remain what solved it but really I dont care as long as it makes good beer.

Still wish I knew about adding the LME at flameout vs initially... ugh....

Clonefan94 said:

I was just relaying my experience. There are so many factors that go into off tastes in beer, water is actually a good start imo. Heck, having brewed the first two batches 7 weeks ago, some of that "twang" has gone away, but then again, so is most of that beer. Plus, moving to all grain, isn't water quality one of the big issues?

I've had extract brews that didn't have that underlying "taste". A couple I have tasted I never would have known were extract if someone hadn't told me. Then again, they were darker beers. I would assume it's easier to have those flavors hidden in a darker beer than if you are brewing lighte styles.

I'd just be surprised, if you aren't brewing good extract brews, that all grain is going to be the solution to the problem. Extract seems a good way to work out all of those "brewing" issues, before you add the all-grain work into the mix.

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Yup, water is a key factor in all grain brewing. The different balance of minerals can greatly affect certain types of beer... which is why certain areas of the world brew certain types of beer. Their water profile is suited for it. With extract, however, distilled or RO water is typically considered the best because the extract already has the minerals it needs in it, so playing around with water chemistry typically is not a concern.

I definitely agree with you on moving to all grain though. I don't think it should stop you, but if you want to really refine your process, starting and perfecting a simpler extract procedure would be the way to go. I believe there are ways around that "twang" as outstanding award winning beers have been brewed with extract, but I couldn't tell you exactly how, or the science behind it.

sok454 said:

Still wish I knew about adding the LME at flameout vs initially... ugh....

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Late extract additions help reduce mailard reactions that darken the color (caramelization) & cause that twang. That's why I save most of the extracts for flame out.

xjmox14x said:

Yup, water is a key factor in all grain brewing. The different balance of minerals can greatly affect certain types of beer... which is why certain areas of the world brew certain types of beer. Their water profile is suited for it. With extract, however, distilled or RO water is typically considered the best because the extract already has the minerals it needs in it, so playing around with water chemistry typically is not a concern.

I definitely agree with you on moving to all grain though. I don't think it should stop you, but if you want to really refine your process, starting and perfecting a simpler extract procedure would be the way to go. I believe there are ways around that "twang" as outstanding award winning beers have been brewed with extract, but I couldn't tell you exactly how, or the science behind it.

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I have had two major changes in my my brewing since my first two batches. One was the better water filter and the second was keeping an eye on fermentation temps. So far, I've found the process to keep my beer fermenting at around 64-67 degrees, is to put the bucket or carboy in a soft sided cooler (looks like a square gym bag that can fold down). This does two things, protect from any mess that may occur and also, allows me to drop an ice pack in there. Every morning when I get up I swap a new one and put it in there. They are about 9x9 and about 2 inches thick. I don't actually let it touch the bucket, just set it in there and wrap a towel around the whole thing, covering the bucket and all. That let me go from fermenting at 74+ degrees to 64. Granted, it has gotten cooler since my first brew, but my basement is still relatively 68 ambient temp. Those two factors were huge in ridding the third beer I brewed, a porter of that "Twang" the first two had. I wonder if beginner brewers don't realize how much a fermenting beer can go up in temp on it's own.

I guess there really is a third thing as well, that I didn't really count. Letting the beer sit and give it time to age. I am about 7 weeks since brew day for the first two beers. Kegging allowed me to constantly be tasting the beer and wondering why it tasted that way. There still is a slight twang in the first two, but now that I am in week 7, pushing 2 months since brew day, the beers have really come into their own and definitely are losing that "Twang" Don't forget to give your beer time.

A lot of kits tell you that you can be drinking your beer in 4 to 5 weeks. I would say for most beers, this is still two early. It's now that I'm kicking myself for taste testing them to almost empty far before they were ready. If it wouldn't have been for a week in Disney, I really don't think that I'd have let them sit long enough to taste what they really should taste like.

EDIT I wanted to add, I also do full boils and late LME additions. I've been doing this since the beginning though, so I didn't think it was as big of a factor.