Which off flavor is that?

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BrewStooge

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Hey all, back again with one of those "what's that taste" questions. I've noticed my beers thus far have had a somewhat astringent/sharp taste both when fermented warmer (72-77) and cooler (59-65). I've tried some different hopping, aeration, lengths of time for primary/secondary etc and the one constant has really been that the boil has had the lid almost completely on due to using an electric burner without enough power (until this next batch, just got a gas stove hooked up :p).

So what I'm asking is, I recall reading of a compound created in steeping/boiling that usually evaporates at a lower temperature, but if the cover is on it can condense and renter the wort. For the life of me I cant recall it's name off hand, but could this be what I'm tasting? My usual time scale so far has been the oft noted 1-2-3 give or take a few days here and there. It seems to age out a bit over a few weeks, but I'd like to avoid it from the start if I can.
 
If you are taksting it in the bottle and it goes away, then you aren't tasting anything that can be "fixed" becasue there is nothing wrong...you are jsut tasting green beer....and as you can see it mellows out with time...You can't "avoid" it, i'ts just part of the conditioning process....depending on the grav of the beer it can take weeks or months...I have a belgian strong ale that wil take 2-6 months more to mellow out.


Read this.

Revvy's Blog, Of Patience and Bottle Conditioning.

Here's an extreme version of conditioning...https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/ne...virtue-time-heals-all-things-even-beer-73254/
 
+1 to allowing your beer to condition. "Green" beer can often have harsh characteristics as you were describing.

As far as the chemical you were referring to that generally boils off, I believe you were referring to DMS. It usually has a very vegetal flavor and aroma, not unlike cabbage, or warm droopy lettuce.
 
Thanks much, I guess more to the point though was what's the one I'm thinking of, boiling with the lid on, will that age, what's it called, or am I just recalling something I imagined in the first place? :)
 
+1 to allowing your beer to condition. "Green" beer can often have harsh characteristics as you were describing.

As far as the chemical you were referring to that generally boils off, I believe you were referring to DMS. It usually has a very vegetal flavor and aroma, not unlike cabbage, or warm droopy lettuce.

Doh! got in the reply while I was replying myself! Thanks again.
 

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