Suggestions please..

Hello all, new to the forum and to brewing. I've read so much on the internet I'm more confused now than when I started Im sure this has been answered time and again, but..

I got a Mr Beer kit, I now know thats not a popular way to go, but anyway, my first batch was the Classic American Light, not being a regular old commercial beer fan I knew I wouldnt be impressed no matter what it turned out like, but it had a weird taste, I really cant explain the taste. I've read all about the green apple taste (maybe), the astringent taste (maybe), metallic (again).. I'm not sure, I guess my tastebuds arent as in tune as most. It seems like a combination of all the off-tastes, lucky me!

Second batch Patriot Lager from MrBeer.. Same weird taste/aftertaste, and I mean the same!

After that I bought a brewing kit from Norther Brewer, great place btw. Carboys, bottling bucket, auto siphon, etc.. all the beginner stuff. First batch with that was an extract Bavarian Hefeweizen, I tasted it before bottling and I could tell... same taste. Tried one last night after only a week in the fridge just to see, yep, same taste only more pronounced now. The OG and the FG were in line with what the instructions stated. I didnt check that with the Mr Beer batches.

Sorry I cant be more specific with this "taste" but it really seems like a combination of most of what I read. I really dont know about infections, nothing looks or smells odd, just the nagging taste.

Now I have a Caribou Slobber and Dead Ringer IPA I'm getting ready to bottle, I havent tasted them since I brewed them, they were fine then... But being as I usually go all into things that interest me, I am building a mash tun and plan on going AG, I hate to start having $40.00 + of bad beer every time I brew.. Of course I will still drink it, unless it is actually eating the grout on my countertops!

Not so much the first batch ( I pretty much just went by the Mr Beer instructions), but since then I have been very careful in trying to prevent oxidation, cleaning and sanitizing, keeping the carboys at a consistant 65-67 degrees (temp in my mechanical room) What else should I be looking at? My water? I've been using filtered water from my fridge..

Thanks for any help and sorry for a probably very repeated request.

That's beer you're tasting. I think the problem must be that you don't like the taste of beer.

I'm only kidding.

So how long do these sit in primary?

Two suggestions:

1) Find out if your local municipality uses chloramines in your tap water. Your usual water filter won't filter that stuff out. If they do, then get some campden tablets and treat your water to take care of the chloramines. Our first brews turned out really bad until we started doing this, then they started to taste a lot better. Another thing to try is brewing with bottled drinking water. If your brews taste a lot better with the bottled stuff, then obviously your tap water is causing you problems.

2) Fermenting at 65-67 ambient temps is a bit high, since the fermentation process generates heat on its own, so the temp inside your fermentors could be as high as 77. Not good. You need to figure out how to get those temps down. Research "swamp cooler" and "son of fermentation chiller" for some cheap ideas.

Talvi said:

green apple taste (maybe), the astringent taste (maybe), metallic (again)

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Rookie going out on a limb here...but I'm guessing it's the hops you don't like, or maybe the malt because I don't think those beers you mentioned are big hop beers. And I've tasted malt that had a weird after taste early in the fermentation.

Also it's really hard to screw up a Mr Beer kit, that's the beauty of Mr Beer, so another reason for me to believe it's likely normal beer flavor you are tasting.

I love sampling beer right from the fermenter but to me it does have a off-putting chemical taste if sampled too soon. So maybe the beer needs to ferment or condition longer.

Just my rookie $.02.

-DZ

No no, I love beer! I'm sure my exwife would agree on this point!

Well not sure how to reply to individual posts, last try didnt work..

So, I've been doing the 2-2-2 schedule.

I've never seen the fermometer above 70 degrees and that was for a brief time, not that it may not have been higher. I really have no idea of the water profile where I live, but I will make a call. I'll probably try the bottled water too, spring water, right?

I actually drink all kinds of beer, not a connoisseur (love spell check!)by any means, but I drink anything from stouts to ipa's to wheat beers, etc.. No racism here!

The first two Mr Beers came with the kit, I'm not a light beer drinker, so I thought maybe that was a common taste with the first one, just odd its carrying over into the others.

So possibly temperature or water?

Thanks for the quick reply's!

Maybe it could be water but we have some bad water here and I haven't had any problems with it affecting my beer. It even makes me squint when I drink it...like whiskey face after a shot of Yukon Jack.

LandoLincoln said:

Two suggestions:

1) Find out if your local municipality uses chloramines in your tap water. Your usual water filter won't filter that stuff out. If they do, then get some campden tablets and treat your water to take care of the chloramines. Our first brews turned out really bad until we started doing this, then they started to taste a lot better. Another thing to try is brewing with bottled drinking water. If your brews taste a lot better with the bottled stuff, then obviously your tap water is causing you problems.

2) Fermenting at 65-67 ambient temps is a bit high, since the fermentation process generates heat on its own, so the temp inside your fermentors could be as high as 77. Not good. You need to figure out how to get those temps down. Research "swamp cooler" and "son of fermentation chiller" for some cheap ideas.

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Your problem is common with new brewers and the advice above is sound. This is all just to say that you need to limit the possibilities of off-flavor as much as possible and see if you still have the problem. Next batch, use bottled water, keep tabs on fermentation temp, use zealous sanitation practices (hopefully you're using no-rinse sanitizer), and brand new (rather than recycled) bottles -- you can just use like 6 or so of these to test if it's cost prohibitive to do the whole batch. Limit anything else that could be a variable; if you give a narrative of your process one of the folks here might pick something up.

Another idea is to find a brewer to brew the same kit for a side by side comparison to rule out the ingredient issue. Plus it's always great to take your beer to a local homebrew shop and see if they can ID the off flavors.

Here is you're water report I believe. There are some threads that deal with this, however I am not very educated on whats good and bad. My beer tastes fine with my tap water. So I never bothered. My experiences were a bit of the same. I'm guessing its either temp or you are tasting green beer. (If its not you're water) I leave my fermentors for my IPA's at about 60 degrees give or take. Maybe let the beer condition a bit longer or sit in the fermentor for a bit longer? Anyway good luck and don't let this "taste" deter you from brewing...its a great hobby! Heres you're water profile http://www.asotinpud.org/pdf/WaterQuality/2011 Water Quality Report.pdf

Thank you all for your suggestions. I'm definitely going to try lowering my fermenting temperature and try bottled water.

I have been using recycled bottles, but I'll see if my LHBS has new ones to try out.

I've also been using B Bright and Star San, checked the internet several times to make sure I'm using them right.

Worm, thanks a lot for the link! And thanks again all!

One thing that I didn't see mentioned is the sunlight effect! I'm realy new to this whole brew thing myself, but have been told by a seasoned brewer that keeping your brew totaly in the dark makes a huge differance! Even keep it away from any long term exposure to artificial light sources!

Kirkwooder said:

One thing that I didn't see mentioned is the sunlight effect! I'm realy new to this whole brew thing myself, but have been told by a seasoned brewer that keeping your brew totaly in the dark makes a huge differance! Even keep it away from any long term exposure to artificial light sources!

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Thanks Kirk, I have been keeping them in the dark and wrapped in towels to keep out any light and to try and reduce any temperature fluctuation.

I know it's probably not too much of a help as your perception of the taste is the most important. But have you tried getting a second opinion? Maybe a beer snob that you know or an experienced home brewer?

I know I think I have a muted palette in a way. Most of my beers taste okay/good to me, but sometimes other people point out things I don't notice. I did a pilsner with the lager phase and a diacetyl rest. I didn't taste any buttery taste, but my beer uneducated friend tasted butter immediately without anything to prompt him to look for it.

The point of my anectdode, is just getting a second opinion to help pin point the issue.

I just made the Mr. Beer Light American Ale one not too long ago, I found it has a cidery taste and almost a seltzery bite to it. I have found it's better if I dump it straight down the middle of a giant mug, you get like 6" of head, when it subsides it doesn't have as much of a bite to it.

Maybe it's carbonating it with table sugar or they might cut their extract with some non-barley based sugars, maybe it's their unlabeled yeast, who knows.

My bet is water. I use distilled water. Extract adds sufficient minerals for yeast. Add a bit of nutrients for good measure. Good luck.