Is this a normal taste...

So far, on every batch (Wheat, Stout, Pilsner) that I've made, I end up with a slightly tart, almost lime-like flavor that can be detected on my lips if I lick them after a drink.

I don't notice it in the beer itself, just on my lips. It's extremely odd. I'm just using the basic yeast that came with the kits (John Bull) and following directions and sanitation to the T. Any ideas as to what it might be, or how to get rid of it?

After first I thought it might be from not being aged long enough, but I've had a Stout sitting now for almost a month and a half and still taste it. These are beers that I've followed the directions on, although I've always used Dextrose instead of white sugar. Can this do it?

at first i thought extract twang, but what are you using dextrose for?

you should only use dextrose when priming the beer, never in the recipe itself (unless you're making a belgian or something.)

maybe try a nice extract kit with steeping grains and no sugar. that'll probably do the trick.

It might be a function of the John Bull kits. I've never used one, so I can't say for sure.

I have used kits from Austin Homebrew, MoreBeer, and Seven Bridges, and they all turned out great. Maybe try a new kit and see if the flavor reappears.

The dude at the brew go suggested the dextrose. I'll skip on that next time. Any other possibilities?

what are you sanitizing with?

What are your lips touching before you drink your brew?

DeathBrewer said:

you should only use dextrose when priming the beer, never in the recipe itself (unless you're making a belgian or something.)

Click to expand...

I am surprised at this. Every beer I've done so far has had dextrose in the recipe. My home brew shop has a recipe sheet listing how to combine their kits with other ingredients to make certain styles of beers and every recipe uses dextrose. I always thought it was the standard brewing sugar ? So what is the alternative ?

The alternative is NO sugar in the brew. In a couple of styles (notably big Belgians where a low FG, dry, thinner body is desirable), it's ok. But for the most part, it thins and dries the beer and is a cheap substitute for malt extract. For a kit that asks for sugar to be added, it improves the beer greatly if malt extract is added instead.

I have only used corn sugar (dextrose) a couple of times, for a bigger beer that needed it to help make it a bit thinner and drier in the end. Sugar ferments fully, leaving no residual sugars behind, so that's why it makes a thinner tasting beer with a lower FG. In large quantities, it can impart a cidery flavor to the beer also.

Take a look at our recipe database. There are some easy extract brews there- and I would guess that none of them include sugar, except to prime them to carbonate.

If you're using a single 3.3 lb, or close to it, can of Liquid Malt Exctract, LME, and doing a 5 gallon batch then you're going to need the dextrose to bring the wort up to a suitable gravity. What your brew shop isn't telling you is that you should use an equal amount of Dried Malt Extract instead of the dextrose. You'll get a fuller flavored and bodied beer that won't have the "cidery" twang. Is the John Bull kit a pre-hopped can with the yeast in the plastic cap?

YooperBrew said:

For a kit that asks for sugar to be added, it improves the beer greatly if malt extract is added instead.

Click to expand...

So if I have a kit that says add 1Kg brewing sugar, do I just add 1Kg of Malt Extract instead ? Will this effect the alcohol content ?

What kind of beer are you brewing? It will depend on the type to determine how much LME or DME to use.

JNJC said:

So if I have a kit that says add 1Kg brewing sugar, do I just add 1Kg of Malt Extract instead ? Will this effect the alcohol content ?

Click to expand...

Generally, yes, you can do that. It will give you a similar alcohol content. If you post the actual recipe, we can double check it for you and tell you for sure. Just start a new thread with the recipe (size of cans, type of extract, any hops you're adding, etc) and the directions, and we can take a look.

Now, let's stop our threadjack of this post and get back on topic for MrToad's off-flavor here. If you used sugar, that might be what you're tasting in the finish.

Alrighty. Thanks for help folks, I'm going to guess that it probably is the dextrose. I have a tendency to follow directions exactly as stated (in the beginning anyway) but will be moving on to better things (all malt) shortly.

As for what I'm sanitizing with, OneStep. Even though it says that you don't have to rinse, I always do. Mystery taste, perhaps semi-solved. Thanks for the help.

The alchohol content will be very slightly lower. but the citrusy, cidery tast will go away. I know exactly what you are talking about I usually add some sucrose (about a #) to my brews to up the alchohol content. the last one I brewed was a honey ale that used a # of honey in addition to the malt extract. I ended up with too much adjuct (sugars other that maltose(malt extract(malt sugar))) in the wort between the honey and the sucrose (table sugar) and the cider tast is very in your face.

MellowToad said:

As for what I'm sanitizing with, OneStep. Even though it says that you don't have to rinse, I always do. Mystery taste, perhaps semi-solved. Thanks for the help.

Click to expand...

I wouldn't recommend rinsing, unless you're using pre-boiled water. Otherwise, you're rinsing your sanitized equipment with unsanitary water, and risking an infection. That said, I think your off-taste had to do with the sugar.

Kits recommend table sugar, but one one does that anymore. Which is why most kit manufaturers have started selling brewing sugar or brew enhancers, but even some of those revised kits are wrong.
Anyone who's read anything about home brewing knows to use anything but sugar so they buy brewing sugar et al.
Dextrose should only be an alcohol booster, if you want to brew a beer strong, but want to do it cheaply, and it shouldn't be greater than 20% of the fermentables.
Forgive me here as I mainly brew ales, porters and stouts, not belgian brews yet, but you get the gist.
If I was brewing a normal ale or porter, I wouldn't use any detrose. Just heaps or DME. I might chuck in some dextrose to make a stronger stout to push the limits.
Bottom line, dextrose boosts alcohol without adding any body or flavour.
You need dme for flavour, head retention and body.
You can cheat and use detrose for alcohol with corn syrup for body, but you'll stil lack head retention and flavour.
Depending on the style of beer you want, 1.5kg DME always delivers the goods, but comes at a cost, it's worth it though.
The other thing that effects the taste is the yeast. Maybe try a few yeasts from your HBS, they all have an affect on flavour. Read up on a few, find the right one for your style and fermenting temperature. The one's with the extract cans aren't alway optimal.
I never use the ones with the cans since they are old and abused, and I brew ales in winter, so I buy yeasts that suit colder ale brewing.