All grain and tastes like plastic

Well I just completed my first all grain setup, had awesome yields and thought I was about to enter a whole new beautiful world. I cracked open the first bottle, awesome color, great head, slightly off smell, and it tastes like plastic!

I didn't change any of my cleaning techniques.

I am using a double bucket set up for the lauter tun.

I am using a PVC set up to sparge, and as the fittings & valves in between.

Has anyone had any flavor issues with using PVC?

Any one else end up with a plastic taste?

Any other ideas as to what the issue may be?

You need CPVC. PVC is not suitable for the high temperatures.

I just made a porter and I think I may have the same problem. However; I'm not too sure as to what I bought was CPVC or PVC.

mdelany said:

I just made a porter and I think I may have the same problem. However; I'm not too sure as to what I bought was CPVC or PVC.

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CPVC looks yellow, regular PVC is bright white

I did research on CPVC vs PVC. I thought the issue was that it weakens over time when exposed to heat, and that was the difference. Not that it produces off flavors.

Maybe the glue and primer give off flavors?

I use silicone tubing for hot liquid transfers. I can boil the tubing to sanitize it. It's also easier to fit over nozzles and seems to seal well. For these reasons I'm thinking of switching to silicone tubing for all liquid transfers...

I got mine here: silicone tubing

I ended up with the plastic taste before, I narrowed it down to the use of bleach as a sanitizer and not rinsing the bleach off well enough. I don't use bleach (or any chlorine type products ) anymore , and haven't had plastic beer since.
If the PVC system was cleaned and flushed out with really hot H2O after you built, I would look elsewhere for the culprit.
But if you suspect that it is the PVC, then heat up some H2O and run it through, see how it tastes.

A high fermentation temp. can give a plastic taste as well.

Wild yeast can give a plastic like taste also. I narrowed mine down to when I put it in my fridge, it would suck air back in the carboy and it was infecting my beer. After I solved that, I haven't had a problem.

The taste you describe can occur if you use PVC as a lautering manifold. The hot water can leach the plasticizers out of the PVC and put them in your beer. If you are using PVC, switch to copper or CPVC.

You might try doing a trial run with your system using just water. If there is any leaching going on you'll be able to taste it in the water and you won't ruin a batch of beer.

Tom

PvcWNED!!!!!!!

The problem is obvious - you brewed AG. Had you done a PM or extract this would not have happened. (Now, will all the AG purists understand that this is how their "AG solves all the brewing problems in the world" advice sounds? )

Was this all brand new equipment? Perhaps some of the mold release materials or other chemicals involved in the manufacturing process hadn't been cleaned off properly.

carl spakler said:

The problem is obvious - you brewed AG. Had you done a PM or extract this would not have happened. (Now, will all the AG purists understand that this is how their "AG solves all the brewing problems in the world" advice sounds? )

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In over a year of being here I"ve never really seen people claim that going AG solves problems. It will rid you of extract twang due to eliminating extract, but so will using fresh extract. It gives you finer control over recipe, but does not solve cleanliness problems, Equipment issues, or fermentation issues and I've not seen anyone claim it does.
Yes I brew AG, yes my AG beers have been better than my Extract ones.


Back on Topic,
Replace the PVC as mentioned and what sanitizer and process do you use? Also fermentation control?