Multi color foam & head, maybe producing off taste

Hey Everyone,

Over and over I am getting this distinguished taste that I am trying to eliminate in my beer. I have not been able to narrowed it down.

First, I thought it was a bitter taste from over hopping or to high temps.

Then, I noticed the taste and a little discoloration (multi colors) coming from the head end of the the beer.

I talked to someone at my local supply shop and he believes the sanitizer (starsan) might be leaving a residue due to the foaming because of hard water so I rinsed my pot and carboy heavily before using.

Today, I noticed the foam was kind of multi colored like soap in the wort. A friend said it might be releasing from the stainless steel pot.

Please help, this taste has always been in my beers (drinkable but there) and I have spent a year trying different things to eliminate it.

Mark

what does it taste like? are you leaving the yeast in the bottle when you pour?

The taste is acidic and chemically on the back end of the taste . I have always thought it was coming from the sanitizer I was using but have got the same taste from c brite and star san. This has happened whether I bottle or keg, and it have transfered, and conditioned to remove as much yeast as possible.

An other home brewer suggested today that it may becoming from oxidation from my brew kettle. I am using a stainless steel kettle but after using it today I noticed the same colors at the bottom that are often in my head or foam.

*last note I added a little water to rinse my liquid yeast into the wort and noticed whitish foam with soapy colors in it.

I posted this over the weekend got few replies so figured would try again.

mddonelan said:

I posted this over the weekend got few replies so figured would try again.

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Have you tried brewing using distilled bottled water? Rinse your gear with it before you start.

What are you cleaning your brewing equipment with?

Star San, I am using Poland Springs Bottled water. I do attempt to pre-rinse and it does seem like I get everything out but always same results.

You don't clean with star san. You sanitize with it. So, are you saying you don't clean your equipment, or that you use star san for both cleaning and sanitizing, or something else?

I have always washed my equipment with traditional dish soap as I would clean any of my cooking equipment, rinsed thoroughly, then sanitized with star san.

Thanks for the help.

The description of the taste and appearance sounds like yeast bite from sediment on the bottom of the bottle. Since the head has formed by the time you pour the yeast in you will get a very light brown tinge on some of the foam from the yeast.

Do you leave beer behind when you pour? I usually watch the beer flowing inside the bottle as I pour and stop when the yeast starts to streak toward the mouth of the bottle.

Try not using dish soap as it is very hard to completely remove.. Try using a caustic cleaner and rinsing well and then sanitize..

edmanster said:

Try not using dish soap as it is very hard to completely remove.. Try using a caustic cleaner and rinsing well and then sanitize..

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To add to that I'm only talking about the primary and secondary and bottling bucket.. Do you do taste tests after primary and secondary?

Do you mix your Star San w/ your tap water or your bottled brew water? I have never had taste problems, but I used to mix my Star San w/ my VERY hard Texas well water and it mixed cloudy, indicating it was already less than effective. I started mixing it w/ RO water and it mixes and stays clear, indicating it is at the proper ph.

If you are using spring water to brew rather than RO it might be rather hard as well. I know some like Yooper (and as of now me!) mix RO and tap to dilute the hardness in lighter brews. What type of beers are you making? Usually darker beers will taste fine w/ hard water but paler brews will be affected adversely. Are you brewing extract or AG?

None of that explains a multi-colored residue. That sounds like soap or oil. Try washing with oxi-clean (or generic) only and no detergent. PBW will work as well but is much more expensive.

Good luck

When pouring from the bottle I always use to make sure not to pour all the way to the bottom but now I am kegging so that is no longer an option. Now I just pour.

Any recommendations on how to remove any soap residue that might be there? Also any recommendations on caustic cleaners that are on the market.

The taste I am describing is soapy and believe that is were it is coming from.

** I was told by my local brew show that the foam and cloudiness in sanitizer is coming from hard water. Next batch I am going to use bottle water for sanitizing also.

The oil description is exactly what i have been trying to describe, and I get it in all brews pale or dark.

Thanks everyone.

Oxy-clean is a very good cleaner but not FDA approved so be sure to rinse real good and sanitize.. That will remove most if not all the soap residue with a good soak and scrub..