Yet Another Diagnose This Off-Flavor Thread!

I need to RDWHAHB, but I though that I'd throw this out there.

3 batches ago, a brown that I brewed had a really odd rusty/smoky flavor to it. Almost a tart/sharp ending. I am not good at identifying tastes, so that's about all I have for ya.

My next two batches (which were already in the bottle) did not exhibit this off flavor.

I just bottled a BM Black Pearl Porter, and I thought that I could lightly taste the same off flavor. I'm slightly worried about the infection, but we'll see in a couple of weeks.

Does anyone know that that flavor could be? Could I have aerated too warm (thermometer was off, was aerating at ~100F, but pitching at correct temps)? Could it have been some oxygenation at some other point? Could I have no let the iodophor drain off long enough/mixed it too heavy?

Our water profile changes in the Spring (get water form a different source). I was wondering if it may be chloromate(sp?)? I'm going to grab some campden tablets regardless for my next brew.

Just any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated, since I couldn't find many threads on an undesired smoky flavor.

amercuric said:

Bay Area Brew Crew - Library

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Thanks for the info. I had brewed through Palmer's section of identifying this, and some other websites. Nothing mentiond smoky or rusty; I'm thinking that it may have been oxidation or sour-acidic, bu I can't place the flavor at all.

A friend actually initially liked the beer thinking that I had done some weird smoking/souring of the brown, but after 3/4 a bottle he couldn't continue. I couldn't drink it at all and dumped it.

I received comments on past beers entered in contests about a smokey phenol in the aftertaste. The judge said it was likely due to chlorine in my water. Once the judge pointed it out, I could taste it in most of my lighter beers.

I slowed down the flow rate on my charcoal filter and also threw campden tablets in all the water (the sparge water and mash AND the water I used for the cleaning and sanitizing), just to be safe. Since I made the change, I've made two lighter beers and I can't taste the smokey flavor in the aftertaste any longer.

kaiser423 said:

Thanks for the info. I had brewed through Palmer's section of identifying this, and some other websites. Nothing mentiond smoky or rusty; I'm thinking that it may have been oxidation or sour-acidic, bu I can't place the flavor at all.

A friend actually initially liked the beer thinking that I had done some weird smoking/souring of the brown, but after 3/4 a bottle he couldn't continue. I couldn't drink it at all and dumped it.

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And "smoky" is listed in the "PHENOLIC" section of the previously posted link. It lists chlorine as a possible source, along with a few other things.

Bay Area Brew Crew - Library

cdburg said:

And "smoky" is listed in the "PHENOLIC" section of the previously posted link. It lists chlorine as a possible source, along with a few other things.

Bay Area Brew Crew - Library

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You are correct. I bow to your reading comprehension (mine apparently sucks!).

Campden tablets it is! I can't imagine getting as strong of a flavor as I had in my brown from over sparging, or wrong mash ph....it was massively overpowering.

They have only been switching to the new water supply in the spring for a couple of years; I imagine that it also has to be heavily chlorinated...