Phenol Taste

I've brewed the recipe a number of times and except for the last time they all tasted about the same. The recipe is 6 lbs wheat Malt, 4 lbs 2 row pale malt 1/2 oz Magmum hops 60 minutes. The yeast is Wyeast American Ale 1056. I call this "American Wheat Beer". The only difference is the last timeI brewed I used yeast that I recycled from a Previous brew. The end result was after a Months conditioning in bottles The beer has a slight phenol taste. The beer is drinkable but I don't care for the phenol taste. Can anyone explain this phenomenon?

Did you sanitize which bleach or other chlorine-based sanitizer? That can do it. Something could have happened to the yeast, as well, since fermentation can produce phenolic byproducts, but it's hard to say.

Thanks for the reply Baron. Yes I did sanitize with bleach But I thikk I rinsed thoroughly but maybe not good enough. Next time I'll use fresh yeast and a different sanitizer. I've brewed maybe 30 all grains and this is the first time I've had off flavors. It was also the first time I've recycled yeast.

David

I've recycled a lot of yeast without any phenolic off-flavors, so I would lean towards the bleach and not your yeast washing. 1056 seems to be pretty robust in terms of being reused. OTOH, I've decided 1056 is one strain I probably won't go to the effort to reuse since it's so cheap dry.

What about recycling yeast from a batch that has phenolic band-aid plastic like taste? Will the phenolic taste carry forward?

I just brewed a batch of wheat beer using Wyeast 3944 Belgium Witt yeast. The description says it has a phenolic character, but I'm nut sure if this refers to the plastic like taste. I don't know if this is a characteristic of the yeast of something caused by my brewing practices.

Belgian Witbier Yeast - Wyeast 3944
"Produces a complex flavor profile with a spicy phenolic character and low ester production. Phenols tend to dominate other flavors and dissipate with age. Ferments fairly dry with a finish that compliments malted and unmalted wheat and oats. Sometimes used in conjunction with lactic acid bacteria to produces a sharper finish. This strain is a true top cropping yeast requiring full fermenter head space."

davidkrau said:

Thanks for the reply Baron. Yes I did sanitize with bleach But I thikk I rinsed thoroughly but maybe not good enough. Next time I'll use fresh yeast and a different sanitizer. I've brewed maybe 30 all grains and this is the first time I've had off flavors. It was also the first time I've recycled yeast.

David

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Really hot water will drive off chlorine, as will sodium metabisulphite. Otherwise you can use no rinse proportions of bleach/vinegar (can't remember what they are though)

manticle said:

Really hot water will drive off chlorine, as will sodium metabisulphite. Otherwise you can use no rinse proportions of bleach/vinegar (can't remember what they are though)

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Please don't mix bleach with anything. I know some people do it, but mixing bleach with any acid and some kinds of caustics will release chlorine gas which can kill you quickly.

Well, I suppose you could have meant bleach OR vinegar. Just throwing it out there anyway.

Very old post but worth clarifying:

You are right - directly mixing bleach and vinegar will give off toxic gases and is a bad idea. What I'm referring to is diluting bleach with water, then adding vinegar in recommended proportions. There's a basic brewing radio podcast somewhere with the guy from Five star talking about it.


http://media.libsyn.com/media/basicbrewing/bbr03-29-07.mp3