plastic/vynil taste = oxidation?

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ChrisS

I like cold beverages
Joined
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Location
Harrisburg, PA
So I brewed a brownish ale a few weeks ago which used base and carmel malt with challenger and hallertau hops for bittering and finishing. The brew day went fine and when the fermentation was complete I transfered from my plastic bucket to a carboy using as auto siphon. after I could get around to it I bottled by transferring back to the bucket with the AS and bottled 2 cases using the AS and bottling wand. A few more weeks and I was tasting it. It seemed ok but there is something off about it but I was thinking that it was the aroma hops/ I took a few bottles to a club meeting to get more opinions and they seemed to think that it has a plastic or tubing taste and generally didn't seem to like it. The one guy who they al seemed to turn to for clarification seemed to think that it was oxidation.

What say you out there... does this sound like oxidation or a case of funky bucket/hose or something else?

Mind you I don't find it completely undrinkable, but not something that I would give to company.
 
It could be a fermentation problem. If you fermented too warm, especially if you under-pitched or under-aerated, you can get some plasticy, solvent-like, and/or medicinal flavours. Rarely do you get plastic flavours originating from your brewing equipment, unless you use something that wasn't designed for that purpose.

Without tasting the beer, it would be hard to say what the cause could be.

Oxidation effects do NOT taste like plastic, though. They contribute a stale, sometimes cardboard-like off flavour to beer.
 
If I remember I think I did underpitch the yeast on that batch but I think the fermentation temps were within reason. That give me a better feeling about things since I am trying to transfer and move the wort/beer as quietly as possible and really can't see doing any better with the equipment that I have.
 
Here is my previous description of bottles I intentionally oxidized:
I just opened one of the marked bottles. Holy carbonation! This brew is over carb'd by design but this example was just insane with a massive fluffy bubble ridden foam. Taste? CRAPTASTIC! The nasty cardboardy flavor was immediately noticeable and made the beer unpleasant and IMHO undrinkable.

Once you taste it, there is no question....all oxidized bottles were undrinkable drain pours.
 
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