Ruined My First Batch I Think!!!

Guess when you're learning to do all grain, you shouldn't experiment!!! I've done several extract batches and they worked great. I did my first all grain two weeks ago today. It was EdWort's Barvarian Hefe. Followed everything, hit most numbers pretty close, fermented out for 10 days, FG was 1.010. I crashed cooled it for 2 days and kegged.

Tasted it today and :cross: nasty!!!! It tasted like a box of band aids!!! Very strong, medicinal aftertaste. I fermented at exactly 68 degrees but I think the mistake was that I used tap water. I didn't think that our tap water had that much chlorine but I guess it does. I've always used bottled water before. I'm gonna let it sit for a while and see if it becomes drinkable.

If anybody has any opinion/experience with Pittsburgh, South Hills Water, let me know if it's even usable unfiltered.

BTW - I got a bottle of Anti-Foam today from Austin Home Brew and it was partially frozen. It says not to freeze so will it be ok to use?

Thanks for any help,
Shawn

GO STEELERS!!!!!!

I would suspect that it would get a bit better but not clear up altogether. You may have chlorine or chloramines which are used in the drinking water. Check your water report or just give them a call.

You can filter out the chlorine with a good carbon filter and a campden tablet will take care of the chlorimines if you do not wish to buy water. I know I have some resistance to buying water and that is the route I took.

Are you expecting it to taste good after only brewing it 12 days ago?

I don't expect it to taste "great" but should have been drinkable. I've drank extract beers after a few weeks and it was green but not nasty!!! Do all grain brews take longer to "age"?

I say wait longer before you give a judgment on it. Maybe something IS wrong with it, but it doesnt hurt to wait.

What cleaner did you use? Bleach or something else?

I would suspect that it would get a bit better but not clear up altogether. You may have chlorine or chloramines which are used in the drinking water.

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I had this problem my first batch after moving to southern MD. Wheat beers seem to be less tolerant of the Chloramines in the water. I now use a Purex charcoal filter, it works great and is cheaper than buying bottled water.

The taste will dissipate over time (mine took about 2 months to mellow to drinkable)

Austinhomebrew said:

What cleaner did you use? Bleach or something else?

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I used StarSan in the right concentration. I'll leave it sit for a while and go from there. I just got the ingredients to make an IPA so I think I'll buy bottled water for that until I talk to some friends at the water company to get a report from them.

Thanks

The medicinal tast you are describing usually comes from a sanitizer or cleaner not rinsed well enough. It is usually not the waters fault. Taste the water you are using. Make sure it tastes good before you use it.

I would bet it was left over Star San.

Forrest

It was the first time I've used starsan but I was under the impression it didn't need rinsed. I've read all the posts where "it's safe to rack onto the bubbles!!" ect. My water at home tastes fine. No heavy chlorine taste or anything but all the other posts I've read said that chlorine is usually the culprit of the "band aid" or medicinal taste.
I guess I'll read up more on the starsan

Thanks,
Shawn

I also use tap water here in Utah, and it normally tastes great, but I always boil it for 15 mins before I use it to get rid of the chlorine in the water... Other than that, my tap water has always been awesome.

Austinhomebrew said:

The medicinal tast you are describing usually comes from a sanitizer or cleaner not rinsed well enough. It is usually not the waters fault. Taste the water you are using. Make sure it tastes good before you use it.

I would bet it was left over Star San.

Forrest

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everyone on here has told me to RACK ONTO THE BUBBLES...

ilikebeer22 said:

I don't expect it to taste "great" but should have been drinkable. I've drank extract beers after a few weeks and it was green but not nasty!!! Do all grain brews take longer to "age"?

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no beer ages the same whether it is extract or all grain