Consistently funky taste dont know why plz help!

OK, My bro and I have brewed about 6 ales so far and each time we have a funky after taste. The only way i can explain it is to say its a slightly chlorine or metallic taste. We thought at first it was because we were using an aluminum brew pot but since we changed to stainless its STILL there. we sanitize with Star-San but we dont let it dry (we just shake off the water). Using all Stainless spoons for mixing. Use glass carboys for fermentation. umm... I do keep a lid on the pot to start the boil but remove the lid once boiling starts. using purified bottled water, not spring or distilled. I don't know. The only thing we do know is that whatever it is were consistent cause its been there everytime. does anyone have any advice or suggestions? I hate to say this but its not fun when it dont turn out right we must get to the bottom of this lest we be forced to drink chloriney brew forever. Oh and its there whether we bottle or keg. THANKS!

What are your ferment temps? And are they consistent?

we consistently range from 68 to 72 degrees F.

do you use tap water or spring

purified bottled water. NO tap NO spring

britton8323 said:

we consistently range from 68 to 72 degrees F.

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If those are ambient temps, the beer in the fermenter can be up to ten degrees warmer or so. Many yeasts will start making nasty esters and such once they're pushed up beyond 70...

Also, are you using the same kind of yeast each time? If so, which one?

As far as beer is concerned, 68 and 72 are a world apart. I'm not sure that ferment temps are your problem, buy I would do my best to not let it get over 70.

Have you tried a different brand of water? What does the water taste like out of the jug?

that could be. our kit said 65 to 75 so perhaps... thanks

What do you use to sanitize things?

what do you mix your star-san up with? tap water? sometimes that can be enough if you have sanitizer getting in in small amounts repeatedly.....I use distilled water and can re-use it a couple times at least because it doesn't cloud up.

Back to the water... yeah fine purified drinking water. You don't know how much or what was used to essentialy chlorinate the water.

Try and set your water up in the kettles/keggles/pots the night before. You could even go as far as to put a campden tablet in for each 5 gallons. If nothing else it's worth a try.

As for your sanitizer, 6ml (stop by pharmacy and get a liquid medication stopper, usually free) Star San sanitizer or I think it's 3 ml Iodaphor, and use 1 Gal of Distilled water. You can save and reuse this for a long time thans to the Distilled Water. Put some in a spray bottle and spritz your bucket fermenters insides to sanitize. Save sanitizer and it's still fully effective as it's contact based anyhow. I take it camping and for picnics and spritz the tables.

The 68-72 F ferment temp, is that your beer temp or the ambient temp?

If it's ambient, you can add 5-8 degrees to that for the beer ferment while heavy ferment is going on.

Brew on....

pretty much all my beers ferment at 76-78 degress, because thats as cool as i can get them... They end up tasting fine.

h4rdluck said:

pretty much all my beers ferment at 76-78 degress, because thats as cool as i can get them... They end up tasting fine.

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Good to hear. :rockin:

Lots of yeast strains don't like the heat and make plenty of esters.

h4rdluck said:

pretty much all my beers ferment at 76-78 degress, because thats as cool as i can get them... They end up tasting fine.

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Ditto, ambient room temp here on the LA Westside over the last month has been 73-75. 4 batches so far have no off flavors....they just need more time to age.

I dunno what could be causing your off flavor though. Maybe the yeast is funky?

^^ this is good to hear as i'm coming up on my 12 hour mark on my first brew's fermentation and im in the 70-75 range and have been kinda stressing about it.

First, on fermentation temp. Some yeasts can tolerate higher temps then others. I've had batches ferment in the high 80s-90s range and come out fine. I started with Cooper's kits which come with a very forgiving yeast. I went on to try a Trappist yeast, thinking temp didn't make much difference, and fermented same as usual. I got a bubble gum beer.

However, I've never heard of yeast causing a metallic or chlorine taste. Yeast can produce flavors of banana's, cloves, bubble gum, or rubbing alcohol. I've heard of over carbonation causing a metallic taste. Just as an experiment you may want to see if there is chlorine in your water or yeast. You can get some test strips at a pool store. It's hard to imagine that you could have enough chlorine in the water that you can taste it in the beer.

Are you using bleach for sanitizing?

wow i didnt realize that! i have been using tap water with it. i'llhave to change it up, thanks so much!

ya im gonna switch my cleaning water too. i've been using tap with the starsan. but as for fermentation, thats the temp of the beer not ambient. weve even resorted to a water bath for the carboy cause it gets a little warm in the summer in sacramento

Thanks everyone for the advice, i'll def change some things to see if it comes out better. I DO have another question though, One thing I have NEVER done is Secondary Fermentation. My beer is ALWAYS cloudy (obviously) and until now i never thought it would make a difference. could i possibly have some tiny hops fragments suspended in there that would give off this type of taste. I mean metallic/chlorine is the best way ican describe it but i dont even think that is RIGHT on ya know? anyway. could the secondary make that much of a difference? THANKS BREW BROS!

h4rdluck said:

pretty much all my beers ferment at 76-78 degress, because thats as cool as i can get them... They end up tasting fine.

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tasting fine, or tasting darn good? What kind of yeast are you using?

I made a brown last summer with 1056 and it fermented too warm (ambient temp probably in the upper 70s) and the beer tasted "fine" but wasn't great - a touch too much "hotness" flavor.