casesensative
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- Joined
- Jan 29, 2013
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So ever since I began brewing at the very beginning of this year, I have had a weird off taste in all of my beers. I've been chalking it up to something in my process and just being new to brewing this whole time, until now. While working on my 7th and 8th batch of brew I finally found the source of my off flavors. First let me say that the main off flavor I've been experiencing is a very astringent, almost household cleaner like off flavor. I should also state that before this 7th and 8th batch I've been using plastic fermenters, but have now switched to glass on my last two brews.
Well, a few days before brewing the 7th and 8th batch of beer I revamped my brew closet. I moved out some things from the closet, made it strictly a brew closet for the most part, and put some of the miscellaneous stuff in a different closet in the house.
A couple days later I walk into the closet where I had put some other things and BAM! it hit me like a ton of bricks. I smelled the terrible aroma and foul off taste that has been haunting my beers. I searched for the source of the smell and in a utility bag that had been in the closet was an unopened can of fiberglass resin (bondo) that wreaked to high heavens. Had the whole closet stinking in just 2 days.
So, I think what had happened was my plastic fermenter tops did not have a tight seal and was absorbing the god awful smell of the bondo.
The first 2 batches or so I think the lids had a tighter seal because it was not as apparent, but it had gotten stronger with every new batch, and the 6th batch that I brewed and bottled just the other day has a VERY strong taste and smell of bondo. It's pretty terrible.
I have no idea as to whether or not the aroma/taste will fade or if it's even safe to drink even if it does....any thoughts?
Also, one other thing I think may have been contributing to any off flavor would be an older grain bag I had. I used it on the 7th batch (one i brewed just the other day), and it had a very strange smell to it. Smelled like maybe I'd left it in iodophor too long one time. Kind of a sour idione mixed with sweet grain sorta stink. I figured I would be boiling it anyway so it really wouldn't matter but as soon as i started boiling it the smell started to really come on strong out of the pot. I kept boiling it for about 10 minutes, but it kept stinking and I took it out (it had a small dose of hops in it.) I let the boil finish it's last 15 minutes, but I swear that even when it was finished it still had a residual smell to it from the bag.
I'm hoping that it might just be my imagination and it won't affect the beer, or that fermentation and time will make it fade, but we'll have to see on that one.
I've since tossed that bag, and another one I had that had a similar scent on it.
Any thoughts on the fiberglass flavored beer?
Well, a few days before brewing the 7th and 8th batch of beer I revamped my brew closet. I moved out some things from the closet, made it strictly a brew closet for the most part, and put some of the miscellaneous stuff in a different closet in the house.
A couple days later I walk into the closet where I had put some other things and BAM! it hit me like a ton of bricks. I smelled the terrible aroma and foul off taste that has been haunting my beers. I searched for the source of the smell and in a utility bag that had been in the closet was an unopened can of fiberglass resin (bondo) that wreaked to high heavens. Had the whole closet stinking in just 2 days.
So, I think what had happened was my plastic fermenter tops did not have a tight seal and was absorbing the god awful smell of the bondo.
The first 2 batches or so I think the lids had a tighter seal because it was not as apparent, but it had gotten stronger with every new batch, and the 6th batch that I brewed and bottled just the other day has a VERY strong taste and smell of bondo. It's pretty terrible.
I have no idea as to whether or not the aroma/taste will fade or if it's even safe to drink even if it does....any thoughts?
Also, one other thing I think may have been contributing to any off flavor would be an older grain bag I had. I used it on the 7th batch (one i brewed just the other day), and it had a very strange smell to it. Smelled like maybe I'd left it in iodophor too long one time. Kind of a sour idione mixed with sweet grain sorta stink. I figured I would be boiling it anyway so it really wouldn't matter but as soon as i started boiling it the smell started to really come on strong out of the pot. I kept boiling it for about 10 minutes, but it kept stinking and I took it out (it had a small dose of hops in it.) I let the boil finish it's last 15 minutes, but I swear that even when it was finished it still had a residual smell to it from the bag.
I'm hoping that it might just be my imagination and it won't affect the beer, or that fermentation and time will make it fade, but we'll have to see on that one.
I've since tossed that bag, and another one I had that had a similar scent on it.
Any thoughts on the fiberglass flavored beer?
