Is my equipment infected?

[mattsearle]

I brewed an IPA a few months ago and it was ok but had an odd harshness to it, almost a harsh bitterness and unpleasant. I put it down my recipe or something and thought I'd brew a pale ale to tone own the bitterness and gradually work up in case my IPA was just too high in IBUs.

So I brewed the pale ale a couple of weeks ago and kegged it tonight. I took a sample and tasted it and it is undrinkable, with an absolutely awful harsh bitterness almost like chewing on hop pellets that are way past their best. The IBUs should be way down on the last one but the harshness is easily 5 times as bad as before, so I do not believe that it's the recipe.

Any searches for "off flavours" or whatever yield the usual suspects, but it's not diacetyl or anything so none of them are helping me diagnose the issue.

I've brewed great IPAs and pale ales in the past with the same water and everything, so I'm wondering if my plastic fermenter or silicon hose could be harbouring some nasties possibly?

Thanks in advance.

 

[brick_haus]

Brings back memories from my days in Japan... My equipment got infected too.

 

[mattsearle]

Brings back memories from my days in Japan... My equipment got infected too.

Would you say that you had a similar flavour? It's a difficult flavour to describe and I don't want to use "bitterness" as people assume it's from the hops I think?

Did you get rid of all the plastics? I assume the stainless should be ok?

Thanks

 

[bucketnative]

Would you say that you had a similar flavour? It's a difficult flavour to describe and I don't want to use "bitterness" as people assume it's from the hops I think?

Did you get rid of all the plastics? I assume the stainless should be ok?

Thanks

I'm wondering if you're missing a bit of humor in his response?

 

[yeahfairly]

LOL..... Nothing more irritating than a pesky NGU infection in your silicon hose!!!!

 

[kcinpdx]

I would consider the following:
1. Tannins. Check your sparge temps, hop type, and consider pellet vs cone
2. Water. Municipal water can change seasonally.
3. Sanitizer- what type? Awe you using the right proportions?
4. And of course an infection. Try a different fermenter next go around.

 

[mattsearle]

I'm wondering if you're missing a bit of humor in his response?

Haha oops!