Off flavor - help identifying?

[pernox]

So I've had an off flavor show up in a couple batches so far. I'm having a hard time diagnosing it, because I can't describe it very well.

The best I can describe it is as follows...

At the bottom of a keg, I find a brown mass of snotty crap plastered to the "bowl." It has an odor if you let the keg sit around a few days, and that odor is similar to the odor/flavor that I've got going now in this particular batch of beer.

Here's the weird thing, to me: The off flavor lessens as I go through a pint. I've tested it a few times to make sure I wasn't just getting used to it, by pouring a small glass, taking a few sips, letting it set for five minutes and coming back, then immediately pouring another glass. It's definitely dissipating as the beer sits around on the counter.

It's a brown ale, and is otherwise pretty good. The body's a little lighter than I wanted it to be, but it's a good sessionable brew that goes with everything.

Brewed: 6/25
8.5lbs pale malt
1lb C60
8oz Chocolate malt
Mash154*
75m boil
.75oz Centennial @60
1oz Tettnanger @30
1oz Tettnanger @15

Cooled to 55* (oops)
Pitched 1pk Nottingham, used swamp cooler to control temp
OG 1.053

7/1 - Gravity down to 1.015, removed from swamp cooler to let yeast finish doing their thing.

7/16 - Kegged on top of gelatin finings

Pretty quick turnaround, now that I really look at it.

...Did I just turn this over too fast? I've got a Pale Ale recipe that's similar in gravity that I get from grain to glass in three weeks, and it does well. Any advice would be very much appreciated!

 

[homebrewer_99]

It really doesn't lesson...you just get adjusted to it...

Anyway, try these sites to ID your problem:

http://www.winning-homebrew.com/off-flavors.html

and

http://www.brews.com/home-brewing-101/common-homebrew-off-flavors-and-aromas/

 

[robtotten]

Could it be yeast?

 

[WillPall]

It really doesn't lesson...you just get adjusted to it...

^ Yes

Describe this off flavor you're having. All we have to go on is the fact that you're experiencing it.

 

[samc]

The best I can describe it is as follows...

At the bottom of a keg, I find a brown mass of snotty crap plastered to the "bowl." It has an odor if you let the keg sit around a few days, and that odor is similar to the odor/flavor that I've got going now in this particular batch of beer.

Sanitation


I feel nauseous thinking about leaving an empty keg lying around for a few days. Not sure how you can drink something that has that flavor/odor?

read http://www.howtobrew.com/section4/chapter21-2.html and see if it can help you identify that flavor.

 

[SwampassJ]

So I've had an off flavor show up in a couple batches so far. I'm having a hard time diagnosing it, because I can't describe it very well.

Pitched 1pk Nottingham

Did all of these off flavor batches use nottingham? After spending a month trying to age it out and trouble shoot a few different beers by using different grains, different water and different hops and ferment times/temps I zoned in on one similarity between them. Nottingham.

Turns out I am the only person who can taste the strange tongue sucking dryness/tartness in the beer, my friends love it and want more. You might just be sensitive to some by product of nottingham like I am.

 

[TipsyDragon]

i cant help but notice there was no mention of a fermentation temperature. fermentation temp can affect taste. also after 3 weeks the beer may be done fermenting but it is still green. leave it at room temp at pressure for another 3 weeks.

 

[pernox]

Thanks for the replies!

Could it be yeast?

It has none of the qualities of yeast that I have ever experienced..

Sanitation


I feel nauseous thinking about leaving an empty keg lying around for a few days. Not sure how you can drink something that has that flavor/odor?

read http://www.howtobrew.com/section4/chapter21-2.html and see if it can help you identify that flavor.

It's not strong, otherwise it would be cooking beer. =)

I've read a few "identify your off-taste" threads, posts, and sites.. I just don't have something that matches precisely what I'm tasting. If I have a weak link in my sanitation process, it would probably be my siphon tube, but I've siphoned other beers with it that taste great.

Did all of these off flavor batches use nottingham? After spending a month trying to age it out and trouble shoot a few different beers by using different grains, different water and different hops and ferment times/temps I zoned in on one similarity between them. Nottingham.

Turns out I am the only person who can taste the strange tongue sucking dryness/tartness in the beer, my friends love it and want more. You might just be sensitive to some by product of nottingham like I am.

Actually, yes. I have used Nottingham without getting the funky flavor, but it is a common thread in the beers that have acquired the off-taste.

i cant help but notice there was no mention of a fermentation temperature. fermentation temp can affect taste. also after 3 weeks the beer may be done fermenting but it is still green. leave it at room temp at pressure for another 3 weeks.

I can't hold a precise temperature as I'm using a swamp cooler, but I tried to keep the water bath temperature between 62-68*F - it got up to 71 overnight once, but that's as bad as it got.

Thanks again for the group wisdom.

 

[ArcaneXor]

Well, my beer remnants in uncleaned bottles go through an aroma progression of sherry to cardboard to malt vinegar. The first two indicate oxidation, the latter acetobacter.

 

[SwampassJ]

Take some of the "off" flavor beers to friends and ask them if they taste it and then ask what they taste. Don't put any words into their mouth about sharpness or bitterness or tartness. ps. The beers I tasted it in I just pitched the dry yeast straight into the carboy.

 

[pernox]

Take some of the "off" flavor beers to friends and ask them if they taste it and then ask what they taste. Don't put any words into their mouth about sharpness or bitterness or tartness. ps. The beers I tasted it in I just pitched the dry yeast straight into the carboy.

I think I owe you a beer, man. I've used US-05 in my last few batches, and have none of this off flavor.

I just cracked a keg of an Irish Red and it has it, though very slight. I pitched two cups of slurry from a batch that was fermented with... You guessed it - NOTTY!



I think my Nottingham days are over.

-edit- Also worth noting, the only beer buddy I have could not identify any off flavors in the beers I gave him with Nottingham. Many thanks, again.

 

[Conehead]

I agree with the Nottingham thread. I experienced the same thing the last few brews. I changed to US-O5 and the funny taste went away. I will never use Nott again.

 

[SwampassJ]

I think I owe you a beer, man. I've used US-05 in my last few batches, and have none of this off flavor.

I just cracked a keg of an Irish Red and it has it, though very slight. I pitched two cups of slurry from a batch that was fermented with... You guessed it - NOTTY!



I think my Nottingham days are over.

-edit- Also worth noting, the only beer buddy I have could not identify any off flavors in the beers I gave him with Nottingham. Many thanks, again.

You have no idea how much of a pain in the ass it was trying to figure out why my beer tasted bad to me and only me. I changed grains, changed sparge amounts, changed boil volume and time, changed hops, changed priming sugar to dme etc, changed water from one bottled company to another. In the end only thing I didn't do different was the yeast, both bought at the same time. Both had 48-72hour lag times.

And in the end I didn't like the taste, everyone else loved it. I found a bottle of IPA in the fridge after about 3 months and poured only first half of beer to test it and be sure I left all the yeast I could behind. I could still taste it just as much as fresh. I can say I will never try nottingham again because I know I don't like the taste.