fezzman
Well-Known Member
The first two years of my brewing (extract) went without a hitch. Then something went wrong and I can't brew a batch without an off flavor to save my life. I have systematically replaced nearly all of my brewing equipment and have tried 3 different sanitizers. I have even switched to kegging just in case if the problem came from my bottling. I quit taking gravity samples to eliminate that step. I just don't get it and am quite discouraged. My hours have been cut at work and I have the joy of a 6 week furlough in my future so if I can't brew decent, I can't afford to brew at all anymore.
Visually my beer looks fine in the fermenters, never any crud floating on the surface. I can sometimes detect the off flavor even before carbonation. In some of the batches it almost appears as though there is a bit of surface tension when I swirl them around (after carbonation) but that may just be in my head.
I have replaced my primary fermenter (Ale Pail) with one that didn't have a spigot, replaced my hoses, airlocks. grain bags, even my spoon. The only things I've not replaced are my autosiphon, secondary glass carboy and bung, and my brew pot (Princess House stainless). I started with One Step, then Idophor, and now use Star San. I have used both tap water and bottled spring water.
I have a hard time placing a name to the flavor. Perhaps a slick, sickly metallic that lingers on the breath and back of the throat. Then I saw this thread and I started to wonder...
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/star-san-bad-corny-102691/
Is it possible that my flavor is actually coming from the stainless in my brewpot? I always just wash it out with soap and water, nothing more. Once a year my wife makes peanut butter balls and oreo balls using this pot. Could that in any way have ruined the pot?
Sorry for the long thread...kinda bummed.
Anybody in central Florida care to taste some crap? j/k
Visually my beer looks fine in the fermenters, never any crud floating on the surface. I can sometimes detect the off flavor even before carbonation. In some of the batches it almost appears as though there is a bit of surface tension when I swirl them around (after carbonation) but that may just be in my head.
I have replaced my primary fermenter (Ale Pail) with one that didn't have a spigot, replaced my hoses, airlocks. grain bags, even my spoon. The only things I've not replaced are my autosiphon, secondary glass carboy and bung, and my brew pot (Princess House stainless). I started with One Step, then Idophor, and now use Star San. I have used both tap water and bottled spring water.
I have a hard time placing a name to the flavor. Perhaps a slick, sickly metallic that lingers on the breath and back of the throat. Then I saw this thread and I started to wonder...
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/star-san-bad-corny-102691/
Is it possible that my flavor is actually coming from the stainless in my brewpot? I always just wash it out with soap and water, nothing more. Once a year my wife makes peanut butter balls and oreo balls using this pot. Could that in any way have ruined the pot?
Sorry for the long thread...kinda bummed.
Anybody in central Florida care to taste some crap? j/k