Plastic carboy: plasticy taste?

[hobohrau]

So I just finished bottling a pumpkin spice porter (from a kit) and I realized that I may have done something stupid. I'm trying to RDWHAHB, but I can't help but think I've tainted a whole batch.

I was at my LHBS and I got a plastic 6 gallon carboy (you know, before I discovered the dissenting opinion that secondaries are not all they're cracked up to be). Anyways, I guess in my eagerness to try it out, I grabbed it, threw in iodophor, sanitized it, and transferred my beer to it. (2 weeks in primary, 1.5 weeks in secondary)

Today, when I was transferring the brew to the bottling bucket I took a whiff and I get plastic smell. Now, I'm not sure why I didn't realize that a new plastic thing wouldn't reek of plastic, but I'm really hoping I didn't just screw up big time by adding a plastic taste to a beer that already has a lot of intense flavors.

I took a sip of the unprimed stuff left over at the bottom and it seemed like a sharp plasticy taste, but maybe that's just because the spice mix settled out and was down there (the spice mix had cinnamon, allspice, ginger, pumpkin flavoring) and so it maybe was just the green beer taste mixed with the intense flavor? I saw some threads about plastic taste but I figured food grade plastic wouldn't leech that smell. At the very least it won't make me go blind, right?

 

[Pimpfoot]

Phenolics can cause a range of smells from cloves to what some would call a "plasticy" smell. What was the recipe you used? what temperature did you ferment at? was the temperature constant? What yeast? My guess is you didnt have perfect yeast health and it caused some crazy smells. These should go away with aging. so let it sit for a while, keep tasting small amounts every few weeks or so. And if you bought a plastic carboy at your LHBS then its probably food grade (betterbottle ect) and it shouldnt have any discernable affect on your beer. Recently a good friend of mine did a Leffe that ended up with a real mediciney taste to it. after some research he found that he hadnt pitched large enough and the yeast health had suffered from it. After letting it sit for a month or two the off taste is almost completely gone and he's ended up with a dam fine beer.

 

[hobohrau]

I'll have to get back to you on the recipe -- since it was from a kit it's a bit hard to discern some of these things. I think next time around I will be actually buying ingredients a la carte to actually put together a recipe.

The yeast health could be an issue -- the AC had some issues for a few hot days and even though the basement stays pretty cool, it may have gotten up to the high 70s for a few days while the AC was out (I really should hang a thermometer down there).

I know with my previous batch I made the mistake of tasting it way too early and it had some very rough/sharp flavors that really mellowed out with time, I'm hoping the same is true for this ...

 

[Diver165]

What kind of plastic carboy? Was it a PET bottle like a Better Bottle? Ive brewed beer, cider and wine in my BB and have never had a plastic smell/taste. Could you be smelling the plastic stopper or airlock?

Go blind? I doubt it. But your wiener may fall off. But look on the bright side .... You'll be able to see it hit the floor!!

 

[schweaty]

I've been using Better Bottles for nearly 2 years now and the only reason I used to get plastic like taste in my beers was the chlorine/chloramine in the water. I started using campden tablets and kissed that problem goodbye.

 

[hobohrau]

Yes, I believe that the guy at the LHBS said it was a PET carboy. Maybe it is the stopper that I was smelling -- it was brand new so it was very stinky but the beer didn't slosh against it or anything so I should be OK on that front ...

Interesting about the campden tablets ... I ran all the brewing water through brita filters so I'm hoping that took out a lot of the chlorine smells. I'm guessing those campden tablets don't add any kind of taste/chemistry to the water?

haha, I like the wiener comment ... well played, sir.

 

[cheezydemon3]

You are looking for a 5 in the recycling triangle for ANYTHING that contacts your beer that is plastic.

I believe I soakesd mine in HOT water before using, but I can't remember.

No plastic taste ever.

*and secondary is not BAD, I still do it if I don't have time to bottle but want to brew another batch*