My last 3 batches have all had the same sour smell and taste to them. I have been brewing for about 6 months, and I have had some great successes doing extract and partial mashes.
Things that were different about these brews: 2 of them were AG recipes (1st tries at AG) that I got from Brewmasters warehouse, 1 was a kit from AHS. 2 were from the same yeast, which was also the first time I made a starter. the other batch was my first attempt at washing yeast. The 2 AG batches also used hops from hopsdirect that I bought in bulk. Also, these batches have been the first ones done in warmer weather, although my apartment isn't much warmer than it has been in the winter. About 72, but they stay in swamp coolers with ice during fermentation. Also I got 2 new cats since I last brewed.
2 of the batches were done in the same plastic fermenter bucket, and the other was done in a Better Bottle.
I think this is an infection somewhere in my process, but I have been sanitizing the same way as always, if not more so due to the first batch I had to dump. I doubled my sanitation after that.
The first beer was in the primary for 5+ weeks, but I sampled it at 2-3 weeks, and the flavor didn't change at all. The other two have both been over 3 weeks now as well. (I know it isn't going to be tasting great at that point. I am still a noobie, but not a total noob, and I have a pretty good idea of what things you should be tasting like at different stages along the process.)
So possibilities for what I think it might be:
Infection somewhere in my siphon tubing
My tap water has gotten more bugs in it since it is warmer (I top off all my batches with cold water, but have used significantly less for these 3 batches compared to my first several because of a larger boil volume)
The warmer temperature after fermentation has messed with something
Alluminum brew pot leaching flavors
My cats have put a curse on my beer
I really have no idea what is wrong with my process. I was going to attribute two of the bad batches to the bucket that they were in holding bacteria, but when another batch in a different fermenter was the same way that ruled that out. This is incredibly frustrating due to the fact that this will be 15 gallons worth of beer and a lot of money literally down the drain, and I can't go on brewing because I don't know the issue.
Any help would be appreciated. Ideas on what is wrong? Best course of action if that can't be figured out?
Things that were different about these brews: 2 of them were AG recipes (1st tries at AG) that I got from Brewmasters warehouse, 1 was a kit from AHS. 2 were from the same yeast, which was also the first time I made a starter. the other batch was my first attempt at washing yeast. The 2 AG batches also used hops from hopsdirect that I bought in bulk. Also, these batches have been the first ones done in warmer weather, although my apartment isn't much warmer than it has been in the winter. About 72, but they stay in swamp coolers with ice during fermentation. Also I got 2 new cats since I last brewed.
2 of the batches were done in the same plastic fermenter bucket, and the other was done in a Better Bottle.
I think this is an infection somewhere in my process, but I have been sanitizing the same way as always, if not more so due to the first batch I had to dump. I doubled my sanitation after that.
The first beer was in the primary for 5+ weeks, but I sampled it at 2-3 weeks, and the flavor didn't change at all. The other two have both been over 3 weeks now as well. (I know it isn't going to be tasting great at that point. I am still a noobie, but not a total noob, and I have a pretty good idea of what things you should be tasting like at different stages along the process.)
So possibilities for what I think it might be:
Infection somewhere in my siphon tubing
My tap water has gotten more bugs in it since it is warmer (I top off all my batches with cold water, but have used significantly less for these 3 batches compared to my first several because of a larger boil volume)
The warmer temperature after fermentation has messed with something
Alluminum brew pot leaching flavors
My cats have put a curse on my beer
I really have no idea what is wrong with my process. I was going to attribute two of the bad batches to the bucket that they were in holding bacteria, but when another batch in a different fermenter was the same way that ruled that out. This is incredibly frustrating due to the fact that this will be 15 gallons worth of beer and a lot of money literally down the drain, and I can't go on brewing because I don't know the issue.
Any help would be appreciated. Ideas on what is wrong? Best course of action if that can't be figured out?