Stabilizing = Off Flavors/texture

[IJesusChrist]

Hi Everyone,

I hope this sub-forum is a good choice for the topic.

I've made some mead and cyser recently. I won't go into the whole ingredients list, unless someone asks but here is the situation:

After about 2 weeks of fermentation, the FG was hit (~1.000). I tasted both the Cyser and the mead (BOMM for those familiar), and although the cyser was bland (as dry ciders tend to be), the BOMM was a delicate white wine flavor. Nearly drinkable, but had too much bread/yeast flavor. There were no signs of worrisome off flavors, and the texture was great.

I added super kleer, at day 14, and both cleared significantly at day 17. On day 17, I racked both off the lees and trub on to
~1/2 tsp Na metabisulfite ~2.5 tsp K sorbate per 5 gallons.

I've tasted 24 hours after both treatments, and the taste is not good:
1. There is a prickley-ness on the tongue, like small needles. It doesn't hurt, but stings and is noticeable.
2. After swallowing, and no flavor remains, there seems to be a 'coat' across the tongue, the same feeling after burning the mouth after biting something hot - it seems the drink is killing my taste buds?
3. There is a very slight sour taste that wasn't present before, almost pungent but not quite. It's very faint, but unfavorable completely, almost puke-smelling.

Is there any thoughts on this at all? This seems to be present in quite a few of my finished brews now and I think I can finally point the finger at my stabilizing agents (or the superkleer?!), but I have no idea how to make sense of it.

My first idea is to see if anyone else tastes this or if I'm an anomaly.
Beyond that, I'm unsure. ANY HELP IS APPRECIATED as I'm afraid to brew until this is resolved!

 

[Yooper]

At 1.000, the cyser and mead would not have been done fermenting. It should go to .990-.994 or so.

Sorbate does have a flavor, but it sounds more like you're tasting residual c02 and not the sorbate. My guess is that since it wasn't done fermenting, and that it was cleared with finings, that fermentation is/was trying to restart and was struggling along. That would produce some c02.

You could try taking a very small sample, and stirring it to degas and then taste and see if it improves. C02 has a bite and is acidic, and that could be where the sour and prickly flavor and sensation is coming from.

Adding finings to a 16 day old mead that isn't even quite done fermenting is definitely rushing it!

Stressed yeast can produce off flavors and I wonder if that is where the "vomit" smell is coming from.

 

[IJesusChrist]

Although I doubt this is just CO2, I can try and degas. I do tend to degas my samples by swirling before I drink them anyway.

They were done fermenting at 1.000 - it stayed there for 3 days before I added clearing/stabilizers.

 

[IJesusChrist]

Still need some help. Its definitely not CO2. I degassed my entire batch quite completely until the airlock gave no more signal of any escaping CO2. I quickly removed a small amount to taste with a turkey baster.

The stuff coats my mouth, leaving a film. It feels as if I burnt my mouth with hot soup earlier in the day - as if the top layer of skin is dead (but I'm hoping that its just a coat of something).

I believe that either
1. the SuperKleer for some reason has not completely crashed out, and either the chitosan or kiesol remains, and is giving the coated feel
or
2. That I'm allergic/sensitive to either sorbate or metabisulfite, but I've heard both of these don't last long in solution (its been >72 hours since I've added them.

I've tasted some meads which I used the same stabilizers, and same clarifying agents that are ~6 months old and I still can taste/feel this.

My last idea is to add a different fining agent - sparkalloid - and/or cold crash and hope that removes this.