Strawberry problems

[mhot55]

I have now used strawberries 2 times. One fresh in a blonde ale, another puree (vintner's) in a mead. The ale was infected- gushers- but also had a very strong plastic smell & taste (I even let it sit for 6 months- got worse). The mead- only 2 months old, 1 month with the strawberries- has the same strong plastic smell & taste. I understand the mead is young (still tastes like rocket fuel), but I am worried.
Yes the ale was in a bucket (primary), no the mead was not. As for equipment, anything made prior or after uses the same equipment and is fine. After reading up on the plastic taste/smell after the ale failed, i figured my water might have been the issue, so since i have added 1/4 tab campden tablets to my water- haven't had a problem since, except for the mead, which interestingly enough has strawberries.
Anyone have thoughts, ideas? Is this commonplace with strawberries? Could they emit some compound while fermenting if conditions warrant that tastes/ smells like plastic? I may be simplifying things, but I am pegging the strawberries as the culprit.

 

[Oldsock]

Wild yeasts are often big phenol producers, which could certainly have led to the plastic flavor in the first batch. That doesn't explain the mead though, the vintners blend should have been clean, and mead is strong enough that not much would. Never brewed with strawberries, but I’ve had a one or two decent strawberry beers (for the most part they use strawberry extract though since it is such a delicate flavor).

It might just be the power of suggestion (I once convinced myself I had infected a Scottish 60 with Blue Cheese since I was eating some right before bottling it), give the mead another few months before you get too worried… sorry I got nothing. Good luck, hope it improves with time.