This may be a fool's folly, but I'm trying to find out if someone can help me identify what's wrong with my ales. The first 4 all have it. It seems a little less noticible the more recent the beer. All were done within about 2 weeks of each other. If anything, it seems to be getting a little better with age, but not much. There's a flavor, that I don't like but can't describe. A couple of friends have tried it (I don't know any homebrewers except my local store). They can taste it, don't care for it but like me, can't describe it. I've searched numerous threads for "off flavors" and I dont' think it tastes like any of them... horse sweat, sour, butter, bitter, wet cardboard, medicine, band-aid, alcohol etc. It hits you on the finish.
The first two are kits from Northern Brewer and were brewed within a week of receiving, so I think it's safe to rule out old ingredients. All were liquid extract bought on different occasions. 3 from NB and one from my LHBS, a special order 33lb Breiss jug. All were golden malt except one had some maris otter as well. All were partial boils. I've only ever used Star-san for sanitation. One was on the stove. The rest on a propane burner. All were different strains of dry yeast (fresh Safeale or Wyeast) but one which was purchased local, Wyeast abbey and was only like 6 weeks old. I've since made some other beers that I don't detect the flavor. If all my beer will taste like this... I'll be looking for a new hobby. Also, the beer styles.... Karl's ninety shilling, Belgian Dubbel, Irish Red and a Strong Dark Ale. As you can see I prefer malty beers.
One reason I suspect partial boil is that the first batch I made, I didn't account for evaporation. Lost more than I expected. Using a 4 gallon pot, I'm guessing there may have been as little as 2.5 gallons of liquid at the end of the boil. I was careful in all cases to dissolve the extract off the burner. In at least one case, I dissolved the extract before heating. After the first brew, I tried to get as much water in the pot as possible. The last two, I would add a cup or so of water during the boil every few minutes... not enough to cool it down, but enough to replenish the evaporate.
Also, the first couple, I may have rushed the bottling a little but the last two were in the fermenter for a month to six weeks. Could this be the lees? I've had commercial ales that are bottle conditioned, on lees and love them... I don't taste anything "off." However, I don't cold crash and maybe I have excess lees? I haven't noticed any huge amounts of sediment or anything.
I don't have great temp control, but my house is a constant 74F. Since I've stuck with Safeale 05, and 04 and Wyeast's Abbaye ale for dry and a belgian dubbel liquid, I wouldn't think that temperature would be a huge concern.
I did take a bottle of my Karl's ninety to my lhbs. A few people tried it. No one said anything bad about it, but the clerk swears it's how its supposed to taste. I don't buy it. When pressed for more input, he acted like he didn't want to be bothered. The other people who tasted it kept silent. I think they were just being kind. It was obvious they didn't care for it.
I know it's hard to advise without being able to taste it, but I'm hoping someone will have had a similar experience and can enlighten me?