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Off-flavor from over carbonation?

Discussion in 'Bottling/Kegging' started by deadcactus, Dec 29, 2010.

 

  1. #1
    deadcactus

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Dec 29, 2010
    Can over-carbonation lead to an off-flavor and aroma? I've had an off-flavor arise since kegging a batch and the only two sources I can come up with are over-carbonation or oxidation.
     
  2. #2
    Suthrncomfrt1884

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Dec 29, 2010
    Can you give us some more info on how you carbonated it? If you used the 30psi method, I wouldn't be suprised if it's overcarbed.

    Overcarbonation can lead to a bitter, puckering type of flavor. It's from too much carbonic acid in the beer. You should be able to figure it out pretty easily by letting the beer warm up, and releasing all the CO2. Then hook it back up to the tank and set the gauge at around 12-15psi depending on your fridge temp.

    After a week or so, it should be better if it was overcarbonation.
     
  3. #3
    deadcactus

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Dec 29, 2010
    I didn't have my CO2 tanks or a temperature controller yet so I decided to use priming sugar and let it naturally condition in the keg for a few weeks while I got the rest of the kegging equipment together. When everything was set up, I hooked up the keg and let it come to 40F at 11 psi.

    When I poured, I got all foam and the beer had the off-taste flavor I was talking about. I dropped the serving pressure to 5 psi before I could finally get a decent pour but it still had the off flavor and smell.

    I released all of the carbonation in the tank and re-set the serving pressure to 8 psi last night, but no luck. It might possible be slightly better, but I can't say either way for sure.

    I'll try letting it warm to room temperature and releasing the CO2 and see if that helps...
     
  4. #4
    Nuggethead

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Dec 29, 2010
    I left a keg on pressure at 15 psi for three weeks, degassed it to 12psi and tapped it. It was very acidic and undrinkable. I turned the reg down to 8 psi and degassed several times a day until the pressure leveled out at 8 psi. Then slowly raised it back to 10.5 psi and after about 5 days the acidic taste was gone and the beer was great. I was set at 38F.
     
  5. #5
    malkore

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Dec 29, 2010
    1. please DESCRIBE the off flavor. There's over a dozen off-flavors in beer ranging from bad recipe formulation to infection to acidic bite from over carbing... to 'yeasty' which a sugar primed keg's first few pints would likely exhibit.

    Also, how long is your tap line? 11psi is going to need up to 8 feet of 3/16" tap line to balance the pressure, and if you primed the keg with 5oz of sugar, it was overprimed and thus over carbed leading to even more foam when dispensing.

    Don't worry...keg beers are a lot easier to 'fix' since you can manipulate the psi...unlike bottles.
     
  6. #6
    deadcactus

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Dec 31, 2010
    Tried tasting it again just now after letting it degas for 24 hours. Same flavor and taste. Paid a little more attention to how it tasted and it's a bitterness to the back and sides of the tongue. Wet cardboard seems a pretty apt description which makes me think it is indeed oxidations. Not sure though as I haven't tasted many off flavors and didn't have wet cardboard on hand to compare it to...
     
  7. #7
    Steven9026

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Feb 16, 2011
    What did you determine as the cause to your off flavor?
     
  8. #8
    deadcactus

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Feb 17, 2011
    Never was certain, but ultimately chalked it up to oxidation. Flavor never went away with de-carbonization and the wet cardboard description of the flavor just seemed to spot on to be something else.
     
  9. #9
    frittsbier

    Member

    Posted May 5, 2016
    Did you ever determine a solution - 5 years later? Haha.

    I'm having the same issue and also may be convinced it's oxidation or carbonic acid, but I think I take proper steps to avoid both of those potential problems.
     
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