Plastic off flavor

My last 2 beers have both tasted like plastic and have had no malt flavor. The first was an American wheat and the second was a SMaSH Maris otter/Amarillo. Both were fermented in a temp controlled fermenter. Pitched at 65 F and free rise to 68 until completed. Diacetyl rest at 72 then kegged. I do full volume BIAB mash. First beer was brewed 100% tap water charcoal filtered (which I have brewed with before no problem). The second I used roughly half RO half charcoal filtered tap water. I did use the same yeast repitched from a previous pale ale in both batches. I was wondering if bad yeast or maybe over pitching could cause this problem.

 

Try all RO or use some campten in your water, sounds like you have a chloramine issue.

 

Maybe your water supply switched from Chlorine to Chloramines... Do you use campden? I find a charcoal filter sometimes isn't enough.

 

I'm sure the comments about campden is sufficient, however, the only time I had plastic taste in my brews came when I tried to repitch. I did a big starter on the first batch (I think that's where I had issues) and the first batch was okay, but when I repitched - those beers had serious plastic. In going back I found a light plastic in the first batch. Just my experience. I only use water from a water company down the street, never had an issue.

 

Carbon filters require 6 minute contact with the water to remove chlorine. Chloramine jumps to 22 minutes. If your carbon filter is a quart capacity and you are drawing water faster than 1qt/6min you are not really removing chlorine.

 

Wow Hermit that is nice to know. I do run it slow but not that slow. I will definitely try that this weekend.

 

Should I even be wasting my time with charcoal filter/Campden or should I just be spending the $2.50/10 gal RO water?

 

I asked myself the same question and bough some water jugs. 39 cents a gallon to know exactly what your brewing with should be worth that extra 4$ a batch i believe.

 

I just buy my water. It's easier to add what you want than remove what you don't.

 

I get my water from a Polar Pure brand dispenser at the local Rite-Aid, and the results have always been good. I'm on a well that has pretty high iron content, so there is no choice but to buy water. The only time I've had off flavors (band-aid/plastic) was when I got my water from the dispenser at Winco, which doesn't have near the filtration of the PP setup. Also, I let my water jugs sit in the sun for a few days before use. Sunlight destroys chlorine and chlorine compounds. It's the reason why you have to add cyanuric acid to your swimming pool or spend a ton of $$ keeping the chlorine levels up.

 

I've been getting my water from the refillable kiosk at wal-mart. Forget what it's called but it works great. $.37 a gallon.

 

Hi: Sounds like you got a wild yeast strain in there. I had that happen once and the taste was "phenolic". Charlie Papazian and others thought it was a wild, airborne yeast. I would recommend getting rid of your strain, thoroughly clean everything and start over.