Aftertaste in all of my beers

[RedIrocZ-28]

I have searched and read lots of threads about certain off tastes in beers but I can't seem to figure out if I have heavy alcohols or extract twang, DMS, or something else.

What would lead me to believe its not heavy alcohols is that the taste will subside almost entirely if I let the beer sit for 10-15 minutes before I drink it. The same for the extract twang, the off taste in the aftertaste is just about completely gone if the beer sits and gets nearer to room temp. What also helps is getting it to fizz a little by swishing it around and letting a head form and subside again after the initial head from the pour has subsided. Reminds me of the way Saison Dupont tastes "hollow" until the head has completely subsided, same concept... not the same taste though.

Its extremely disheartening to have every beer come out this way where you just simply have to let it sit and swish it around for that weird off taste to go away. So I would really like to know if anyone can point me in the right direction to correct this.

Background so far on the beers:

All are extract.

I use 1/2 tap water and 1/2 bottled water. (Not RO/DI or RO or DI for the tap water, bottled... ??? not sure) The tap water is 7.2pH, low levels of Nitrates and Nitrites (less than 20ppm), a little bit toward bordering on the hard side of kh and gh, lower end of the spectrum on both. Not sure if the local municipality uses chlorine or chloramines.

English Pale Ale: has been bottled for almost 8 weeks at room temp, chilled 30 minutes and then served. Off aftertaste until above remedy.

Cream Ale: bottled 7 weeks, chilled 30 minutes then served. Off aftertaste, same remedy.

Vanilla Porter: Bottled 2 1/2 weeks, chilled 30 minutes. Same...

Do I need to cold condition for a few weeks in the fridge before I crack these open?? Now, don't get me wrong, this all tastes like beer, not Great beer but beer and its very drinkable, and most people don't even notice this taste but I do, or at least no one says anything about it....

??

 

[ifishsum]

What kind of extract do you use - Canned, bulk liquid or dry? Partial or full boil? What about yeast? Same with each batch? What temps do you ferment at?

When I had a similar problem with the first few batches I made (Mr. Beer kits), I changed several things about my brewing and I switched to 5 gallon batches from scratch and I no longer get any of the off flavors. Since I changed multiple things at around the same time It's hard to point at one thing that I'm sure made the difference, but I believe that high fermentation temperatures were the biggest culprit. It was summertime then, and difficult to find a place in the house below 75* but the 2-3 batches I fermented in my air conditioned bedroom at 68* were significantly better. Now that the weather is cooler I use a spare bathroom that stays at 60-65.

Some yeasts are more tolerant of higher temps than others so that can make a difference as well. At higher temps they can produce esters that may not be pleasant to your taste buds. Safale US-05 has made good beer for me even when the temps were in the 70* range so it might be worth a try.

DMS shouldn't be a problem with extract because it would be boiled off during the manufacturing process. Extract twang is a possibility, if you're using canned LME you could try using dry extract or fresh bulk LME and see if it improves things. You could also try a late extract addition technique.

 

[Flattop]

There are a lot of posts about HB twang.... basically it's a variety of factors, Ifish summed it up, sugars, Temps, extracts and yeast. Shelf life also helps. I wonder if when you pour you are getting the yeast cake from the bottle into the beer?

 

[RedIrocZ-28]

Using Brewers Best Kits with either Steeping grains, LME and DME, or just LME and DME. The LME is the kind in the Orange cans, not sure of the name off hand. The place I buy the kits from says they easily sell out of whats on the shelf on a weekly basis so they claim their kits are as fresh as possible. The yeast is always the same, a pack of Dry Nottingham. Ferment temps are normally 70*, sometimes up to 73* but not if I can help it. I do partial boils as I only have a 5gal SS stockpot. The only thing is I usually use a bit more water for the boil than the instructions call for so I may be getting higher hops utilization but the beers don't ever taste hoppy. I think that I may do a dual boil from now on since I have acquired another stock pot that should accomodate the rest of the wort. The only issue will be cooling of a full 5 gallons of wort vs. 3. It will take a little longer.

I may do this next time. Or I may move to a Partial Mash then to AG just to rid myself of this entirely.

Thanks for the response.

 

[RedIrocZ-28]

I wonder if when you pour you are getting the yeast cake from the bottle into the beer?

I know this is not a factor, I am VERY careful to make sure the bottles have not been jarred at all before the pour and I always leave at least 1/2" in the bottom, as well as doing a slow pour.

Good tip for those that aren't as careful as I am though!

 

[MajorTom]

Is the aftertaste very apparent in your burps after you swallow or while drinking the beer? It could be chlorine. I chased this problem in my beer for a while. Sometimes it would be there and sometimes not. I think my water supply (tap) had higher chlorine levels at some times than others. Anyway, I started using bottled spring water and problem solved...

 

[Surly]

Is the aftertaste very apparent in your burps after you swallow or while drinking the beer? It could be chlorine. I chased this problem in my beer for a while. Sometimes it would be there and sometimes not. I think my water supply (tap) had higher chlorine levels at some times than others. Anyway, I started using bottled spring water and problem solved...

Interesting. Would Camden tablets help?

 

[DeathBrewer]

yeah, i'd check your water. i ran into problems with my water and now i use nothing but bottled water (the big jugs you can refill at the grocery) at my friends house and i purchased a very nice filter for home use.

 

[SourHopHead]

My last 2 have had the "Band-Aid" taste and I have changed equipment and water. I am still troubleshooting, but change one thing at a time from now on.

 

[RedIrocZ-28]

What is this band-aid taste people refer to? I have never understood it. If its what it would be like to lick a bandaid... I guess I'll try it lol. In the interest of making better beer of course! *ahem*

 

[DeathBrewer]

just make sure it's a CLEAN band-aid. don't pick one up off the street.

 

[RedIrocZ-28]

Haha DB, I don't know that I have had to use a bandaid in quite some time. I am pretty accident free, no used bandaids laying around for me to do the lick-test to.

That said, I should note that I have had the exact same taste, in exactly the same concentration since my first brew which was all tap water., just remembered this little tidbit. One would think that it would be stronger in the first brew.

I am actually leaning toward it being higher fermentation temps.

But I am totally going to lick a bandaid. lol

 

[ifishsum]

Boiling the water removes chlorine, but not bad tastes. If your water tastes fine you should be okay there (except for the chlorine). I use tap water for the mash and boil, but my top-off water is always bottled.

campden tablets also remove chlorine I understand.

 

[BierMuncher]

A 30-minute chill is likely the culprit.

A fully carbonated bottle of fresh beer needs a longer chill period for the CO2 to "mature" into the liquid.

Especially if degassing the beer solves the taste problems...try chilling a bottle for 1 week or more and then tasting.

I never crash-chill a bottle for enjoyment. I always move my serving beers into the chiller 7-10 days ahead of time.

PS - There really needs to be a druck version of spell checker....

 

[DeathBrewer]

Boiling the water removes chlorine, but not bad tastes. If your water tastes fine you should be okay there (except for the chlorine). I use tap water for the mash and boil, but my top-off water is always bottled.

campden tablets also remove chlorine I understand.

chloramine was my culprit. doesn't boil off.

 

[RedIrocZ-28]

Biermuncher, DB, thanks for the tips too. I think I will try both of them actually. Neither would hurt, and can only help right?

I have to make a brew for the Viking Lumberjack weekend at the cabin, gonna need a good 2 cases of beer. And I would really like it to be good stuff. Off to the recipe section.

 

[-TH-]

Phenols and/or chlorophenols is an off flavor in beer that I've seen described as tasting like bandaids, plastic, burnt-plastic, clove-like, medicinal, or solventy. It is strongly noticeable when you "burp". From my research (and limited experience), it is mainly caused by 3 things:
1. Chlorine sanitizer not thoroughly rinsed
2. Chlorine/chloromides in water
3. High fermentation temps (or anything else really that stresses the yeast too much)

Many people are quick to say #2 but don't underestimate #3.

 

[RedIrocZ-28]

I would guess that its #3 because of my living situation. Its not noticible really in my burps, but then again, I don't recall thinking about it.

Living situation. My brother and I have a house, we both are gone from the house for about 10 hours a day for work. His girlfriend is there the rest of the time running up the electrical, water, and heating bill. That being said, I have NO idea what she does with the thermostat during the day, but the last heating bill of $200 has me thinking she cranks it to like 75* for most of the day, then turns it down before we get home. Makes it hard to control ferment temps. I am going to do the 2litre ice bottles in a rubbermaid from now on.

 

[DeathBrewer]

Phenols and/or chlorophenols is an off flavor in beer that I've seen described as tasting like bandaids, plastic, burnt-plastic, clove-like, medicinal, or solventy. It is strongly noticeable when you "burp". From my research (and limited experience), it is mainly caused by 3 things:
1. Chlorine sanitizer not thoroughly rinsed
2. Chlorine/chloromides in water
3. High fermentation temps (or anything else really that stresses the yeast too much)

Many people are quick to say #2 but don't underestimate #3.

indeed, temperature is important through all the process.

i've had some friends describe it as "soapy" although i think medicinal fit the bill for my string of messed up beers. it's always tastes "ok" at first, and some of my friends can drink it, but i cannot handle the aftertaste.

 

[RedIrocZ-28]

I think I am going to go pick up my college fridge today from the parents house, and throw about 12 beers in there to see if they taste "correct" after being in the fridge for a week. Biermuncher made mention of the carbonation having to mature. I have not yet let that happen.

Then I started thinking about what my dad said. I left a 6 pack of HB at the parents house on Christmas and about a week later he calls me and tells me that every single beer he opens the day after the next tastes better and better. *slaps forehead* Durr... it just needs some maturation time in the cold.

DB, as a kid of the 80's I know what soap tastes like (can't do that stuff anymore, get child services called on your ass for disciplining your kids nowadays) and thats not it, when I hear medicinal I think Robitussen or something. Not that either.

Let me chill some beers for a week and I will get back with you guys. Also, DB, I think I am gonna try my first stovetop AG on Friday. Nervous and excited at the same time.

 

[DeathBrewer]

really? you can get child services called on you for washing a mouth out with soap?

not that i completely agree with the practice, but that's absurd. *shakes head*

anyway, i wouldn't say it's a robitussen taste...i actually don't know how to describe it, hence the problem.

they need to make extracts for each type of bad taste in beer. then you could taste it and go "oh, yeah, bleagh...that's it"

someone do it. go! start your business! i'd do it, but i'm just too busy

 

[DeathBrewer]

Also, DB, I think I am gonna try my first stovetop AG on Friday. Nervous and excited at the same time.

just take your time with the process and work on your next step while.

remember, temperature is most important, but there are also hot spots in the mash. don't overheat or cool trying to get to temp until you are sure your readings are correct.

longer waits (mash time, sparge time, etc.) are NOT a problem, so if you're unsure, log on and ask a question.