All my brews suddenly tasting similar to my weizen?

[DevonSun]

I've been brewing heavily for a lil over a year n a half now (3 20L batches a week) and generally have had no issues until a month or so ago. I've made 4 recipes (Pale Ale, Weizen, IPA, and Stout) and haven't changed anything since about December-ish. Recently though, my IPA and Pale ale have gotten somewhat of a similar flavor to the weizen (the stout's flavor is so strong I don't think I'd notice if there was a slightly weizen taste hahaha). I'm very detailed in sanitizing everything and am now thinking to label my carboys (glass) and make sure I only use one for each type like I do with my kegs. I use a large freezer as my temp control box and can fit 6 carboys in it with ease. It's cleaned every time I add/remove a carboy. All my brews stay in the primary for 3 weeks and then are cold crashed for 2-3 days before kegging. The ales both use an american ale yeast, the weizen a belgium wheat, and the stout uses an irish dry ale yeast. Any idea what could be causing this?

Cheers!

 

[20grit]

What are you using to clean everything? You mentioned sanitizing, but not cleaning.

 

[jjeffers09]

I would check the tubing, transferring/bottling equip.

 

[m00ps]

any mention of fermentation regulation or yeast handling?

Im guessing that the flavor could've been there earlier as well, but just now you are developing a discerning palate concerning your homebrews

 

[20grit]

Could even be a spoon. Did you stir wort with a wooden spoon after pitching yeast?

 

[DevonSun]

20grit: hot water and a non scented dishsoap and a lot of elbow grease with the brush. I'm often kegging, cleaning, and reusing the carboy in the same day. Also, I use a metal ladle to stir.

jjeffers09: The flavor is noticeable right outta the carboy so it can't be coming from the siphon or keg.

m00ps: I've wondered about that myself (my palate growing), especially since all my customers seem to think everything is fine, but I still think there must be something else because the change didn't seem to be gradual.

 

[treacheroustexan]

Cheers, but dang, 3 20L batches a week? I really wish I could brew that much. Send me some and I will try them and see if I can taste the weizen

 

[passedpawn]

I've been brewing heavily for a lil over a year n a half now (3 20L batches a week) and generally have had no issues until a month or so ago. I've made 4 recipes (Pale Ale, Weizen, IPA, and Stout) and haven't changed anything since about December-ish. Recently though, my IPA and Pale ale have gotten somewhat of a similar flavor to the weizen (the stout's flavor is so strong I don't think I'd notice if there was a slightly weizen taste hahaha). I'm very detailed in sanitizing everything and am now thinking to label my carboys (glass) and make sure I only use one for each type like I do with my kegs. I use a large freezer as my temp control box and can fit 6 carboys in it with ease. It's cleaned every time I add/remove a carboy. All my brews stay in the primary for 3 weeks and then are cold crashed for 2-3 days before kegging. The ales both use an american ale yeast, the weizen a belgium wheat, and the stout uses an irish dry ale yeast. Any idea what could be causing this?

Cheers!

Do you control fermentation temps? Warm fermenting can produce all sorts of unwanted flavors.

[nevermind] yes, you stated it right there. Evelyn Woods speedreading failed me again

 

[chickypad]

What about them makes then taste like your hefeweizen? Banana? Phenols? If it's a phenolic taste not due to infection or poor fermentation conditions maybe it's water. Do you do anything to remove chlorine/chlormaine? That can be seasonal, maybe your city upped the chloramines starting in the spring.

 

[serum]

If it's fruity esters it could be anything that stresses the yeast. Underpitching, not aerating enough, temps too hot.

Maybe try setting the temperature a bit lower and see what happens. The temp will shoot up once a fermentation gets underway so if you're setting your temp control based on the freezer and not the internal temp of the brew then the temperatures can be quite far off.

This gets more complicated when you've got several on the go with different yeasts that like different temps and schedules.

Have you thought about doing a load of brews with the same yeast then when they're all done, swap for a load of beers with a different yeast?

 

[DevonSun]

@treacheroustexan Hahaha I sell it all in my bar right quick. If you manage gettin to Xiamen, China.... lol

@passedpawn Good advice regardless!

@chickypad There's a flavor that I identify with the yeast I use for the Weizen which was never in the ales before (I use a standard American ale yeast for my PA and IPA while I use a Belgium wheat yeast for the weizen). I have a company that delivers fresh filtered water (but this is China so they make have pull some sorta fast one and changed water sources or how they treat it). Good thing to keep in mind. I'll have to find a way to test it out

@serum I've not been getting fruity banana notes (other than the citrus/grapefruit one I'm aiming for in the IPA). I currently have my temp box ranging from 19-20C as all the yeasts I'm using have an ideal range of 18-23/25/28 depending on the strain. I'll have to try out the single yeast idea but only as a last resort. I once made a pale ale only to discover I only had a wheat ale yeast left.... not a very good flavor... On the plus side, the bros loved having a free keg to down that night hahaha

 

[DevonSun]

Just to update everyone:
2 things seemed to have set things back to normal.
1) Oxyclean... holy **** is that stuff solid gold for a good clean out. Why I spent a year n a half scrubbin like mad for hours 3 days a week comes down to nothin more than stupidity. If you're not using this to clean those glass carboys, go gets it!
2) Temperatures in Xiamen, China went from around 18-20 to about 28-30 within a couple weeks. My temp control box said it was doin all good, but apparently it wasn't as cold as it said lol

So thanks for the tips and ideas guys! Seems likely a combo of residual yeast and diacetyl messed up the flavors adding a slight yeast and slightly fruity sourness (my weizen is made to have a lemony citrus note to it and with the added wheat like note from the yeast, I wasn't identifying the fruitiness with banana lol)