Almost burnt my nose hairs

[JONNYROTTEN]

My first few all grains have an "off" taste and smell.While purging the air coming out of the relief valve it has a cider/vinegar smell.Definetly not a awesome homebrew smell.Ive been drinking it with the "we're gunna have a good time no matter what" attitude.Its been giving me a bit of a headache.I just killed the keg.I shut off gas and opened the tap into a glass to empty the pressure.The smell coming out of the tap was enough to set you back.Again,smells like straight vinegar with some cider mixed in.I actually stuck my nose in the glass while it was spitting foam and had to pull away.This is what Ive been drinking.My wife says it tastes like old gym socks.My next batch smells the same in the ferm bucket.
What can/should I do?
Ive been doing my best to sanitize.I even have the micromatic tank that hooks up to the keg to to sanitize the lines

 

[Pappers_]

A vinegar-y smell seems like the result of a wild yeast or bacteria to me. So I think you are on the right track by focusing on sanitation. I wouldn't brew anything else until you've bleach-bombed or thrown out anything that touches the beer post-boil. Use the nuclear option.

Cider could be something different, if by cider you mean apple-y flavors, specifically green apples. This is usually yeast-derived acetaldehyde and is an indication that the beer is too young, needs to be matured. But vinegar shouldn't be a part of that.

Good luck, I know how frustrating this can be. In my 12 years of brewing, I've had an unintentional wild yeast/bacteria incident once, but it ruined two batches of beer because by the time I had carbed up the first batch, I had already brewed a second batch using the same equipment. I bleached everything and threw out/replaced quite a few plastic pieces like tubing. Did the trick.

 

[Onkel_Udo]

My first few all grains have an "off" taste and smell.While purging the air coming out of the relief valve it has a cider/vinegar smell.Definetly not a awesome homebrew smell.Ive been drinking it with the "we're gunna have a good time no matter what" attitude.Its been giving me a bit of a headache.I just killed the keg.I shut off gas and opened the tap into a glass to empty the pressure.The smell coming out of the tap was enough to set you back.Again,smells like straight vinegar with some cider mixed in.I actually stuck my nose in the glass while it was spitting foam and had to pull away.This is what Ive been drinking.My wife says it tastes like old gym socks.My next batch smells the same in the ferm bucket.
What can/should I do?
Ive been doing my best to sanitize.I even have the micromatic tank that hooks up to the keg to to sanitize the lines

Our challenge here is the two different interpretations of the smell. I have had old gym socks once...that was when my local water treatment plant changed from old-school chlorine to chloramines. I have not been filtering or treating my water with Campden tablets so I ended up with a severe case of chloriphenols (sic?).

So walk use through your process.

 

[Pappers_]

Our challenge here is the two different interpretations of the smell. I have had old gym socks once...that was when my local water treatment plant changed from old-school chlorine to chloramines. I have not been filtering or treating my water with Campden tablets so I ended up with a severe case of chloriphenols (sic?).

So walk use through your process.

I completely agree with you - it is extremely difficult to diagnose off-flavors without actually tasting the beer. I would never have thought to describe chloramines as 'old gym socks' - if its like other chlorophenols, I've always experienced it as more plastic-y or even medicinal.

 

[JonM]

How is the yeast health? Vinegary plus cidery plus headaches sounds like acetaldehyde. It can come from stressed yeast, either from underpitching or from low temperatures, or yeast that is unhealthy for some other reason.

 

[jwalk4]

My beer might smell a little hot/sour when I pop off the lid of my bucket, but it doesn't last into the beer keg or bottle. The vinegar smell could be a acetobacter infection if you think the beer is thin bodied as well. Pbw a carboy or get a new pale if you use buckets. But it might be high fermentation temps too.