Arghhhh! 10 gallons of "band-aid" beer!

[makomachine]

I thought about this more last night and very happy that Yooper shared in her failure - as we all know of her successes. It's a great lesson to all of us to never let our guard down in the defense of great beer and an indicator that just because you have a bad batch doesn't make you a bad brewer.

Experienced brewers and beginners both should get something out of this.

 

[theBFG]

That's to bad Yooper and I'm sorry for your loss. To many of us newer brewers I suppose it might be in some way comforting to hear that even an experienced brewer has an off batch once in a while. But I'm not roasting and your post does not make me smile. Better luck next time, I'm sure your next beer will come out just fine. (Hey! I went a whole post without a rhyme. I think...Thank G)

Haha had to point those out...

Sorry Yooper. I read a lot of your advice on here and always enjoy what you have to say. Sorry for your loss. Maybe I can send some beer in an envelope? Or have fax machines advanced enough to fax liquid yet?

 

[Beerrific]

You should "recover the alcohol" at a minimum. Ask around. Someone always knows someone that knows someone that can help you out with that.

 

[BierMuncher]

Like passedpawn said, "band-aid". This batch isn't chlorophenols (no chlorine in the water) but it's definitely phenolic.

It's like bad cloves flavor, with a band-aid undertone.

I've had a few. The only common denominator was they were always lighter beers with lengthier primary times (3+ weeks cuz I was lazy).

Always fresh dry yeast.
Always 65-68 pitching temps.
Always tasted fine at the one week stage, then that slight clove aroma would start building around week 2 1/2.
I would keg and chill anyway, but to no avail. The flavor and aroma just got worse with time.

Now I let my gravity tell me when to get the beer off that yeast. Terminal gravity plus 4-5 days, then into the kegs.

No issues since then.

 

[the_bird]

... maybe you brought an infection home from that meadery.

 

[CoalCracker]

I'm about to make you feel better about dumping a 10 gallon batch. I brewed 15 gallons of your 60 minute clone this past Saturday. Brew day was spot on, hit all my numbers. Had a bit of an issue chilling, so I placed it in my ferm chamber and let it cool to pitching temps. Used washed WLP001 but didn't have time to make a starter. Figured I had more than enough to innoculate 15 gallons. Well 24 hours later, nothing. 48 hours later, nothing. 72 hours later, nothing. Had my fiance run to the store to grab some dry yeast. Pitched and it started fermenting by the next morning. I did that in the 10 gallon fermenter, didn't pitch into the 5 gallon. (was after bottling a lot of wine..) That one suddenly was fermenting the next morning. The basement reeks like sour beer. Never really was able to smell the fermentation. So... I have a feeling some wild yeast took hold of both fermenters.. So, moral of the story, ALWAYS make a starter.

Yoop, hope this makes you feel a bit better.. :-(

 

[Yooper]

hey yooper

long no hear huh? Don't forget to check the hot side as well. I feel your pain on this as i've been there before. I'm hoping to get back to brewing here soon( dear lord i just checked and it's been more than 18 months since my last brew day )

erik!!

i lost two batches to what i perceived as a band-aid / phenolic disaster. The first time, i posted a thread thinking that it was a scorching problem, but no one else thought that could be the cause. In that case i didn't realize there was a problem until after fermentation was complete. Well, it happened again. The second time i knew what to look for and definitely noticed a faint similar odor in the wort before fermentation started. Two dumped eight gallon batches over a few month period. Very disappointing and it put a hurt on my pipeline also.

Only a fool like me puts a heating element directly in the mlt. I love experimenting with my system almost as much as i like what it produces, but this was bad. Pretty sure all the bugs are worked out now. Two new batches through with no problems.

Nothing said can help with that terrible feeling when you’re watching all that work and ingredients going down the drain. Knowing that the reward of great beer lies ahead is the only consolation.






edit to say:
Looking at your avatar . . . Sure you can't fix this with duct tape? :cross:

you should "recover the alcohol" at a minimum. Ask around. Someone always knows someone that knows someone that can help you out with that.

... Maybe you brought an infection home from that meadery.

 

[Yooper]

hey yooper

long no hear huh? don't forget to check the hot side as well. i feel your pain on this as i've been there before. i'm hoping to get back to brewing here soon( dear lord i just checked and it's been more than 18 months since my last brew day )

ERIK!! It's been ages. My beer tastes like that terrible one you shared with me about 5 years ago. I think we followed the same recipe.........

Looking at your avatar . . . sure you can't fix this with duct tape? :cross:

I would try, but trust me the duct tape would taste better.

You should "recover the alcohol" at a minimum. Ask around. Someone always knows someone that knows someone that can help you out with that.

Ha- good idea. Maybe I"ll hang onto the kegs a bit until I find somebody who may be able to use them.

... maybe you brought an infection home from that meadery.

That's pretty much what it tastes like!

 

[dakinerazmataz]

I actually had a beer that tasted the same way. So I just added about 2 oz/5gal and the next day it tasted delicious! Don't give up on it

 

[KeythL]

I actually had a beer that tasted the same way. So I just added about 2 oz/5gal and the next day it tasted delicious! Don't give up on it

2 OZ of what?


Yooper, sorry for your loss. I'm just about to take my new 15.5 gal Kettle and Sanke Keg Fermenter for a spin and I read this...shiver.

Keyth

 

[dakinerazmataz]

Whoops 2oz of Cascade. Just put them in a sanitized nylon bag, opened up the keg, and three them in there. The next day it tasted amazing.

 

[duckredbeard]

Makes me want to go pull samples from the two I have working just to see if they are ok. Kind of like going to check on the kids in bed after watching a movie about a kidnapper.

 

[Homercidal]

The horror.... The horror....

 

[Homercidal]

Hmm... Maybe I should continue my plans to build an alcohol recovery system just in case this ever happens to me by accident, or possibly even on purpose...

 

[david_42]

We all extend our sympathy. My worst moment as a homebrewer was when a 4-year old barleywine developed a gusher infection before it was 1/3 gone. Fortunately, I had backups.

 

[passedpawn]

Makes me want to go pull samples from the two I have working just to see if they are ok.

Heisenbeer's Uncertainty Principle. The act of monitoring your brew actually affects it, so you can never quite know the state. In other words, each time you test your beer you add oxygen and bacteria, and perhaps cause the problem you are hoping not to find.

 

[machinelf]

Condolences, Yooper. I've been there.

Thanks for sharing, though.

 

[TyTanium]

It will improve with age. Time heals all wounds.

EDIT: I thought you dumped it...that wound would heal with age. Your beer, probably not, haha.

 

[Yooper]

I had a bad day at work and I'm drinking a glass of this right now. It's interesting- there are two kegs. Both have an off-flavor of phenolic compounds but one is quite a bit worse than the other. The one is not really all THAT bad, considering I have only a little good beer left. I can drink this one, or rather choke it down, out of the one keg. But I won't like it. Then I'll switch to one glass of my good hoppy APA.

I'll consider it penance for angering the beer Gods.

 

[forcabrew]

Yopper sorry for your loss. I have a question though. I have been an extract brewer for 7 years and I have been using regular tap water for my brews. I have my first 10 gallon all grain batch scheduled to brew in 2 weeks. My question is - is there a difference with chlorine in the water when it comes to either extract or all grain. I don't mean ph and all that good stuff. Im just thinking if I should use some Camden tablets to remove the chlorine when I brew all grain even though I haven't had a problem with it during all my years of extract brewing.

Again my condolences

 

[Yooper]

Yopper sorry for your loss. I have a question though. I have been an extract brewer for 7 years and I have been using regular tap water for my brews. I have my first 10 gallon all grain batch scheduled to brew in 2 weeks. My question is - is there a difference with chlorine in the water when it comes to either extract or all grain. I don't mean ph and all that good stuff. Im just thinking if I should use some Camden tablets to remove the chlorine when I brew all grain even though I haven't had a problem with it during all my years of extract brewing.

Again my condolences

If you have chloramines/chlorines in your water, you'd have chlorophenols whether extract or AG in the end beer.

 

[Dan]

Forcabrew.

Since you haven't had any problems with your brews you could just try the first all grain batch with your tap water and see what happens.

If you want an educated answer do a search for ajdelange and send him a PM. He often responds to water chemistry questions. Pretty sure he's a bit of an authority on the subject.

Edit.. Sorry Yooper, not trying to hijack this thread just trying to help out Forcabrew in my small way.

Once again, condolences to your beer. But hey! It's still beer!

 

[Homercidal]

If you have chloramines in your water, you will likely have some resultant flavor in your beer, even if you personally aren't able to pick it out. It depends on how much your water company puts in as well.

Campden tabs won't hurt anything at their suggested amounts so it's worth trying IMO. You may be able to taste a difference or not. Supposedly you can crush a tablet and mix with a small mount of water and then add to your brewing water before using. The effects are said to be immediate.

 

[Cacaman]

I don't know about you folks, but I'm an RN and work with bandaids on a daily basis. I have yet to ever stick one in my mouth, so i have no idea what it taste like. Just out of curiosity, how do most people here know what bandaids taste like?

The only logical explanation i can think of is they read about chlorophenols on how to brew, and decided to put a band aid in their mouth just to know what it taste like :cross:

yes?

 

[bob3000]

Planning to make a big expensive american stout today. trying to decide whether or not to use the slurry in the fridge or 2 packs of 05... I think i just made my mind up.

 

[Coldies]

What a bummer, I just had the exact thing happen to me from a 3 month old jar of washed wlp001, took a day or two to take off in the starter and that should have told me something. The beer is not that bad but you can def taste that something went south during the process. I'm gonna continue to drink a glass a noght until i can't stand it anymore.

 

[allthingsgiant]

Man, this forum is too soft on a guy with over 40,000 posts! Where's the brotherly, condescending harassment from this fraternal community that one would expect? Like, "Well Yooper, the secret of you dipping your balls in every batch is finally out," or "That's not Band Aids you smell, it's gonorrhea."

I kid. But not really.

 

[broadbill]

Man, this forum is too soft on a guy with over 40,000 posts! Where's the brotherly, condescending harassment from this fraternal community that one would expect? Like, "Well Yooper, the secret of you dipping your balls in every batch is finally out," or "That's not Band Aids you smell, it's gonorrhea."

I kid. But not really.

I'm not going to let the cat out of the bag, but when it comes out your post will be all the more entertaining...

 

[bob1852]

I'm not going to let the cat out of the bag, but when it comes out your post will be all the more entertaining...

nestar:nestar:nestar:nestar:nestar: nestar:nestar:nestar:nestar:nestar:

 

[CoalCracker]

The last few posts are full of win...So who's gonna let him in on the secret?

w/ a 2009 join date I'm surprised this is even happening.