beer tastes like star san

[smuth10]

Ok, maybe only 95%

 

[BrewKnurd]

I hate all sweeping generalizations like this.

what a sweeping generalization about sweeping generalizations!

 

[IffyG]

My vote is for changing the water first. 99% of bottled water is crap. I would go to RO water if you can swing it.

Really? I make fantastic beer with whatever bottled spring water happens to be the cheapest when I'm brewing...

 

[Cambone]

Ok, maybe only 95%

woosh.

what a sweeping generalization about sweeping generalizations!

this guy got it.

 

[smuth10]

Really? I make fantastic beer with whatever bottled spring water happens to be the cheapest when I'm brewing...

I am sure you could, but my comment was in reference to the OP's problem. RO water would eliminate any possibility of bad flavors from the bottled water he is using or the water bottle itself. At least I would start there.

 

[DarthMalt]

My vote is for changing the water first. 99% of bottled water is crap. I would go to RO water if you can swing it.

There was a study done which found that 99% of Statistics were made up on the spot.

 

[IffyG]

I am sure you could, but my comment was in reference to the OP's problem. RO water would eliminate any possibility of bad flavors from the bottled water he is using or the water bottle itself. At least I would start there.

Could also be changed by using a different brand of bottled water. The last thing he needs at this point is having to manipulate water chemistry.

 

[badbrew]

Try distilled water and a little bit of additives. For 5 gal, try 2 g gypsum, cal chloride, and epsom salts and 4 g bake soda.

 

[cox8611]

Ok, so I'm not endorsing this, but i was curious......

I just went into my brewing room and took maybe half an ounce (it was the amount that fits in the bubble cap of a 3-piece airlock) of properly mixed star san solution (1 oz per 5 gallons) and added it to 8 oz of water and drank that. Didn't taste much of anything but water. Can't say if i would have been able to tell a difference in a blind side by side. Not saying I couldn't, but certainly don't have any confidence that I could.

Decided to really see what was up, refilled the bubble cap and just shot it straight. Pretty mild flavor, maybe like a very diluted, unsweetened lemonade?

I am not going to say for sure that you can't taste starsan in your beer, because hell, almost anything is possible. But I will say that I AM about 99% confident that you are not, in fact tasting star-san in your beer.

Congratulations on your new stomach ulcer....

 

[cox8611]

So here's my 2c,

You say your tasting a citrusy/acidic old wine flavor.

So what can make a beer taste/smell acidic:
Infection - Specifically vinegary taste (from the OP's old wine taste comment) - can develop early or later - especially in plastic - experiment with glass carboys,

Oxidation - Will develop over time, not always immediately noticeable - if its always noticeable, probably not your problem

pH - typical beer ranges are 4.0 - 4.5, if you are using straight up bottled water without added minerals, read up on adding calcium and other minerals (even 5.2 stabilizer) to try and determine if your strike water and all other water is causing you to be too acidic.

Underaerating - phenols for belgian yeasts can come across wrong if the fermentation is missing key elements, and if you have a massive starter but no O2 for it to use, you could still be potentially "underpitching" since they were unable to replicate as they normally would. - try either whipping the $h!t out of it (my personal choice is a sanitized paint stirrer on the end of a power drill) after chilling or add a pin drop of olive oil to the beer or to the starter to bypass the need for O2.

Good Luck!

 

[BrewKnurd]

Congratulations on your new stomach ulcer....

Given that normal range for the acidity of stomach acid extends below the pH of properly mixed star-san... i'm not worried in the slightest. Pretty sure you're doing more damage to your stomach with a long night of drinking than a shot of star-san.

 

[dbsmith]

...or add a pin drop of olive oil to the beer or to the starter to bypass the need for O2.

Good Luck!

Say whaaat?

 

[BrewKnurd]

Say whaaat?

Its for true! Yeast only need O2 for the purposes of manufacturing sterols and fatty acids for building cell walls. they can do the same thing with a tiny tiny amount of olive oil. some belgian brewers (de streusse is one i know for sure) have experimented with this, as has new belgium.

www.haandbrygforum.dk/gallery/albums/.../Olive-oil-thesis.pdf

 

[Firebat138]

take a toothpick and slightly dip it in olive oil... and then add to your beer.. a drop is way too much, but it works...

and yeah... ur star san is fine... have you tried making just a pale ale, with Cascade hops or something else... different yeast? you said spring water, not distilled correct? hope you get to the bottom of this man... and keep the thread alive with anything that works...

 

[dbsmith]

Its for true! Yeast only need O2 for the purposes of manufacturing sterols and fatty acids for building cell walls. they can do the same thing with a tiny tiny amount of olive oil. some belgian brewers (de streusse is one i know for sure) have experimented with this, as has new belgium.

www.haandbrygforum.dk/gallery/albums/.../Olive-oil-thesis.pdf

Wow, I'm reading the document now. Interesting stuff, thanks!

 

[GuldTuborg]

There was a study done which found that 99% of Statistics were made up on the spot.

That's the best joke I've heard all week.:cross:

I OP still around here? I'd like to see him add a small amount of Star San to a glass, pour a commercial beer, and see if he can taste it. Easier than brewing again without the Star San.

 

[watsons27]

So try this. Taste your wort once it has cooled. ****ty tasting right? Then sip some beer that has the san-star problem. My guess is that you are doing belgians that Have a hitch some place in fermentation. If you are ag and using pils malt make sure you boil for at least 90 mins.

 

[Huskysibe]

You Sir, have an infection. Same thing happened to me, same taste everything. I swore it was starsan. My HB Club tried it and assured me I had an infection, even though I am stupid crazy about sanitation. Happened on 2 beers because i refused to believe it was an infection. I changed all my beer lines and CO2 lines and guess what, infection gone and I am still using starsan.

 

[HomebrewPadawan]

Hello everyone
I have heard hundreds of people say " star san does not affect flavor" bla bla bla..anyway i find this to be complete BS..i always brew my beer with as much care as possible..i am very crazy about my sanitation and process..but once again my beer taste like what star san smells like...i never tasted star san straight but it has a smell..maybe citrusy IDK..its ruining my beer..i use 1 oz per 5 gallon dilution just like it says to use ..anybody know whats up with this? is it maybe my water supply having a diverse reaction with it? all i do is spend money and more money to brew some beer..but so far i cannot make drinkable beer its been like 3 years now since i started..one F$#$ up after the other..just a disgrace..along with other off flavors and failures..i cannot quit the hobby..soon i will need to go to fermenters Anonymous..WTF?

So, Beerhound28, any fix to your problem? I just spent 15 minutes reading all these posts and you never responded in the end...the suspense is killing me...I'm guessing you gave up on brewing...

 

[dbsmith]

Are you sure you are sanitizing EVERYTHING that touches the wort post-boil? Could be your mixing spoon, funnel, strainer, etc. I always keep a large dish full of sanitizer around while I brew to keep things like my mash paddle and thermometers in so they don't get infected. Not to be presumptuous, but is your kitchen relatively clean? I usually use some Clorox wipes on my kitchen surfaces before brewing. Maybe cleaning any surfaces above you boil kettle would be a good idea, since microbes could be falling from a dirty ceiling as it cools? I personally have to be extra vigilant to sanitize and clean my auto-siphon, since it has this glass ball on it that can sometimes get hops lodged into it that don't come out very easily and are impossible to see. The only other source of infection I've ever (likely) had was from dishwashing my bottles, since coffee grinds would go from the sink into the dishwasher and lodge a small particle inside the bottles. I guess I'm just suggesting that you make sure to check all the little things, and let them soak for the proper amount of time before letting them touch the wort. A simple dunk without waiting may not be long enough. Anyways...try another sanitizer first, and then if it doesn't work try to narrow down the source 1 thing at a time. Maybe you could even make some mini batches in some 2-liter or gallon bottles, changing different conditions with each one. Good luck..must be frustrating!