California Common-Tasted like soap!!

[MattMann]

This was a California common recipe i found, spent 3 weeks in a primary, and then i kegged it. Let it carbonate, and then tasted. Tasted like ivory soap. I don't know where the taste came from. I clean with oxyclean, and then use star san to sanitize. Never had this problem before. So i let it sit in the kegerator, for another week. Still tasted like soap. So I pulled it outta 3 weeks ago, and it's been sitting there since. Well tonight, i decided to finally poor it out, and behold, it had been sitting there fermenting. Had good pressure on it. I thought using lager yeasts at ale temps, sped things up. And the unfermented wort, might of been the reason it tasted like soap. Any else experience this, or no about the california common fermantation rate?

--matt--

 

[SporkD2]

I had the same problem, the only thing that we have in common in the oxi-clean and starsan. I know the starsan isnt doing it, so I am just not sure.

You have to make sure you have the unscented oxi-clean however

 

[MattMann]

My oxiclean, is the unscented kind, and I actually tasted some of it diluted in water just to see if it was the same taste, and it wasn't. I didn't drink it or anything, just a dab on my finger, but not the same.

--matt--

 

[DeathBrewer]

so...you didn't check your attenuation before you kegged it?

 

[MattMann]

No, no not on this one........Just lost track of everything on this brew.......

 

[DeathBrewer]

well, it doesn't really make sense that it would taste like soap because you kegged too early, but it could definitely be green. could also be glasses from the dishwasher...

you said this last time it didn't taste like soap?

 

[MattMann]

No i just tasted it again, after slowly fermenting it for 3 more weeks, and still that taste. No when I am tasting, use disposable plastic cups. I know I know.....

 

[DeathBrewer]

well, this is what john palmer says about it, which isn't possible in your situation:

http://www.howtobrew.com/section4/chapter21-2.html

Soapy
Soapy flavors can caused by not washing your glass very well, but they can also be produced by the fermentation conditions. If you leave the beer in the primary fermentor for a relatively long period of time after primary fermentation is over ("long" depends on the style and other fermentation factors), soapy flavors can result from the breakdown of fatty acids in the trub. Soap is, by definition, the salt of a fatty acid; so you are literally tasting soap.

 

[ommegosh]

My only batch so far that has not been successful(7 or 8 so far) was also a Cali Common. It has a very strong off flavor that has not subsided with additional time. I am not good at describing the off flavor, maybe closer to BandAid pr medicinal than soapy in my case. Curious what yeast you used, mine was SafLager S23, rather then the Superior Lager yeast that came with the kit. My kit also had a maltodextrin/corn sugar/etc pack of additives that I thought may have also contributed to the problem as that was the only variable that changed from my other batches.

 

[SomedumbJerk]

the band aid taste is some kind of infection/lack of sanitation thing. it happened to me in one of my first batches. and for the soapy taste, is this the first time using that keg?

i'm looking for the exact name of the band aid taste, i know it's in Papazian's book, which of course i lent out...

 

[MattMann]

No not the first time using that keg, but just in case, down the drain it all went, and i gave it another "complete" scrubdown......

--matt--

 

[modenacart]

I got a soapy taste in a beer that fermented way to hot. I had to leave town the day I pitched it and my wife likes the house hot. It was 80 F ambient so I am sure it fermented much hotter than that. It caused the yeast cells to rupsure, thus taste like soap.