Chemical taste in younger beer?

[treacheroustexan]

I brewed a 2.5 gallon red ipa about 3 weeks ago. I was impatient and kegged it right at the 2 week mark. It has been under gas for a week and I tried it and it's almost carbed, but it has a very chemically after taste. The aroma is spot on though. I mashed at 152 and fermented at 65, using us-05 yeast.

When I kegged it, it was a brand new 2.5 gallon keg from AIH. I got it and scrubbed the inside with bar keepers friend, rinsed with water, and then star san.

Do you think the chemical taste will go away after a few more weeks or is it a lost cause? Maybe I just kegged too soon and didn't give the us-05 a chance to fully ferment/clean up? I don't take hydrometer readings, but I am definitely going to start again.

 

[porterpounder]

What kind of chemical taste? Some of the newer hops, like Eqinox taste like gasoline to me. Choline in your water can lead to a pronounced aftertaste. Plasticky phenols can be from unhealthy yeast pitches, or it may be the barkeepers friend. Hard to tell by just "chemically".

 

[TheMadKing]

3 weeks from grain to glass is longer than I go on most IPAs. I doubt age is your issue.

What kind of keg line are you using?

Did you treat your water for chlorine/chloramine?

Did you add any other mineral to your brewing water?

Did you rinse 2-3 times after using bar keepers friend?

Did you use bleach on any part of your system?

 

[unionrdr]

Here's some answers for ya...http://byo.com/stories/item/1587-what-is-making-my-kegged-beer-taste-like-chemicals

 

[treacheroustexan]

What kind of chemical taste? Some of the newer hops, like Eqinox taste like gasoline to me. Choline in your water can lead to a pronounced aftertaste. Plasticky phenols can be from unhealthy yeast pitches, or it may be the barkeepers friend. Hard to tell by just "chemically".

I haven't sampled enough chemicals to know exactly haha. I use campden tabs and did nothing different with my water than usual, so I'm going to rule out the chlorine. I really don't know how to describe it other than a lingering chemical taste. I just didn't know if it was a common thing for people to say they taste in young beer.

 

[treacheroustexan]

3 weeks from grain to glass is longer than I go on most IPAs. I doubt age is your issue.

What kind of keg line are you using?

Did you treat your water for chlorine/chloramine?

Did you add any other mineral to your brewing water?

Did you rinse 2-3 times after using bar keepers friend?

Did you use bleach on any part of your system?

10 ft. beer line. Use the same tubing on my 5 gallon keg with no issues.

Used campden tabs.

No minerals this time. Just cold tap water and a split campden tab in mash/sparge water.

Did not use any bleach.

Only rinsed the BKF once with water, and then went straight to star san.

Here's some answers for ya...http://byo.com/stories/item/1587-what-is-making-my-kegged-beer-taste-like-chemicals

Thanks for posting! Will read it.

 

[TheMadKing]

10 ft. beer line. Use the same tubing on my 5 gallon keg with no issues.

Used campden tabs.

No minerals this time. Just cold tap water and a split campden tab in mash/sparge water.

Did not use any bleach.

Only rinsed the BKF once with water, and then went straight to star san.

Hmm, sounds like you probably don't have actual chemical contamination, which leaves phenolic yeast compounds. That could be caused by any number of yeast-stressing events, but the good news is that might age out if you cold condition it for awhile.

 

[treacheroustexan]

Hmm, sounds like you probably don't have actual chemical contamination, which leaves phenolic yeast compounds. That could be caused by any number of yeast-stressing events, but the good news is that might may age out if you cold condition it for awhile.

Good to hear.

I will try it again tonight and then pour a pint after another week or so and see if it improved.