Constant Battle - Ethyl Acetate - Looking for suggestions.

[RPh_Guy]

I asked when I first built my chamber if I should set my controller to a lower setting knowing that the carboys internal heat would be 5-8F warmer. The general response I got was the probe should be accurate enough taped to the side.

The probe should be insulated against the ambient air. Tape a thick sponge over the probe, or some foam, or other kind of padding.

 

[Christophrawr]

I was just thinking out side of the keg. Not trying to disrespect your cleaning.just saying something out side the norm., Your the one chasing a problem .... just put some water in there and taste it.just saying that it could be .

I'll run some water through my carbon filter to taste (maybe it's casing or hosing needs a cleaning) and I'll also stick a glass of water in there to taste tomorrow. Thanks!

I use bubblewrap folded a few times and velcro to hold it tight to the fermenter. I'm going to actually take my digital thermometer and stick it in during high krausen to see if my probe's sensitivity is off since it was 5F off when testing the heated water. Definitely going to start fermenting cooler after.

 

[Christophrawr]

I just ran some tap water through my carbon filter and it tasted.. like tap water... We have Brita filtered water in the fridge and compared the two side by side and my filter apparently doesn't do much [emoji35]

So this changes the thread to "what does chlorine treated water taste like in brewing?"

Guess I shouldn't have blindly believed it was working. I'll grab a new carbon filter and also try campden tablets next brewday. I have high hopes for this. Will report back next weekend.

Thanks everyone.

 

[TheMadKing]

I just ran some tap water through my carbon filter and it tasted.. like tap water... We have Brita filtered water in the fridge and compared the two side by side and my filter apparently doesn't do much [emoji35]

So this changes the thread to "what does chlorine treated water taste like in brewing?"

Guess I shouldn't have blindly believed it was working. I'll grab a new carbon filter and also try campden tablets next brewday. I have high hopes for this. Will report back next weekend.

Thanks everyone.

Carbon filters are highly highly dependant on flow rate

I would recommend skipping the inconvenience and expense altogether and just using campden

Buy the powder not the tablets, you only need about 0.3g to treat all of your mash water (assuming you're doing 5 gallon batches). And you'll need an accurate scale to measure it out with.

Or if you already bought the tablets you can estimate 1/4 of a tablet to treat all your mash water. And make sure you grind it up... It doesn't dissolve well

 

[Christophrawr]

Carbon filters are highly highly dependant on flow rate

I would recommend skipping the inconvenience and expense altogether and just using campden

Buy the powder not the tablets, you only need about 0.3g to treat all of your mash water (assuming you're doing 5 gallon batches). And you'll need an accurate scale to measure it out with.

Or if you already bought the tablets you can estimate 1/4 of a tablet to treat all your mash water. And make sure you grind it up... It doesn't dissolve well

I already grabbed the tablets but was planning on grinding them up since Ill be using them for 1 gallon batches. I think the maths worked out to 0.03 grams (I rounded up from 0.022) per gallon.

Any negative effects of too much in the water?

 

[TheMadKing]

I already grabbed the tablets but was planning on grinding them up since Ill be using them for 1 gallon batches. I think the maths worked out to 0.03 grams (I rounded up from 0.022) per gallon.

Any negative effects of too much in the water?

Yes it can slow yeast growth if you seriously overdose. But I think you'd be fine up to .05 grams per gallon without any serious effects.

 

[shortyz]

as said before its better to have someone critique your beer, to get honest opinions always say someone gave you the beer to try it out.

if they taste what your are tasting, then look at your system. if not, your nuts. lol

 

[Christophrawr]

as said before its better to have someone critique your beer, to get honest opinions always say someone gave you the beer to try it out.

if they taste what your are tasting, then look at your system. if not, your nuts. lol

I've had my girlfriend and a close friend try a bottle but my mistake was telling them what to search for. Next batch I brew with the campden tablets Ill definitely be having new people try without giving them any hints [emoji28] I would like to confirm my sanity as well.

 

[shelly_belly]

Ethyl acetate is not going to diminish as it is pretty much a metabolic dead end. If it's not too bad and the style is suitable try adding some cherries to it as ethyl acetate will enhance the cherry flavor.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

I had a shift in my sense of smell because of an allergy. I responded to this thread earlier thinking that I had detected ethyl acetate, but as my sense of smell recovers, I think that what I was detecting was just regular ethanol, because I noticed the same “flavor” in a Miller Lite, which I’m sure those guys minimize any off flavors like that.

 

[Christophrawr]

I had a shift in my sense of smell because of an allergy. I responded to this thread earlier thinking that I had detected ethyl acetate, but as my sense of smell recovers, I think that what I was detecting was just regular ethanol, because I noticed the same “flavor” in a Miller Lite, which I’m sure those guys minimize any off flavors like that.

This goes along with my background thought "or am I just losing mind?" That's where my samplers will have to save me [emoji847]

 

[4of7]

Beer Troll asking crazy questions..have you shone a light on both sides of the fermentation vessel to check on cracks.insde to out side ..

 

[Christophrawr]

Beer Troll asking crazy questions..have you shone a light on both sides of the fermentation vessel to check on cracks.insde to out side ..

Good idea - just did now to check. They seem ok no defects stand out.

 

[4of7]

Just bottled a batch and had the same nail polish like chemical scent/taste. So that's before bottling. Less worried about oxidation during bottling nowhere and looking more at my sanitation, temp probe accuracy (will test it this week) and my water. Will continue following up.

Beer Troll asking crazy questions.. when batch is done you tasted it and it was the same chemicals flavor?Why are you doing the next step to bottle? How is it going to be any different carb up?if I taste anything else but beer on the first pull..i water the plants with it..sorry

 

[4of7]

Beer Troll crazy questions. Have you fermented out of the fridge?..Do you have different vessels to ferment in? And do they also have same taste?

 

[4of7]

Bring some of your beers to a homebrew club and store . I would like to ask crazy questions did you make root beer in any of the brewing stuff?.. When I go to the chilling stage I will use a plate chiller . I save the hotside water in buckets for cleaning up.. I first rinse down every thing .Dump in the yard.then with the water i will oxy pump for 15m .Then rinse.Then starsan..then rinse... Brew day I will starsan pump into vessels and hoses and pumps . I will also backwash one pump..then rinse off on brew on.

 

[4of7]

When is the first time that you taste or smell it.? First time you pull sample for reading og? When you pull sample for fg? Or when you are done and transfer to the bottles? The first time I taste my Brew is when I am transferring, cuz i NEVER take readings... mayb.e it's the brew kettle. Maybe it's the paddle .do you use the kettle for other things? I did the cold sink bath for years no problems and still have.. I do not Mill grains in the same room . outside...my carboys sit in the basement .no n near the kitchen or brewing areas...stay strong and Brew on

 

[Christophrawr]

When is the first time that you taste or smell it.? First time you pull sample for reading og? When you pull sample for fg? Or when you are done and transfer to the bottles? The first time I taste my Brew is when I am transferring, cuz i NEVER take readings... mayb.e it's the brew kettle. Maybe it's the paddle .do you use the kettle for other things? I did the cold sink bath for years no problems and still have.. I do not Mill grains in the same room . outside...my carboys sit in the basement .no n near the kitchen or brewing areas...stay strong and Brew on

Thanks!
-I haven't tasted the wort pre fermentation so it could very well be there if it's because of my water (chlorine) I always tasted it when taking FG reading. Recently I started dumping the batches instead of bottling now that I know it isn't disappearing in time .
-I only use the equipment for brewing and store it in a closet far from the kitchen.
-I will think about milling my grain in a different room as this is a good idea in general even if it's not causing this off flavor.

I will report back after brewing this weekend and taking a taste after primary fermentation dies down [emoji106]

 

[4of7]

Beer Troll says keep on brewing

 

[Christophrawr]

So it's brewday and I filled up my kettle last night with 2 gal of tap water and 0.1 grams of campden. This morning reduced my water volume to the appropriate starting amount. Filled my starsan tub and also decided to put some campden in there.

 

[Christophrawr]

Update.

I sampled the campden batch a few days ago to see if I could taste the hot solventy chemical and I wasn't sure, it wasn't upfront like I was used to but my brain was looking for it.

Decided to bottle it today to use as a sample of my off flavor for more knowledgeable brewers. Well I'm drinking a sample right now and I don't think I can taste the enemy (at least not clearly) so my brain is trying to tie the normal taste of alcohol to it. Also, I think Mosaic hops have a flavor that's triggering something in my head and confusing me. The enemy has employed psychological warfare and won.

Tomorrow I will brew the same recipe with spring water to finally clear my head of whether or not this is water. I'll serve the campden batch and spring water batch to friends as well for their blind input.

If I get the same semi good results/no obvious presence of the enemy again Ill then ditch the mosaic hops and also try a different yeast to reboot my palate and go from there.

 

[Christophrawr]

Sampled the bottled campden batch, no solventy or chemical taste. Feels good. It was the water and chlorophenols in the end. I can now taste the difference of high ferm temp and chlorophenols (I think) which I'm telling myself was a good thing to come from this. I also think my palate is broken with US-05 or Mosaic hops now, it still didn't taste how I want it or imagined. Next week I'll be sampling the same recipe but with spring water. Today I brewed a wit with el dorado to shock my homebrew palate and try to reboot.

You've all been awesome and helpful and definitely played a huge roll in improving my practices.

 

[Miraculix]

Lose the bleach entirely. There's no upside.

Know how I clean my bottles? Triple-rinse when first emptied, then I put 'em in the dishwasher. They're sanitized with Star-San just prior to bottling.

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I do exactly the same, just without the star san. Pasteurizing them in the dishwasher at 70c is enough.