discouraged rookie

[thelastchairbrew31]

Rookie here,

Just tasted my dead ringer extract.... sort of alcohol tasting, phenol type taste to it... almost tin metal like, metallic like taste?? The taste sort of stays with you a bit.
used wyeast ale yeast and used a starter

The previous amber ale that came with kit was similar.

On well water, and carbon filtered, water tastes good.

Followed recipe to a T and even used a converted fridge to maintain temps.

What do you guys think... A bit discouraged

g

 

[unionrdr]

Here's some reading to look at on your problems; http://howtobrew.com/book/section-4/is-my-beer-ruined/common-off-flavors This should give you some ideas on what's wrong & what to do.

 

[Rhumbline]

Just to rule out the water, try using store bought for the next batch. Also, try a different boil kettle if you can. If you're using an aluminum pot try SS.

 

[ncbrewer]

I can see why you'd be discouraged - metallic flavors would be nasty. John Palmer, in How to Brew (http://howtobrew.com/book/section-4/is-my-beer-ruined/common-off-flavors) says:
"Metallic flavors are usually caused by unprotected metals dissolving into the wort but can also be caused by the hydrolysis of lipids in poorly stored malts. Iron and aluminum can cause metallic flavors leaching into the wort during the boil. The small amount could be considered to be nutritional if it weren't for the bad taste. Nicks and cracks ceramic coated steel pots are a common cause as are high iron levels in well water. Stainless steel pots will not contribute any metallic flavors. Aluminum pots usually won't cause metallic flavors unless the brewing water is alkaline with a pH level greater than 9. Shiny new aluminum pots will sometimes turn black when boiling water due to chlorine and carbonates in the water.

The protective (grayish) oxides of aluminum can be enhanced by heating the clean pot in a dry oven at 250°F for about 6 hours."

As for phenolic, chlorine or chloramine in your water can produce chlorophenols. Campden dissolved in the water can fix that.

Good luck.

 

[cilestiok]

Sounds like high fermentation temps to me. OP, what was the temp like where you fermented at?

 

[thelastchairbrew31]

Thanks all...

Temps were mid 60s , 67 usually I believe

No head retention either. Holy cow
kick in the butt for sure..

I will try and change water.. I live in NH, have a filtration system, artesian well.

I did just buy a new kettle had not used it yet tho.

I bit nervous about going all grain, was going to do that next brew.

g

 

[MaxStout]

The phenols might be from chlorine or chloramine in your water. Maybe the water has some iron or manganese, which would add the metallic flavors. Buy some reverse-osmosis (RO) water from the store and see if that fixes it next time.

Don't give up, but get the kinks out of your brewing before moving to AG.

 

[gatsby174]

Metallic taste could also be from being overcarbed...you said no head retention, but nothing about carb levels? I'm going to guess it's in your water though. I have a well with over 550 tds and run an ro/di for drinking and brewing water. Helps more than any other variable for well water, imho. Good luck!

 

[thelastchairbrew31]

1st beer amber ale extract from northern brewer.
Carbed with corn sugar.
bottle conditioned for a month.

Interesting. The 12 oz bottles have little to no head retention and sort of "sharp" like carb sense on the palate. The 22 oz bottles huge head with much more retention noted. Each have that tinny like taste that lingers on the back of the tongue.

2nd beer
dead ringer extract from northern brewer.
carved with corn sugar
bottled and conditioned on Oct 24th
very similar tinny taste that lingers. To this point virtually no head, carb level is "small" bubbles not flat but certainly not fully carbed.



I agree will go with different water RO likely next.

Now if using RO should I use something like Burton salts to prep for a IPA ?

Thanks to all again. A bit frustrated... sorry for multiple questions...

g

 

[Yooper]

It does like a water issue, particularly chlorine/chloramines in the water, but possibly some iron in the water as well.

RO water or distilled water should fix that. Definitely do NOT add burton salts!

You can add some gypsum or calcium chloride if you'd like. For an IPA, some gypsum would be nice.

 

[gatsby174]

If your making an extract, don't add any salts at all.

 

[thelastchairbrew31]

moving to all grain next..... that should really mess with my head. Might try another extract with RO water and go from there.

 

[gatsby174]

I use ro/di water for all grain and add .75 tsp of cacl for 3.5g of mash water and use 1-2% aciduated malt. Hope this helps ya

 

[ThomasPaine]

I lived in Bedford NH for a while. My well water smelled like iron out of the tap and caused everything to rust.

 

[blizzard]

I agree with most of what's said here. Try different water and do one more extract batch. You'll introduce so many new variables when you go all grain, that you should nail down the metallic taste problem first. You got this though. This is a totally fixable problem. You're gonna make great beer.

 

[thelastchairbrew31]

Thanks for all the replies. Yea I agree, nee dot cool my jets and brew another extract..... Just pieced together my all grain equipment of course thinking all was good with my first two.

RO /DI water it is. If doing extract should I add anything to the water or just pour and go? I think I remember reading to not add anything..
greg

 

[Rhumbline]

Thanks for all the replies. Yea I agree, nee dot cool my jets and brew another extract..... Just pieced together my all grain equipment of course thinking all was good with my first two.

RO /DI water it is. If doing extract should I add anything to the water or just pour and go? I think I remember reading to not add anything..
greg

Just use the water as is, it will give you a good benchmark. No way should it mess up the brew.

 

[paperairplane]

You are having a real issue - water additions are not what's missing. How long are you keeping beer in primary? Are you able to boil full volume or topping off in fermenter? How long in the bottle? What sanitizer?

 

[jrgtr42]

Thanks for all the replies. Yea I agree, nee dot cool my jets and brew another extract..... Just pieced together my all grain equipment of course thinking all was good with my first two.

RO /DI water it is. If doing extract should I add anything to the water or just pour and go? I think I remember reading to not add anything..
greg

IMO, don't move on to all grain till you can consistently brew decent beers using extract. At least a couple in a row being good. I know it's frustrating, but as others have said, going to all-grain introduces a lot of extra possibilities for issues.
Besides what other things people have mentioned, have you checked the freshness of the extract you are using? That can lead to off flavors as well.

 

[thelastchairbrew31]

Paperairplane. I was topping off in the ferm, just bought a new bigger kettle, bottled 4-5 weeks. Starsan is sanitizer of choice.

Going to do full boil next time for sure. Wish I could text it sooner than 6 weeks out. Now I have grown very impatient

This is good for me ....... Patience, learn more and finer attention to detail and will have MUCH more appreciation for a good tasting beer..... If I create one .....sorry just crying in my cornflakes

 

[thelastchairbrew31]

Sorry that's taste it sooner not text.....

 

[Yooper]

You'll get it!

Remember that the beer is like 90% water when you mix it up, so use good quality reverse osmosis water without chlorine or chloramines, and that will go a very long way to making great beer.

Once you can make a great extract beer, then it's time to move to all-grain if you'd like. My advice is that it has its own sets of challenges, so make sure you feel confident before tackling that next frontier.

 

[paperairplane]

Dude, I have had to dump 25 gallons since June due to a recurring issue. Finally found I had a dirty ball valve in my boil keggle. And I mean totally undrinkable ruined beer. That's almost 5 months of failure before I figured it out.

Assuming you are not rinsing after using star san (don't fear the foam).

Full volume boil will make extract batches better with less extract flavor. Look up "late extract additions" - add LME in the last 10 minutes to reduce maillard reactions.

Really look at fermentation temperatures. Don't pitch yeast until wort is in the very low 70's. For most yeast - like S05 - keep the ferm chamber (if you have one) under 65*F for the first 2-3 days. The fermenting beer will be up to 10* hotter than ambient air. I start most of my beers at 62 for 3-4 days, then put it to 70 for week 2. I primary everything for 2-3 weeks, then keg.

Your bottles were no carb and your bombers were high carb. This sounds to me like you did not get a good mix on packaging sugar. You do not want to aerate fermented beer, but it needs a good stir to get an even mix of the sugar - it likes to sink.

Keep working at it dude - you'll figure it out. I really think your issue is ferm temp and overcooked extract during the boil.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

like already said about the priming solution sinking, it will. the sugars are heavier than the alcohol. as for the water issue, I agree with changing your water supply. and don't let the AG be daunting for you. I brewed with extracts for 13 years or so and now wish I would have started AG a lot sooner. and fwiw, my first batch was an absolute drain pour. but I stuck it out and changed things up to make a better beer. first things that changed were my sanitation practices and my water. Las Vegas tap water sucks. using bleach for sanitation sucks as well. it sounds like you're willing to take advice. that is a huge step some newer members aren't willing to take. a lot of these folks are award winners and produce quite quality beer very consistently. sometimes some of us don't sound like we're trying to help, but we are. don't give up! brew on!

 

[bondra76]

Good Water = Good Beer

That's always a golden rule of brewing.


Maybe try some smaller 1-2 gallon batches as well. Nothing's worse than 5 gallons of no bueno beer. Once you get good small batches move back up to 5 gallons. If something is wrong when you go back to 5 gallons maybe you could pinpoint it a little better.

 

[BlkWater_brewer]

What part of NH are you in out of curiosity? The water can be really screwed up in some areas.

 

[thelastchairbrew31]

Thanks a ton.

Yea I think these two batches are septic system bound will reclaim the bottles...

Need a kegerator for sure. Avoid the sugar and 50 vessel variables.

I'm up in the Holderness area