First AG, platicy taste?

[Poppy360]

My first AG was a SNPA clone that I brewed on the first of April. There were some issues as you can read below, but I tried to fix them as best as possible.

My first taste out of primary has a big plasticy taste. Now, I realize that the beer is green, but I've never has a beer with this flavor before. It's not appealing at all. I'm going to keg it and let it sit, but I have my doubts.

Any ideas?

BeerSmith Recipe Printout - www.beersmith.com
Recipe: SNPA Clone
Brewer: Poppy
Style: American Pale Ale
TYPE: All Grain

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 6.85 gal
Estimated OG: 1.054 SG
Estimated Color: 6.9 SRM
Estimated IBU: 34.1 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
10 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 90.91 %
8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 4.55 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 4.55 %
0.38 oz Cascade [4.20 %] (60 min) Hops 5.1 IBU
1.00 oz Pearle [6.20 %] (60 min) Hops 19.9 IBU
0.38 oz Cascade [6.00 %] (15 min) Hops 3.6 IBU
0.38 oz Cascade [6.00 %] (10 min) Hops 2.6 IBU
0.75 oz Cascade [6.00 %] (5 min) Hops 2.9 IBU
1.00 oz Irish Moss (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs SafAle American Ale (Fermentis #US-05) Yeast-Ale


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body
Total Grain Weight: 11.00 lb
----------------------------
Single Infusion, Medium Body
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Mash In Add 13.75 qt of water at 167.2 F 153.0 F
10 min Mash Out Add 16.00 qt of water at 186.4 F 177.0 F


Notes:
------
Mash in at 153 for 60 min. Only had 2.25G first run off. Added 16qt for mash out @ 198 for 177F reduced to 171 by end of mash out. Ended with 6G. Added .75G to pot. Boiled 60min. Also added fermcap (12 drops) before boil. Ended with 5.25G after boil at 72F with OG of 1.042. Shook primary to oxygenate. Added .25G water with 1.25# LDME to increase OG to 1.047. Pitched dry yeast. Waited 10 min. Stirred. Placed airlock with vodka.

Notes: 13.75G not nearly enough. Must add approx. 15G to reach runoff of @3.5G.

 

[Poppy360]

Could it be that this was the first time I've used this new cooler as a mash tun and the mashing took out some flavors from it?

 

[Poppy360]

Another thought...this was my first time using fermcap. Maybe that's it?

 

[Wade E]

What is the theory of getting that 3.5 gal from mash out? Im new to this and am trying to get a feel for what is right and wrong

 

[Poppy360]

It's half my boil volume. You should get half at mash out and the other half after sparging.

 

[FlyGuy]

It's not the Fermcap -- it doesn't have a plastic flavour, and it would have dropped out anyways. It sounds phenolic to me. If you use bleach or another chlorinated product as your sanitizer, my guess is that your sanitizer never got rinsed thoroughly. You can also get a plasticy or chemical-like taste if you picked up an infection. Often these taste more medicinal, almost band-aid like. In fact, if you notice the taste worsening through time, it is most likely you picked this up from something like a wild yeast.

 

[Poppy360]

My sanitizer is Starsan, so I doubt that's the problem.

I handed the sample to my fiance w/o telling her of my thoughts and she said it "tasted like plastic".

Hmmm, kinda discouraging for my first AG. My extract, full boil batches taste way better than this.

 

[FlyGuy]

My sanitizer is Starsan, so I doubt that's the problem.

Yes, rule that one out. Did you use tap water for the brew? Does it have a lot of chlorine in it? That would do it to.

I handed the sample to my fiance w/o telling her of my thoughts and she said it "tasted like plastic".

Hmmm, kinda discouraging for my first AG. My extract, full boil batches taste way better than this.

Keep an eye on the brews and see what happens. If the plastic taste worsens, you probably picked up a wild yeast infection. They can be nasty. One problem with AG brewing is that all sorts of bugs and wild yeast live on grain, and you have to be careful to not spread a lot of dust/flour when you mash in. It can easily contaminate other equipment.

Overall though, there is nothing in the AG process itself that contributes to a plastic off-flavour. That can come from any type of brew (no-boil kit, extract, AG recipes). So don't get too discouraged about the first AG brew not working out -- probably just dumb luck. Believe me -- if the next one works out it will taste all that much better!

 

[TexLaw]

I agree that it is not the Fermcap. I never have had any off flavor or aroma from it, nor do have I ever heard of it happening.

I would be surprised if it were the new cooler, too. Food grade plastic does not usually have that problem.

Your mash out was pretty high, but that should not lead to solventy or phenolic flavors. How did your fermentation go?


TL

 

[Poppy360]

Fermentation was slow at first, but that's been the usual since my house is at 63*F. It took a total of 10 days to go from .048 to .010. The beer doesn't smell bad, it just tastes bad.

I did use tap water for the brew, but I have always used it w/o any problems. Will it affect AG more than extract brews?

 

[TheCrane]

Wow! deja vu. My first AG was a SNPA clone that tasting like plastic!! I ended up dumping it down the terlet after waiting for several months for it to improve. Never got worse, and never got better. It was the first beer to go through my new MLT cooler. I also concluded that this was likely the cause. I brewed a second beer, an IPA, that same day that turned out fantastic and have brewed many many others since then without any more plasticy beer. As a result, when I built a new, bigger MLT, I soaked the the the inside with hot water and vinegar for several hours before mashing in it. I figured hot, acidic, kinda like wort. Not sure if this helped, but the first beer through that cooler tasted great.

 

[SRFeldman79]

I've noticed a plasticky taste in a recently made amber with a high partial mash temperature and no plastic mashtun (but yes to plastic fermenter).

im assuming mine is likely to be an infection of some kind in the fermenter that started the beer before and has grown...

that or i didnt rinse my bottles well enough after their soak in BTF, though they were cleaned after that with just water...

 

[BierMuncher]

How vigorous was your boil and for how long?

Some people mistake a mild unsweetend corn flavor for a plasitc aroma.

Just trying to rule out DMS.

 

[SRFeldman79]

pretty vigorous 60 minutes. i had weird partial mash conversion issues posted elsewhere on that one, but im about to side by side taste the last two beers ive finished aging and see if i notice the same flavor in each.