First brew funk

[Chuu]

For my first brew I did a SNPA extract Clone from Austin brew Supply. There's something slightly off. I smelled this in the fermenter as it was in the primary a little. It is a slight plastic/maybe even rubbery taste.

I did not have a hydrometer at the time so I went by visuals to figure out if fermenting was done. It sat in a fermenting bucket in a larger bucket with water and frozen water bottles to keep it at about 65 for 2 weeks then to a glass carboy for another 2 at the same temperature. Then bottled and have been in the bottle for 2 weeks.

Color and smell of the brew are spot on with SNPA and its nice and clear with plenty of head retention and a little under carbonated (to be expected though at 12 days). Taste starts off fine but finishes with a harsh almost chemically rubber taste.

Any ideas on what it could be?

Edit: also, the taste mellows slightly when the beer warms a bit.

 

[COLObrewer]

Possibly chlorophenols, how do you sanitize? Does your water have alot of chlorine in it? Here is a quick reference to some off flavors: http://www.howtobrew.com/section4/chapter21-2.html

 

[Chuu]

That's what I thought as well. But I used cleanitizer. I live in South Florida so the chlorine content in my water might be a little high.

 

[COLObrewer]

Never heard of cleanitizer, do yourself a BIG favor and start using an iodophor like starsan, etc.

 

[Austinhomebrew]

Is the flavor more like a band aid taste? If so it might be your water profile. Often times if you use city water it will contain chloramine. This is a water treatment that the city will use. It can cause a rubbery or chemical taste much like a band aid. We have a couple solutions for this. It would be best to email or call us and we can figure out what the exact problem is and how to solve it.


[email protected]
512-300-2739

 

[Chuu]

I got myself some star san and used that for the bottling and everything on the second batch. The band-aid taste might be what it is. Any way to fix that once its in the bottle?

 

[Chuu]

Just found out my city does add chloramines to water and that will explain the taste....any way to fix this after its been bottled and/or while its in the primary?

 

[COLObrewer]

Hmmmmm, if it is undrinkable you may have to use them as BBQ fodder.

 

[TRainH2o]

Campden tablets, aka. potassium metabisulfite in powder form, may help with chloramine in your water. I think the rate is 1 crushed tablet per 5 gallons of water that you use.

I'm going to start using them.

 

[Chuu]

Its not exactly undrinkable. But its just not pleasant. And I'm brewing to drink pleasant beer. Now I've got a Bo Pils sitting in primary that I'm gonna be mad if this flavor shows up in there too. Thankfully I don't smell it in the primary like I did with the pale ale.

 

[divrguy]

Its not exactly undrinkable. But its just not pleasant. And I'm brewing to drink pleasant beer. Now I've got a Bo Pils sitting in primary that I'm gonna be mad if this flavor shows up in there too. Thankfully I don't smell it in the primary like I did with the pale ale.

If you don't smell or taste it in this batch?? Maybe time to snag a sample to taste it?

 

[Chuu]

I was going to check the gravity today anyways so that's what I'm gonna do.

 

[Chuu]

Let a couple bottles sit in the fridge for a couple days. They taste great now. No detectable off flavor.