Funky tasting AG's

[Dr Vorlauf]

Ive done a bunch of AG over the last 6 months. My IPAs have been great basic 2 row and crystal 20 recipes and damned good IMHO.

My last two batches of AG have tasted like a$$.

My whispering wheat :

Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 7.40 gal Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: My Equipment
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0 Brewhouse Efficiency: 78.30
Taste Notes:

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
6.33 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 58.94 %
0.5 lb flaked wheat
1.49 oz Saaz [4.00 %] (60 min) Hops 15.3 IBU
1.06 oz Saaz [4.00 %] (15 min) Hops 7.1 IBU
0.60 oz Saaz [4.00 %] (5 min) Hops 1.6 IBU
1 Pkgs German Wheat (Wyeast Labs #3333) Yeast-Wheat



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.057 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.057 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.015 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.005 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.51 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 6.78 %
Bitterness: 24.0 IBU Calories: 249 cal/pint
Est Color: 3.8 SRM Color: Color



This had a weird sulphury taste that slightly diminished after aging for a few months. Still not a good beer but drinkable. I fermented 73F, I think too high.


Second is this:

Batch Size: 7.00 gal
Boil Size: 9.00 gal Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: Brew Pot (12.5 gal) and Igloo Cooler (10 Gal)
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0 Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00
Taste Notes:

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
11.65 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 95.88 %
0.50 lb Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM) Grain 4.12 %
1.00 oz Columbus [13.50 %] (60 min) Hops 36.5 IBU
1.00 oz Williamette [5.10 %] (15 min) Hops 6.2 IBU
1.00 oz Mt. Hood [4.20 %] (10 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep) Hops -
1 Pkgs Safale S-56 chico (Safale #S-56 American - 05) Yeast-Ale


Est Original Gravity: 1.047 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.052 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.014 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.005 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.37 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 6.13 %
Bitterness: 42.7 IBU Calories: 226 cal/pint
Est Color: 3.5 SRM Color: Color

This tastes like Styrofoam. Hasent been in the bottle to long ( 3 weeks ), but I seriously doubt that this will condition away from its current taste. Fermented this at 70F.

I just don't get it. the only thing in common was the wheat from my LHBS. I am nervous now as I have moved to 12 gallon batches.

I now have 12 gallons of Ed Worts Kolsch ready to bottle ( no apparent problems , fermented at 60 F with Wyeast Kolsch, no wheat) and 18 gallons of a Stone IPA clone ( fermenting at 65F, no wheat).

Any ideas?

 

[Yooper]

What's your water like?

 

[Dr Vorlauf]

I ran the Whispering wheat with 50/50 hard Water ( with softener bypass ) / soft water. My CaCO3 hardness would be about 125 ppm. Low chlorine/chloramines. Ph - 7.8 ish. Did the same with the Ingelwood.

 

[Dgriff]

70 is to high. try to ferment around 62 - 66

 

[Bellybuster]

that higher temp will not make your brew taste like ass but will affect the flavour. I recently have my first really bad beer, tastes like burnt rubber. My only thing I can think of is chlorine in my water, I usually get rid of it with hyd. peroxide but think I forgot on that batch

 

[david_42]

One thing that jumps out: your final gravities. You've had super-fermentable worts both times and almost no residual sugars. It doesn't account for the sulfur, but would the Styrofoam (which tastes like rice cakes, I've been told). Even in the wheat, a lack of malts would let a minor flavor/oder come through.

Have you checked your thermometers lately?

 

[mr x]

Something about that first recipe and the O.G. isn't right. Your gravity is way high for the amount of malt.

 

[Dr Vorlauf]

Thanks for the reply. I think from your responses that I had these two at too high of a ferment temp and may have some residual chlorine. Also I need to recheck the first formula.

 

[Dr Malt]

Most beers during fermentation go through a stage where they produce some sulfury notes in the gas coming from the ferment and in the taste of the ferment. :cross: This is more common in wheat beers because wheat proteins have higher sulfur content than barley proteins. The warm fermentation temperatures (73 F) increases the production of sulfury notes. Next time, try to keep your wheat beer fermetation temperature at or slightly below 68 F. Some of the sulfury character should deminish with beer aging.

The styrofoam character can be due to wild yeast in the fermentation or from containers used for the fermentation, handling or packaging of the beer. I assume the package or fermentation vessel is not your problem so I suspect wild yeast.

Hope this helps.

Dr Malt

 

[Dr Vorlauf]

Helps alot. I will pay careful attention to my ferment temp and post boil sanitation.