Help! Three eBIAB batches taste metallic.

[Patricknobles]

Hi all,

First off, I have been brewing for a few years and have never had "metal" beer. I am on the third batch using a new eBIAB build I just completed and to much disappointment, all batches tast like metal. The metal taste is decreasing in stringency, but is still present. I have cleaned everything with Oxy Free.

Is there something I am missing. I was anticipating a smooth transition to e-baib and so far it has been a let down. Everything else is great, just can't seem to make good beer...i am digressing.

What should I do? should I soak it in Oxy Free overnight? What am I doing wrong? I thought the elements might have been to blame...they are clean and shinny. Could it be the welds? I might pick up some naval jelly to treat. Thoughts?

 

[Patricknobles]

ah-ha. I have 7 brass NPT hosebarbs....could that be it?

 

[Britinusa]

What are the brews?

 

[Patricknobles]

Belgian IPA, Alt Bier, and most recently an APA. All beers I have brewed before with great success...

 

[orangehero]

What kind of elements do you have?

What kind of chiller?

If you haven't pickled the brass you should do it anyway:
http://www.howtobrew.com/appendices/appendixB.html

If nothing is rusting I don't think you need to passivate. If you want to do it, you can passivate the stainless components by making up a 10% w/v citric acid solution at 180F and let it sit overnight or until it cools back down to room temp. I think 10% solution actually ought to be good in as little as 10 minutes. If you do overnight you can probably use less concentrated solution. I don't know if that would be good for the element plug...mine is sealed over with silicone.

 

[Patricknobles]

The heating element is a 1500 watt 120v medium density from Homedepot.

The chiller is a counterflow 30 plate chiller from an online homebrew store.

I will passivate the bass.

Any other ideas?