Homebrew Taste

[Gentlemans_Ale]

What styles do you brew, primarily?

IPAs, imperial IPAs and imperial red ales

 

[Gentlemans_Ale]

T

???

 

[svenness]

My first few batches had a taste that I described as a "home brew taste," I refined my process in many areas after those first few batches but in my case treating for chloramines and pitching ale yeast at 62F and keeping the temp low the first few days of primary made my beers taste great! I got feedback on the first beer I sent to a comp that it had a heavy medicinal flavor and after the aforementioned improvements my second submission won BOS at a small local comp.

 

[Gentlemans_Ale]

My first few batches had a taste that I described as a "home brew taste," I refined my process in many areas after those first few batches but in my case treating for chloramines and pitching ale yeast at 62F and keeping the temp low the first few days of primary made my beers taste great! I got feedback on the first beer I sent to a comp that it had a heavy medicinal flavor and after the aforementioned improvements my second submission won BOS at a small local comp.

I think my next brew will be a lot better. These refinements seem to really make a good beer great. And just saw that my tap has chloramines and not chlorine.

 

[brewbeginner]

How do I get rid of that classic home brew taste? Buy commercial beers! If you don't like home brew taste don't home brew!!!!

 

[Qhrumphf]

:facepalm:

Way to read the thread. Homebrew taste doesn't exist. If you're getting a homebrew taste, it's something you're doing.

 

[youngdh]

I'm doubting the water is the issue unless you are using well water - likely it's a yeast thing. I find the same thing - under-attenuation. That seems to be an issue with most of my beers lately.

Managing my water profile (start with DI water and build up) is perhaps the one single change I've made that had the biggest impact in the taste of my beer. If you are using tap water you must dechlorinate or youll get a subtle or maybe not so subtle "bandaid" taste.

As far as sanitation make sure all of your equipment that touches the wort/beer post boil has been thoroughly cleaned before sanitizing. This includes your tubing and racking cane/siphon. A good soak in PBW does wonders. If you have a spigot in your boil kettle and/or fermenter disassemble it to clean. If bits of trub or hops gets left in your equipment this becomes a breading ground for the little nasties and can get through a star san or idophor rinse sanitation.

If your tubing has been used many times I'd recommend replacing it. Its cheap and 3/8" ID vinyl tube is available not only at your LHWB shop but most home improvement/hardware stores.

If your finished beer has a wet cardboard taste oxygen post ferment my be an issue. Ive gotten in the practice of using a product from my woodworking supply store called Bloxygen (argon gas) which prevents paint skinning to spray into my fermenter when I open it to pull a gravity reading (sanitize the red straw first if you use it). I blow a layer into my secondary and/or bottling bucket when transferring and into my bottles when bottling. I also use oxygen absorbing bottle caps. There is a similar product (I forget the name) to preserve unfinished bottles of wine. Basically any inert gas void of O2 will work as a safety measure if you're getting the wet cardboard taste.

 

[Gentlemans_Ale]

How do I get rid of that classic home brew taste? Buy commercial beers! If you don't like home brew taste don't home brew!!!!

And you got your two cents in, thanks for reviving a dead thread.

 

[Gentlemans_Ale]

:facepalm:

Way to read the thread. Homebrew taste doesn't exist. If you're getting a homebrew taste, it's something you're doing.

I'm lagering a helles now. My gravity sample just 2 weeks from primary tasted amazing. I built a profile from RO and made sure to pitch around 54 degrees. Tight temp control and all that seemed to erase the homebrew taste - which I recant for all you offended. It doesn't exist if things are done right.

 

[brewbeginner]

And you got your two cents in, thanks for reviving a dead thread.

Your welcome.