Iron flavor in stouts after carbonation?

[merlyone]

Hi all,

I don’t know if I’m all alone with this issue but after bottling and carbonation all of my stouts changes somehow. When they are fresh and in the kegs, theres no issue and they taste awesome but when they’re ready and packed, something happens. I can taste iron and acid flavor.

What could cause this? Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[day_trippr]

If this is only happens with your stouts, a recipe might be helpful...

Cheers!

 

[hotbeer]

And what did you boil and ferment in? Iron flavors for anything sort of imply you may have had too much contact with certain metals.

Stainless Steel is good. A porcelainized or enamel steel pot with some chips in the coating, not so good. Probably depends a little on your beers acidity to so even copper which actually is good for yeast in small amounts can be bad for long term.

I use to have a metal beer stein that always gave beer a iron taste. Not sure why I ever bought it. Souvenir from Germany. You'd have thunk they'd know good beer stein material.

 

[dmtaylor]

This has happened to me when I added molasses to the recipe. Otherwise it has not been an issue. Let us know your recipe.

 

[merlyone]

sorry for delay but here’s few receipes straight from the brewfather that I’ve tried and had that issue with. It’s like opening a soda can.

Maybe it’s the water?

I use plastic fermzilla for fermentation so that not the problem I quess.

 

[JoeSpartaNJ]

Could it be over carbonated?

It might be carbonic bite you are tasting.

 

[hotbeer]

If you aren't fermenting in some strange vessel like a cast iron kettle or a galvanized cattle trough, then you probably need to take a good look at your water. Unless you can reliably say that it's only specific recipes.

Do you do any mineral additions to correct your water chemistry? If so, that's out of my league and someone else would have to say. But just simply your water or the corrections you make to it is my current suspect.

 

[merlyone]

Yeah I do but not much. Few grams of Calsium chloride, epsom and gypsum.
It sounds weird that so little amount of minerals would make so big difference.

But it’s only the time that makes the difference. Like I said when the beer is fresh, it’s great but after few months in cans or bottles and it’s totally different beer almost. I guess all the good flavors disappears after a while and that’s normal but why iron? It’s just weird.

There isn’t so much foam so I dont’ think it’s overcarbonated.

 

[day_trippr]

I wonder if the flavor is actually magnesium. How much Epsom salt is being used?

Cheers!

 

[WesBrew]

Do you use a different gas cylinder to carbonate the stout?

 

[merlyone]

I wonder if the flavor is actually magnesium. How much Epsom salt is being used?

Cheers!

Sorry for the delay again! Not much, depending of the receipe but usually 1-2g and max 2.7g per 15-20L.

 

[merlyone]

Do you use a different gas cylinder to carbonate the stout?

I use sodastream bottles to carbonate them and usually keep the under pressure (10-15psi) for a week or so.

 

[HM-2]

I use sodastream bottles to carbonate them and usually keep the under pressure (10-15psi) for a week or so.

That sounds a pretty high volume for a stout to me?
I've got metallic tastes from excessive use of roast barley too. Both your recipes are pretty roast barley heavy...

 

[merlyone]

Thx, I have to try to reduce it for the next batch.

 

[dwhite60]

You might try another brand of roast barley.

I've read where Brits thought stout was healthier because of iron content.

I do get this also from molasses. I kind of like it though.