My latest brown ale tastes like BAND-AIDs!?!?!?!

[clockwise]

I went to sample the attached recipe last night and was majorly disappointed. My first batch to be really bad.

The flavor I would describe as bandaids, maybe slightly medicinal, but definitely overly bitter. Not a hop kind of bitter. I swear I woke up this morning with a weird headache from it. Had a nightmarish dream as well. LOL.

What would typically do this? Tannins?

This recipe was the first time that I used my mortar and pestle to "mill/grind" up the crystal malt and wheat. I think I may have taken it to far because I know my temps were not off. Also, it has been sitting in the primary for a month, which is longer than I usually let it sit. I would say oxygenation is highly unlikely, wasn't moved much at all after fermenting was mostly done the first week.

What you guys think was the cause? Is this batch salvageable? I would personally rate the sample I took last night as undrinkable.


===Batch #8 - Experimental Brown Ale===

6 lbs light dme
2 lb caramel/crystal 40L
1 lb roasted wheat (had some blonde. Roasted myself)

1.5 oz fuggles 30 minutes
Whirlfloc @ 5 minutes

Yeast: Wyeast 1028 London ale

Mashed at 159 for 60 minutes. Cooled to lower 150s upper 140s quickly. Was still 146 when I removed. Poured 8 cups of cold water over the grain bag.

OG: 1.055 room temp
Sample Taken 2014-08-05: 1.012 @ 68
FG:

Brewed: 6/29
Racked:

 

[houstonbg]

Did you happen to use a chlorine-based sanitizer?

 

[boydster]

Does the water you used have chloramine or chlorine in it (tap water from a municipal supply almost always does)?

 

[drainbamage]

And you know how Band-Aids taste...how?

Just kidding. Band-Aid odor/taste is due to phenols in the beer. Usually they're caused by wild yeast exposure, if I'm not mistaken. I wouldn't worry about the month in primary (it's not that long).

 

[WayFrae]

As stated above, it sounds like the cause of using something with chlorine or chloramines, most likely your water. Try brewing your next batch with reverse osmosis or distilled water. If you used bleach to sanitize, try switching to a no rinse sanitizer like starsan.

 

[grittanomyces]

And you know how Band-Aids taste...how?

Just kidding. Band-Aid odor/taste is due to phenols in the beer. Usually they're caused by wild yeast exposure, if I'm not mistaken. I wouldn't worry about the month in primary (it's not that long).

My first thought was brett, it can definitely give off a distinct bandaid taste.

 

[botigol]

Sounds like a wild brett infection to me.

 

[houstonbg]

clockwise, take a look at this:

6. How are bacteria that can make people sick kept out of drinking water?

Chemicals called disinfectants are added to drinking water at the treatment plant. Fairfax Water’s primary disinfectant is chlorine and its chemical compounds. Chloramine, the combination of ammonia and chlorine, form a stable bond that keeps a disinfectant residual throughout the entire distribution system. During the spring months, Fairfax Water performs its annual flushing. While that program is in progress, the disinfectant is changed to free chlorine. Free Chorine is an aggressive disinfectant that aids in the disinfection of the flushed water mains. Fairfax Water is also beginning to utilize ozone as a disinfectant. The use of ozone will allow the amount of chloramine and free chlorine added in the treatment process to be reduced.

This came from http://www.fcwa.org/water/faq.htm (which I think incorporates Centreville, where I'm assuming you're brewing).

 

[DocScott]

Sounds like you have chlorophenols. Brett is horsey/leather/earthy but not really medicinal.

Chlorine or chloramines in your water are the most likely cause. They react with the phenols produced by the yeast during fermentation creating the chlorophenols. To me, it smells like formaldehyde.

Unfortunately, this does not age out and should be dumped. To avoid, use distilled or reverse osmosis water (and add salts) or treat your water with campden tablets.

Sorry for the bad news.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[botigol]

A brettanomyces infection has up to three compounds present. Depending on which one(s) you get/the ratio of the compounds, you will get different results:

4-ethylphenol: Band-aids, barnyard, horse stable, antiseptic
4-ethylguaiacol: Bacon, spice, cloves, smoky
isovaleric acid: Sweaty saddle, cheese, rancidity

 

[grittanomyces]

Sounds like you have chlorophenols. Brett is horsey/leather/earthy but not really medicinal.

Chlorine or chloramines in your water are the most likely cause. They react with the phenols produced by the yeast during fermentation creating the chlorophenols. To me, it smells like formaldehyde.

Unfortunately, this does not age out and should be dumped. To avoid, use distilled or reverse osmosis water (and add salts) or treat your water with campden tablets.

Sorry for the bad news.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

I think you may be a bit too bold in declaring it must be the water. It certainly could be, but being that this is the first beer that has had this issue, doesn't that cast some doubt?

He has been a member here since 2011, so unless they just recently changed their water treatment procedures, wouldn't he have been getting these off-flavors all along?

 

[boydster]

Until the OP comes back, all we can do is ask questions to get to the root or guess blindly... I'm sure he will be back soon enough. We've certainly nailed the blind guessing portion of the program.

 

[DocScott]

Fair enough. I'm on my phone app and unfortunately, can't see the poster'a history

Edit: Or proofread my posts...

Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[boydster]

He has been a member here since 2011, so unless they just recently changed their water treatment procedures, wouldn't he have been getting these off-flavors all along?

Take a look at the posting history... Again, just looking at things from the outside without any additional input from the OP, but he seems to have only a few brews under his belt, so I think either diagnosis is possible at this point. Or maybe it's a combination of both. Or something else entirely. Maybe he dry-Band-Aided his brew for all we know

 

[clockwise]

Did you happen to use a chlorine-based sanitizer?

Nope. I clean with / PBW, rinse w/ water and sanitize w/ Starsan.

Does the water you used have chloramine or chlorine in it (tap water from a municipal supply almost always does)?

This is brown ale is brew #8, but I have a batch I made after this, also still in primary, that doesn't have this issue.

A brettanomyces infection has up to three compounds present. Depending on which one(s) you get/the ratio of the compounds, you will get different results:

4-ethylphenol: Band-aids, barnyard, horse stable, antiseptic
4-ethylguaiacol: Bacon, spice, cloves, smoky
isovaleric acid: Sweaty saddle, cheese, rancidity

I woul definitely lean towards #1 (4-ethylphenol). At the same time, I was scanning some quick searches last night and bandaids popped out to me as the most accurate description of the "taste". So I think that description might have been "implanted" as I can't really say what it tastes like exactly. I forget the psychological term to use.

Take a look at the posting history... Again, just looking at things from the outside without any additional input from the OP, but he seems to have only a few brews under his belt, so I think either diagnosis is possible at this point. Or maybe it's a combination of both. Or something else entirely. Maybe he dry-Band-Aided his brew for all we know

lol..... I can taste again (*shiver*) to more accurately diagnose it, but I'll be dreading the headache if I get one from it.

....

I really doubt it's chlorine for the sheer amount of brews I made and the fact that the 1st one after this doesn't have the same issue. Also, cleaning agent-wise, I didn't do anything out of the ordinary. So you guys are leaning towards a brett infection as the most probable cause? I'll read up on that particular yeast shortly because I REALLY want a GOOD batch of beer in my kegs...

I'm also certain I didn't go over on temp, but have no clue about the PH level or chlorine content of my water

Just to be certain: Crushing the crystal and wheat (doesn't contain tannins?) in the mortar & pestle wouldn't likely be the culprit?

 

[boydster]

Just to be certain: Crushing the crystal and wheat (doesn't contain tannins?) in the mortar & pestle wouldn't likely be the culprit?

Nope, I wouldn't suspect that at all. Brett and chlorophenols are the likely suspects for band-aid flavors, not tannins.