mystery off taste

[joshtdavis]

I have done two batches so far, one a brown ale extract kit, and the other a pale ale all-grain. In both batches there is a sweet off taste that overcomes the beer. It is worse in the brown ale, i think the extra hops mask the taste in the pale ale. What could be causing this? I have used the included priming sugar with both kits, and besides that have sanitized religiously. A friend described it as plasticy, but I think it is more of a sweet flavor.

 

[DavidSteel]

Maybe pitched at a high temp (should be @ 70), maybe you used a new pot and it wasn't oxidized, maybe fermented at too high a temp (should be between 60-70, ideally 68ish), maybe the controversial extract "twang" flavor it gives off, or maybe your LME caramelized by adding it at the start of the boil instead of the last 10 minutes if you used it. That's all I've got..

 

[alcibiades]

what is your FG - sweetness might simply be a stuck fermentation....

 

[joshtdavis]

Maybe pitched at a high temp (should be @ 70), maybe you used a new pot and it wasn't oxidized, maybe fermented at too high a temp (should be between 60-70, ideally 68ish), maybe the controversial extract "twang" flavor it gives off, or maybe your LME caramelized by adding it at the start of the boil instead of the last 10 minutes if you used it. That's all I've got..

I pitched the yeast right around 80 degrees, maybe I should have waited a little longer. The pot was new when i brewed the brown ale extract kit. The fermentation temp should be good at around 64 F. I did add the LME at the beginning, so maybe that messed it up. Thank you for your input, its got me thinking. I have since moved over to just all-grain batches, so I will wait till 70 F to pitch the yeast next time.

The FG of the brown ale = 1.015 Pale ale = 1.012

 

[joshtdavis]

The brew kettle is stainless as well if that matters.