Fishboyman
Member
I need help diagnosing an off flavor we have had a few times now. We have brewed about 15 batches without any problems on this system since last summer. 5 gallon batches, 10 gallon stainless pot, 5 gal cooler HLT, 10 gal cooler mash tun. We fly sparge over the course of about 45 min for most beers. We use a chugger pump for water transfers and for cooling through a Duda Diesel plate chiller. We cool from boiling to 60 degrees in about 15 min. We use city water but run through a RV charcoal filter and trickle fill our water. I also add 1/2 campden tablet to the water before heating just in case. We also ferment in corny kegs.
We brewed an IPA around 2/18 in freezing weather. We had a lot of issues to the point that everything froze and we had to pull out the old coil chiller. Fermented fine, around 65 degrees. Went to dry hop and took a sample. Strong taste of plastic/band aid. Dry hopped anyway and let it sit. As of a week ago, still band aid. We chalked it up to the freezing temperatures, maybe the water filter freezing. We thought somehow unfiltered water made its way into the pot/fermentor.
Brewed a Porter around 3/4, same exact taste in it. This time we used our normal process and was not expecting to taste that again.
I tore everything apart, gave it a good clean, scrub and boil. Replaced what I could for rubber pieces and boiled the rest for 15 min. I also purchased a new water filter, thinking the freezing may have cracked something inside.
Brewed 2 beers afterwards, one on Saturday night 4/8 and 4/9 during the day. The 4/8 beer was a Black Lager and it fermented in the fridge around 53 degrees. The 4/9 beer was a Cream Ale and fermented around 64 degrees.
Grabbed readings on both last night to check fermentation and the lager has the plastic flavor but the cream ale does not. I am thoroughly confused on this. It has to be something in our process I'm not taking into account but I am at a loss. Help me please!
We brewed an IPA around 2/18 in freezing weather. We had a lot of issues to the point that everything froze and we had to pull out the old coil chiller. Fermented fine, around 65 degrees. Went to dry hop and took a sample. Strong taste of plastic/band aid. Dry hopped anyway and let it sit. As of a week ago, still band aid. We chalked it up to the freezing temperatures, maybe the water filter freezing. We thought somehow unfiltered water made its way into the pot/fermentor.
Brewed a Porter around 3/4, same exact taste in it. This time we used our normal process and was not expecting to taste that again.
I tore everything apart, gave it a good clean, scrub and boil. Replaced what I could for rubber pieces and boiled the rest for 15 min. I also purchased a new water filter, thinking the freezing may have cracked something inside.
Brewed 2 beers afterwards, one on Saturday night 4/8 and 4/9 during the day. The 4/8 beer was a Black Lager and it fermented in the fridge around 53 degrees. The 4/9 beer was a Cream Ale and fermented around 64 degrees.
Grabbed readings on both last night to check fermentation and the lager has the plastic flavor but the cream ale does not. I am thoroughly confused on this. It has to be something in our process I'm not taking into account but I am at a loss. Help me please!
