Not a noob - but need a consensus

[Gregredic]

Eddie - that is an acurate list, except I "usually" use LME and just switched to DME to test. I pitch at about 78 degrees and use ale yeast. I have used liquid yeast for a test and it worked good but did not eliminate the off flavor. I did not use a starter - just pitched the liquid yeast after following the directions. As far as cooling the wort - my sink is by my kitchen window - I set the brew pot in the sink, use the work chiller with the faucet to get the temps down to around 80 degrees, then pitch it into my 5 gallon carboy filled half way with cold water.

Pi Kapp Beer Guy - I never siphon by mouth. I have an orange carboy cap that lets you run a tube from the top down to the bottom of the carboy, then a flexible hose to rack. Another opening in the orange cap lets you blow pressure into the carboy to start the siphon.

Dan

Why dont you try to do a full boil. You said that you were pitching your wort into a 5 gallon carboy filled half way with cold water. I would say that is probably where you are getting your metallic taste. When you were at your friends house, did you us his water, or did you use bottled water?

 

[Gregredic]

Try one of these 2 things...or better yet, try both:

1. Have someone else that brews beer to come over and use YOUR equipment, but let them use THEIR process. Be sure to let them do everything exactly how they normally do it. This way you can figure out if it is something like supplies or process.

2. Have someone come over to your house and you use THEIR equipment, but be sure to use YOUR process. See if you notice any change. If you do notice a difference, then obviously something you are using is causing the problem (ie. pot, santizer, etc.)

 

[bump8628]

[/QUOTE]Orphy: I have used Spring water - no help. I do steep grains, but put them in my brewpot with cold water and remove before it reaches a boil (about 20 minutes or so).[/QUOTE]

Do you remove the grains before the water reaches 170 degrees? Water hotter than 170 will remove tannins from the husk of the grain and create an astringent (possibly a metallic) taste.

 

[DD2000GT]

Gregredic: I suppose I could pull out my cajun cooker and try a full boil, but would need to buy a larger pot first. I would like to actually go over and watch an experienced brewer make a batch and observe and learn.

bump8628: I don't measure the temps before pulling the grains off. I would say there is a good chance it is steeping a little over 170 degrees. I can try a bactch without grains (kit) and see if the taste is still there.

Thanks,
Dan

 

[bump8628]

When I used to do extract with specialty grain brewing I would always steep my grains at 150-155 degrees for about thirty minutes.

 

[DD2000GT]

An update to this post:

I just cracked open my first glass of American IPA (kit from Williams Brewing) and the taste was AMAZING - really! It tasted every bit as good as a local brewpub IPA with absolutely no off flavors that ALL of my past home brews had. I would pay money for this and finally don't have any reservations about giving friends a glass of this homebrew. Based on the info I have read on this site, and the replies I got from this thread - here is what I did differently:

LARGER BOIL - I could only get three gallong to boil on my electric stove, but was at least a gallon more than before. I also removed the pot from the burner when adding the malt until it was fully desolved - I have never done that before. SPRING WATER - I have experimented with drinking water, but not Spring Water (I think). I got the water report for my tap water, and the only thing that stood out was a 8.3 PH. I figured I would try Spring Water to keep some of the minerals. STAR SAN - I always used common bleach for sanitizing, and I don't think I was rinsing as well as I should have based on the things I have heard here. Not sure why I have not discovered this product before! FRESH INGREDIENTS - I have always bought from my LHBS and this is the first mail order kit I have used. I could tell instantly that the ingredients were much fresher on the Williams kit by smell and look. I do prefer to support the local guys, but the ingredients need to be fresh. LIQUID YEAST - I have used this before, but only a few times. I think I am sold on the quality liquid yeast gives the beer. FERMENTED COOLER - I usually just set the fermenter in a dark corner at room temps (78 degrees, I live in Texas). I put it in a large tub of water and put a white t-shirt over it and set it under a fan. This reduced the fermetation temps to about 70-72 degrees.

Not sure which process or combination did the trick - but that annoying house flavor that all of my previous home brews had is finally GONE! Thanks guys for all your help and suggestions, this is the type of beer I have always wanted to make. And by the way - you CAN make excellent extract only beers! I was beginning to think it wasn't possible until I found this site.

Dan

 

[WBC]

From what you have posted I can see that you have a few things you have changed. If you really want to keep making excellent beer then you need to do the following things.

1. Buy a larger SS pot so you can do full boils. Use a cajun burner.
   
2. Always cool quickly after the boil. (chiller)
   
3. Stop using bleach and use Starsan.
   
4. Use good sanitary practices. Read all you can on this.
   
5. Always use the freshest ingredients. This means you might have to buy online.
   
6. Never mix tap water with finished beer as it can contaminate. Always boil and cool water that is to be mixed to dilute a finished beer.
   
7. Use Five Star 5.2 to maintain PH when mashing (All Grain or partial grain) if the mash PH is out of range. Use PH test strips or chemical test on the wort not the water.
   
8. Ferment at the required temperature range (very important). Check your yeast package for this information or online.
   
9. Make yeast starters when using liquid yeast.

The above is what I have been doing for years and I do not get off tastes at all.

 

[Revvy]

WOW...How did I miss this amazing thread?

This should be stickied because it is a great example of trouble shooting...and the final solution as outlined by WBC should be known to da noobs!!!

Good job...I'm just sad that I didn't get to play, but glad that DD2000GT now has a great batch of beer.

 

[IrregularPulse]

Very informative thread. i have been having similar off flavors and my last batch i integrated fermentation temp control in a fridge (Force carbing now haven't tasted), and next batch will integrate bottled spring water. Between these two I hope to find my culprit.