PistolaPete
Well-Known Member
I know, I know you are all going to say that you can't taste Star San and not to fear the foam. And I believe it, since I have used it many times with no issues and even put some in plain water to taste it by itself (it's only a little tart) Well a buddy and I are trying to figure this off flavor out, it's happened to him almost every batch and me once and I also tasted this "flavor" in another friend's brew as well...
I'm not sure how to describe this off flavor, it is almost medicinal or vinyl-like (maybe metal like?) and very noticeable on the finish and when you burp, it really comes back out again, it doesn't taste sour or funky like I would think an infection would.
The weird thing is the beer tastes good, if not great, before bottling and this flavor doesn't show up until after waiting for a few weeks to carb up. That's why I think it is from the Star San (which we both use). I always use the same bottled spring water for priming, which is the same I use for brewing, so it's not that. Corn sugar is always used for priming. I pay very close attention to making sure EVERYTHING is sanitized and I put the bottles back into my chest freezer to carb at 68F.
Two possible user errors:
1) It is possible we made the dosage a little too strong, but not like double strength or anything. (I've noticed a strong dosage makes equipment have a slimy feel, but there is still some slimy feeling even when I pay close attention to the dosage although it is not as slimy as a stronger dose.)
2)Sometimes the bottles are still wet w/ sanitizer and I think not letting them dry enough might be an issue (the directions do say to let equipment dry). I have a theory that some wet sanitizer in a fermenter or bottling bucket is not a big deal since there is a lot of beer to dilute it further, but think about how much wet Star San can stick to the walls of a bottle in ratio to only 12 oz of beer and then add the sanitizer that was already in the beer from sanitizing your siphon, caps and bottling bucket as well.
It is possible that a combination of too strong of a dose and not letting the bottles fully drip dry enough can cause this.
I am just wondering if anyone has also run into this where the beer is great up until bottling and then gets a similar medicine/vinyl aftertaste.
I'm not sure how to describe this off flavor, it is almost medicinal or vinyl-like (maybe metal like?) and very noticeable on the finish and when you burp, it really comes back out again, it doesn't taste sour or funky like I would think an infection would.
The weird thing is the beer tastes good, if not great, before bottling and this flavor doesn't show up until after waiting for a few weeks to carb up. That's why I think it is from the Star San (which we both use). I always use the same bottled spring water for priming, which is the same I use for brewing, so it's not that. Corn sugar is always used for priming. I pay very close attention to making sure EVERYTHING is sanitized and I put the bottles back into my chest freezer to carb at 68F.
Two possible user errors:
1) It is possible we made the dosage a little too strong, but not like double strength or anything. (I've noticed a strong dosage makes equipment have a slimy feel, but there is still some slimy feeling even when I pay close attention to the dosage although it is not as slimy as a stronger dose.)
2)Sometimes the bottles are still wet w/ sanitizer and I think not letting them dry enough might be an issue (the directions do say to let equipment dry). I have a theory that some wet sanitizer in a fermenter or bottling bucket is not a big deal since there is a lot of beer to dilute it further, but think about how much wet Star San can stick to the walls of a bottle in ratio to only 12 oz of beer and then add the sanitizer that was already in the beer from sanitizing your siphon, caps and bottling bucket as well.
It is possible that a combination of too strong of a dose and not letting the bottles fully drip dry enough can cause this.
I am just wondering if anyone has also run into this where the beer is great up until bottling and then gets a similar medicine/vinyl aftertaste.