Off taste in many of my homebrews

[budbo]

Thanks All. The taste is slightly bitter, slightly tangy, but not at all sour. It's just slightly off. Someone mentioned band-aid which isn't quite right, but yes, maybe just a bit like band-aid.

I had a similar issue after moving, it was especially pronounced in lighter beers. I started using a britta filter and that solved the problem (I now have an under the sink unit)

 

[ultravista]

Yooper - what is your process for keeping the Ale temps down?

I live in Las Vegas, it gets hottern than hell here in the summer. The house is usually around 79. What are your suggestions for keeping the carboy cool for ale fermentation? Do you leave the fermenter in the cooler for the entire ferment and rest, just the ferment cycle (few days), or?

In a cooler, a single frozen bottle of water keeps the temps in check?

 

[Yooper]

Yooper - what is your process for keeping the Ale temps down?

I live in Las Vegas, it gets hottern than hell here in the summer. The house is usually around 79. What are your suggestions for keeping the carboy cool for ale fermentation? Do you leave the fermenter in the cooler for the entire ferment and rest, just the ferment cycle (few days), or?

In a cooler, a single frozen bottle of water keeps the temps in check?

No, you may need several frozen bottles at a time. I have some old LME containers, with nice lids, that are sort of like thin coffee cans. I freeze water in those, and in 2 quart milk jugs, and cycle them in and out. I have quite an assortment, from 1L soda bottles to those big LME containers. If you float a thermometer in the water bath, you can keep an eye on temperature pretty well. And even if the ice melts, it takes a LONG time for 10 gallons of liquid (5 or so in the water bath, I'd guess) and 5 gallons in the fermenter to change temperature, so it holds the temps pretty stable for a long time.

I control the fermentation temperature throughout the whole process. I know some people let the temperature rise at the end, but I don't, beyond maybe a couple of degrees. When I'm finished, I keg or bottle the beer.

 

[ultravista]

I do not secondary, the beer spends three to four weeks in the primary for fermentation and conditioning. With that being said, you would keep the carboy cool for the entire duration?

How long do you typically leave your brew in the primary before bottling / kegging?

 

[Yooper]

I do not secondary, the beer spends three to four weeks in the primary for fermentation and conditioning. With that being said, you would keep the carboy cool for the entire duration?

How long do you typically leave your brew in the primary before bottling / kegging?

About three weeks in the fermenter before kegging or bottling.