Phenol off Flavors

[Cybershadow]

So i have been brewing for a few years and done about 20 batches. I started doing extract and now do all grain. Ever since my first batch i can always detect what i perceive as phenol flavors. Kinda like a bandaid flavor.

I can really onyl detect it when i burp. It is barely noticable unless you burp, then it is pretty noticable. I have used campden, changed yeast, controlled all temps, carbon block filtered, changed equipment and hoses and i cannot stop this flavor.

I know it could be sanitation but from what i read i only really have to worry about this alot post boil. And post boil i am pretty sure my equipment is sanitzed. Hot wort will sanitize my plate chiller and march pump and hoses, so the only thing lefty is fermenter and i have actually replaced that recently.

Maybe under pitching yeast? I basically always use us-05 now. Never use starters either. Maybe my next batch i will use a liquid yeast and make a starter using a pitching calc and see if that changes anything.

I always thought my water was the problem but carbon block filtering and campden would solve that problem and it has not. I even use campden for my sanitation water.

so frustrating. and advice?

 

[unionrdr]

Try using spring water or RO water. Rehydrate the US-05 yeast,you'll get more healthy,viable cells than just sprinkling dry. Usually,anything containing chlorine or chloromine will give band aid flavors. The cambden tabs should be getting rid of the chloromine. It's said that iondine based sanitizers can cause it as well. Some wild yeasts as well. I think chlorine or chloromine is getting in somehow.

 

[Cybershadow]

I use starsan and I rehydrate the yeast.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[unionrdr]

You say you're "pretty sure" your equipment is sanitized post boil. The kettle maybe. But everything else must be cleaned & sanitized with Starsan or the like,or it won't be sanitized. Read some of this as well,it might help; http://morebeer.com/public/pdf/off_flavor.pdf

 

[Yooper]

Phenols tend to come from two places- yeast health and chlorine issues in the water.

Since you're using dry S05 (not a phenolic yeast), not underpitching, and it doesn't seem to be an infection, that leaves the water.

Campden should remove the chloramine from your water, but if you're still getting phenolic off flavors, I'd suggest trying one batch with RO water (or distilled if you can't find reverse osmosis water), and seeing if that fixes the problem. If it does, then you know you have more chlorine than you thought and need to add more campden or find out what's going on with your water supply. If it doesn't fix the problem, then you know it's yeast issues or infection.