plastic aftertaste

[yusky2]

I was wondering if anyone else experienced a plasticy kind of aftertaste. it's really indescribable but this is the closest i can think of. maybe like soapy but i was sure to rise everything well. while the beer doesn't taste good, the taste is definitely more prevalent after burping. i don't know if that means anything. i believe i did everything correct. the only things i can think of were not using a secondary or maybe the sanstar leaving a taste as i did not rinse after. i would say it was my equipment being new but the results were the same for my second batch. here is what i did:
BREW DATE: 8-16-08
BOTTLING DATE: 8-30-08
BATCH SIZE: 3 gal. in the brew pot and 3 in the fermenter (hopefully 5 total after boil)
OG: 1.044
FG: 1.016
RECIPE:
3.3 lbs. Briess Light Unhopped LME
3 lbs. Briess Sparkling Amber DME
6g Munton's Premium Gold Yeast Packet
0.5 oz. Columbus Pellet Hops (12.2%)
1 oz. Cascade Pellet Hops (6.3%)

REMARKS: bubbling first seen 19 hrs after pitching (when I woke up). Bubbling stopped 100% by 6/21.

Brewing Procedure:
1. Clean and sanitize all equipment in fermenter.
2. Add DME to 3 gallons in the boiling pot.
3. Boil until the hop break. (5-20 min. foaming should stop and solids should be seen in the wort.)
4. Divide hops up. 0.5 oz. Columbus, 0.5 oz. Cascade, and 0.5 oz. Cascade.
5. T=60 Add 0.5 oz. Columbus.
6. T=30 Add 0.5 oz. Cascade.
7. Rehydrate dry yeast. Add yeast to 1 cup of 95-105 degF water in measuring cup and cover with plastic wrap.
8. T=15 Add 0.5 oz. Cascade.
9. Stir yeast after 15 min in water.
10. Soften LME in hot water bath for easy pouring.
11. T=5 Add LME.
12. Cover and put in ice water sink to cool until 70 degF. (about 30 min.)
13. Stir wort to make the trub gather in the center (about 10 min. to settle) and siphon off the sides into the fermenter through a strainer.
14. Aerate 3 gallons of water by pouring back and forth between fermenter and extra pot.
15. Stir wort to make the trub gather in the center (about 10 min. to settle) and siphon off the sides into the fermenter through a strainer.
16. Pour back and forth a few times.
17. Record temp and gravity.
18. Pitch the yeast and put the lid on. (Pitched at 73degF)
19. Put in the airlock filled with vodka.
20. Fermentation area was about 66degF and dark.
Bottling Procedure:
1. Clean and sanitize equipment.
2. Boil corn sugar with 2 cups of water.
3. Add to bottling bucket after cooling.
4. Measure fermented wort temperature and gravity.
5. Rack fermented wort into bottling bucket.
6. Fill and cap bottles.
tried it after 2 weeks in bottle and tasted remained after 3 weeks aswell.
the taste was present in my second batch aswell. any suggestions to this issue or to any other part of my brewing process would be greatly appreciated.
thanks.

 

[mr_bell]

My understanding is that Star San is no rinse. I've had 2 successful batches with 2 brewing now, racked right into Star Stan foam with no ill effects.










Primary 1 : Holiday Ale
Primary 2 : Edwort's Apfelwein
Bottled: it's all gone

 

[Saccharomyces]

If your water is hard you probably need to use bottled water or at least mix with RO water to reduce the hardness. Really hard water (or using water from a water softener) can cause a sharp bitter aftertaste from the hops. Additionally, water from the tap may need to be boiled to drive off chlorine before adding extract or steeping grains. If your tap water smells like chlorine.. that is not good.

If you have a LHBS you could take a bottle to them and ask for an opinion.

 

[ChshreCat]

I read that chloro-phenols can cause a band-aid or burnt plastic taste to your beer.

 

[mhot55]

i've had a burnt plastic tasted in a strawberry blonde, really strong. They were all gushers also (obvious infection). The problem occurred when i racked onto the strawberries as this was a split batch and the blonde turned out exceptional. The smell and taste were so stronf that one sip and you could taste it for an hour (especially after burping).
I also had a the same thing happen to an american wheat i made, but it wasn't too bad. In fact after letting it age in the bottle for a few more weeks it the bottle, it got better, almost undeterctable (but still there). I'm gonna let it sit for a few more weeks and see if it gets any better. My advice is it it's not overpowering, let it sit for atleast a month or 2, and retry.

 

[eddie]

I've never had star san contribute any kind of off flavor to my beer so I doubt that's the problem. You mentioned that you cleaned your fermenter, racking cane and tubing before sanitizing. This is a good practice but what did you use to clean them with and did you rise them thoroughly before sanitizing? Also, when you rehydrated your yeast you used water between 95F-105F. This is pretty warm for beer yeast and may have shocked it causing stress and contributing to the off flavor.

 

[yusky2]

i have been reading around the forum and i was thinking it was autolysis perhaps? is this a common occurrence? i have read it might contribute a rubbery type of taste which could be the taste i am having. the best way to deal with this would be a secondary fermenter i think. does anyone have any other suggestions to overcome this issue?

thanks.

 

[eddie]

It's not autolysis. Auotlysis is actually very rare in homebrewing and gives off and odor similar to that of spoiled food or garbage. Basically, it occurs when the yeast run out of food and begin to break down and consume themselves through their own enzymatic activity.

 

[Revvy]

It's not autolysis. Auotlysis is actually very rare in homebrewing and gives off and odor similar to that of spoiled food or garbage. Basically, it occurs when the yeast run out of food and begin to break down and consume themselves through their own enzymatic activity.

+1 on this!

And that takes a long time on a yeast cake to cause it...that's why we say it's a bogeyman of homebrewers...it's really a non issue....It's not the cause of your tastes.

A few thoughts come to mind....

The beer is still "green." See if the flavor fades with time (Three weeks @ 70 bottle conditioning is just a rule of thumb...really beers have their own time frame, since they are living things.)

A water/chlorine issue, sometimes your water chemistry can cause a plasticky taste (try brewing with preboiled or bottled water, or use a commercial product to de-chlorinate it.)

Older Liquid malt extract....make sure it is fresh when you use it.

Or you simply don't like the taste of beers made with liquid malt extract...try brewing a batch with Dry Malt Extract instead.

 

[jpuf]

I've heard the smell of autolysis described as,"along the line of a rotting rhino's _ss." Not easily mistaken.

 

[yusky2]

i've been using bottled distilled water from the grocery store. i bottle condition my beer at about 66degF because that is the only area i have available. would this affect the aging time? after 3 weeks it is still basically undrinkable. the beer is only in the fermenter for 2 weeks. should it be there longer or shorter? is this something that a secondary fermenter might help solve?

thanks.

 

[Saccharomyces]

I've heard the smell of autolysis described as,"along the line of a rotting rhino's _ss." Not easily mistaken.

Smells like death mixed with burnt rubber. Repitch your yeast 4 or 5 times without washing it properly and you'll find out firsthand...

 

[Saccharomyces]

Seems like water is OK as far as hardness then. You could still have chlorophenols if your bottled water has chlorine. Smell and taste will detect chlorine. Hopefully you didn't clean with bleach or a scented detergent?

I see you did a late extract addition. It may be that your hops are not balanced if the recipe wasn't setup for a late extract addition. Too much hop bitterness from higher utilization could be mistaken for a more serious flaw if you aren't experienced. It will improve with age if that is the case.

 

[kbroadbent]

Ha!! Funny I was just going to post a question about this.....

I have a brand new brew kit all plastic pails. Everything was sanitized and rinsed even though it's a no rinse sanitizer. I left my raspberry red in the fermenter for 2 weeks.

I put mine into a secondary fermenter and took my gravity reading...all was going as planned. Then for some reason I decided to drink the beer in my hydrometer flask.....YUCK!!!! it had an awful plasticy taste to it.

I also noticed that my brand new white bucket was stained as well!!! I'm guessing that it may be that the plastic may have leeched in to the beer?? (I'm guessing here)

Anyone else have this issue?