Recurring off-flavor

[NitrouStang96]

My first batch was a hefeweizen. I didn't like it. I was expecting something like an American wheat but had used a German hefe yeast. I also thought there was something wrong with it - there was just a weirdness to it that I don't know how to describe.

Later, I sampled a german hefeweizen. To me, my brew tasted almost identical to Schneider Weisse.

Now, one day I brewed extract versions as close as I could get to EdWort's Haus Pale Ale and Biermuncher's Centennial Blonde. EdWort's turned out fantastic, but Biermuncher's had a remarkably similar flavor component to that gross hefe I had. This was my first clue that something in my brewing process was wrong.

Now, this same flavor turned up in my apfelwein. It's just undrinkable! The only way I can describe it is like this - if you were to drink an American wheat and then take a swig of Schneider Weisse, the difference between the two is the flavor that seems to appear in 50% of the batches I've been able to taste so far.

 

[Wrathbone]

Your temperature control could be too high - resulting in a taste that is noticeable is the brews that derive flavor from the yeast or that are lighter beers, which makes it easier to taste the errors.

What temperature are you fermenting at?

 

[Hoosierbrewer]

Also, what type of water are you using. The pale ale may cover up some of the effect that water could have on the brew.

 

[Dave the Brewer]

I recently realized I have to filter my water when I plan to brew a simple beer. My problem is chlorine, since its such a minor problem, I don't get any off flavors in my more complex brews, stouts, brown ales, IPAs, etc. Check your water.

 

[NitrouStang96]

Arrowhead water. I keep the temp around 65-69 for the first 5 days or so, then its at about 71 or 72.

This is not a taste that would only come out in a lighter brew. It is overbearing and completely undrinkable, and honestly reminds me a lot of Schneider Weisse.

 

[Wrathbone]

What's your sanitizing process?

 

[NitrouStang96]

Could my sanitizing process be the culprit even when I always do everything the same and that on one particular occasion (where I brewed the two above extract batches), I brewed both batches at the exact same time, sanitized the carboys and did everything the same for both batches, and bottled at the same time, too?

I use PBW for cleaning, then I use Starsan for sanitizing.

 

[bayoubabsy]

Are you drinking it too early? Just because a beer has carbonated doesn't mean it is ready to drink. I always like to give the yeast some time to clean up after itself.... even after the work it does to carbonate in the bottles. If I don't wait a few weeks, I always find what I describe as a plastic taste (especially when I burp). I find that some time conditioning in the bottle takes care of this.

 

[Wrathbone]

Well for the flavor to show up in both your beer AND the apfelwein, it has to be something environmental, seeing as the two brews have no similar ingredients - unless you are adding sugar to your extract brews.

That would leave sanitizing, early bottling, or just plain old "green" tastes as the potential culprits.

 

[NitrouStang96]

Are you drinking it too early?

Absolutely not.

That would leave sanitizing, early bottling, or just plain old "green" tastes as the potential culprits.

Okay, I guess I'm going to have to figure out where I'm going wrong with sanitization, then, which sucks. I don't know where I would have gone wrong with sanitizing when I did two batches side-by-side and one turned out with the problem while the other was fine. I might switch from Starsan to bleach or something.

 

[Funkenjaeger]

Well, just to give you some search terms, the characteristic flavors you get from hefeweizen yeast are banana (esters) and clove (phenols). There is also usually a general 'yeasty' flavor which, in excess, can really screw up a beer - this is especially apparent when pulling the first few yeast-filled pints out of a keg.

I'm not really sure what advice to give, since I don't know what 'off-flavor' you're referring to based on your descriptions so far, and personally I think bavarian hefeweizens are excellent, so I can't really identify with you there

 

[NitrouStang96]

I like hefe's, too. Schneider Weisse in particular tastes like the hefe I brewed and did not like.