slight medicinal taste in my RIS

[eSePeludo]

Brewed a RIS back on September 10, recipe was a slightly modified version of the byo yeti recipe.

Fermented with 4 packets of us05 at 66°, it stayed in primary for one month.

og 1.103 fg 1.023

I primed in keg and stayed there till the 21st of this month.

I have no information on the tap water i used. I did use camden tablets and i have brewed with this water before one of them was yoopers oatmeal stout, it did not have this flavor.

The only culprit i can think of is my beer line, I didn't fully flush the line and starsan stayed in the line for about 2 months. I use ultra barrier silver beer line.

Thank You and Cheers!

 

[BrunDog]

Let it age

 

[eSePeludo]

Let it age

Not that i dont appreciate the input but do you really think this is an aging issue. I did forget to mention that when i first poured a few pints on the 21st it tasted pretty good and without the medicinal flavor

 

[dmtaylor]

It's difficult to diagnose without tasting it ourselves. It could actually be chlorophenol, if not enough Campden was used or if your water source had an excessive amount of chlorine, which can happen, it's happened to me.

It could also possibly just be the high alcohol that is bugging you and would mellow with age as BrunDog suggests.

It could also possible be contamination that is slowly degrading the beer over time. Assuming you sanitized well, this is unlikely, but possible.

Keep an eye on it over the next few weeks. If it gets even worse, you may have a problem. If not, then it might get better with age.

If you have a local homebrew club or friends who are good brewers, have them taste it and ask them what might be going on.

 

[BrunDog]

Sorry didn't mean to be so short before. Actually you are possibly right. If this beer has been resting for two months, the biggest changes should have occurred by now. Usually these need a good year to really round out but I think it should be pointing in a direction after 2 months.

I doubt it is your beer lines. I would caution on leaving Star San in so long. If it's in RO that's a good bit of acid to let linger. My guess is if it happens with this line it will or should have happened with others.

Did you make this beer before and/or have any prior experience with the recipe and technique which made it?

 

[eSePeludo]

It's difficult to diagnose without tasting it ourselves. It could actually be chlorophenol, if not enough Campden was used or if your water source had an excessive amount of chlorine, which can happen, it's happened to me.

It could also possibly just be the high alcohol that is bugging you and would mellow with age as BrunDog suggests.

It could also possible be contamination that is slowly degrading the beer over time. Assuming you sanitized well, this is unlikely, but possible.

Keep an eye on it over the next few weeks. If it gets even worse, you may have a problem. If not, then it might get better with age.

If you have a local homebrew club or friends who are good brewers, have them taste it and ask them what might be going on.

I see what you are saying in regards to the chlorophenols but out of laziness i usually just use half a tablet in my mash and half a tablet in my sparge water.

As for sanitation, i am very thorough soaking everything that touches my wort post boil.

I think you might be right when you mention the alcohol but i also drew off 2 oz of beer before i poured a pint and the flavor was not so pronounced, which continues to make me think its my beer line.

Ill try and get another opinion from a friend.

 

[eSePeludo]

Sorry didn't mean to be so short before. Actually you are possibly right. If this beer has been resting for two months, the biggest changes should have occurred by now. Usually these need a good year to really round out but I think it should be pointing in a direction after 2 months.

I doubt it is your beer lines. I would caution on leaving Star San in so long. If it's in RO that's a good bit of acid to let linger. My guess is if it happens with this line it will or should have happened with others.

Did you make this beer before and/or have any prior experience with the recipe and technique which made it?

I wish i had the equipment to to tie up a keg for a year just to age a stout unfortunately i only have one.

I actually used my tap water for my star san mix does that change anything?

I have brewed this recipe before, it was brewed with no changes. This time i upped the base malt to hit my 10.5% and did a 50/50 mix of 2 row and marris otter.

Last time i dont remember getting this flavor but it was lower in abv.

 

[BrunDog]

Well, if you think it is your beer line, attach a picnic tap and pull a pint that way. If it is the beer line, that will eliminate it.

Alternatively, pull a pint and dump it, then immediately pull another and taste. If its the line, I doubt a quick pass through it would allow for the off-flavor to permeate that fast.

 

[eSePeludo]

Well, if you think it is your beer line, attach a picnic tap and pull a pint that way. If it is the beer line, that will eliminate it.

Alternatively, pull a pint and dump it, then immediately pull another and taste. If its the line, I doubt a quick pass through it would allow for the off-flavor to permeate that fast.

you were definitely right on the aging. I tried some last night and the medicinal flavor was gone but it was definitely very very boozy not fusel like at all just boozy.

Looks like im going to have to bite the bullet and order a second keg so i can keep brewing oh the horror.

Maybe i can hold on to this batch till next christmas.

 

[flars]

Are you adding the half Campden tablet to your mash or the mash water before the grains are added? The tablet in the mash may not be as effective as the tablet in the mash water.

 

[eSePeludo]

Are you adding the half Campden tablet to your mash or the mash water before the grains are added? The tablet in the mash may not be as effective as the tablet in the mash water.

I add it to my strike and sparge water crushed and stirred in before i start heating