Slight Smokey flavor, Base malt?

[drkwoods]

I brewed about 12 batches in the last 8 months and I keep noticing this slight smokiness in about 10 out of the 12 beers. My Pliny the elder clone has it the most. In fact it almost off putting in that one. My Wit does not have it at all and My imperial brown doesnt. But My Calif common, all my IPA's and and Pale ales show up with it slightly. At first I thought it was my boil kettle scorching. But I eliminated every possible chance of that. Ive used different yeasts, different fermentation vessels and different hops, but it remains. Im beginning to think its from the base malt maybe? Great Western two row is what I get out here in SoCal.. What thinks you?

 

[Yooper]

A smoky phenol is almost always an infection. It could be a low level infection from underpitched yeast, but since it's across several beers and yeast strains that makes it harder to pin down as an infection.

 

[gbarron]

My first thought was your water. Do you filter your tap water or use bottled water? Or do you go straight from the tap?

Other possibilities could be high ferm temps, over sparging, maybe sanitation.

 

[drkwoods]

My last three batches I went to RO water and added back some arrowhead mountain spring cause I love the taste. It was about 75/25 with RO dominating. Still got the mild smoke. My fermentation is PID controlled and doesn't vary by 2* f usually use wlp strains and right about 67*f. I've tried really hard to root out any infection by hot washing everything post fermentation with PBW followed by starsan soaks for 30min. Just really frustrating. I did have an over pressure keg back beer into a co2 manifold last year but I soaked all those lines with starsan overnight. What's really got me is my cream ale and Wit both won medals during this time. And have no smoke at all. .