Christophrawr
Well-Known Member
Hi all,
A little back I did a big post with my process and off flavor I was getting. In the end I thought I figured it out, the water, since my filter wasn't working.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/...ethyl-acetate-looking-for-suggestions.658762/
Turns out I jumped the gun on my victory dance, I'm back to combating this same... same... same off flavor. It's hot. Chemical. Solvent. Similar to when you ferment too high and get those fusel alcohols.
What I've done since this first thread:
-I started using spring water, still getting the off flavor so it's not the water. I even put a little bit of Campden in there now that I have it just to go that extra mile.
-I've completely replaced ALL plastic equipment, everything I soaked and cleaned with bleach has been replaced (hell even the grain bucket) except the glass since it's not porous I don't think there's a bleach carry over from when I cleaned with it.
-I changed the way I clean after hearing about potential problems using dishsoap. Now I only clean with oxiclean free with a soft sponge. Before brewing I'll toss all my clean equipment int a bucket of star san and use it when I need it. After brewing I'll clean everything in a bucket of oxiclean free, rinse and dry.
I checked again my temp controller probe and it's still matching my digital thermometer when I do comparisons. It appears to be calibrated fine so I trust that I am fermenting in my chamber at 62-66F for the first few days to week.
I had a brewer friend come over and he noticed I was overpitching a significant amount when he saw my yeast cakes on the bottom of the 1 gallon jugs and he suggested I reduce my pitching rate. This is the next variable I'll try, probably this weekend.
Other than that I'm out of variables to test... I don't care if it might seem silly or super basic but maybe I'm honestly missing something basic, I just need ideas on things to try each brew day to rule them out. If you all don't mind throwing ideas at me for variables to change in my process I'd appreciate it. Any questions about my process just ask!
A little back I did a big post with my process and off flavor I was getting. In the end I thought I figured it out, the water, since my filter wasn't working.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/...ethyl-acetate-looking-for-suggestions.658762/
Turns out I jumped the gun on my victory dance, I'm back to combating this same... same... same off flavor. It's hot. Chemical. Solvent. Similar to when you ferment too high and get those fusel alcohols.
What I've done since this first thread:
-I started using spring water, still getting the off flavor so it's not the water. I even put a little bit of Campden in there now that I have it just to go that extra mile.
-I've completely replaced ALL plastic equipment, everything I soaked and cleaned with bleach has been replaced (hell even the grain bucket) except the glass since it's not porous I don't think there's a bleach carry over from when I cleaned with it.
-I changed the way I clean after hearing about potential problems using dishsoap. Now I only clean with oxiclean free with a soft sponge. Before brewing I'll toss all my clean equipment int a bucket of star san and use it when I need it. After brewing I'll clean everything in a bucket of oxiclean free, rinse and dry.
I checked again my temp controller probe and it's still matching my digital thermometer when I do comparisons. It appears to be calibrated fine so I trust that I am fermenting in my chamber at 62-66F for the first few days to week.
I had a brewer friend come over and he noticed I was overpitching a significant amount when he saw my yeast cakes on the bottom of the 1 gallon jugs and he suggested I reduce my pitching rate. This is the next variable I'll try, probably this weekend.
Other than that I'm out of variables to test... I don't care if it might seem silly or super basic but maybe I'm honestly missing something basic, I just need ideas on things to try each brew day to rule them out. If you all don't mind throwing ideas at me for variables to change in my process I'd appreciate it. Any questions about my process just ask!