tastes and smells like rubber

[Pinchecharlie]

I have read somewhere along the way, that the rubber smell is associated with sulfer? was this caused by stressed yeast? the meads i have going are very young so iam not stressing just would like to know what i could have done to not have the excessive smell/taste. i used femaid k and dap on a 1/3 2/3 schedual and the temps were in the mid sixties. one gallon of each is really smelly -show mead kv-1116. show with ec-1118 and a bomm 1388 wyyeast. wife says they taste like a super ball. pretty bad at over a month old. all the honey was from my backyad hives so probably call it wild flower. the only batches that dont really smell are cysers. just curious if it will go away also or if its back to the drawing board. i also de gassed for the first few days but only once a day and they where all racked after they got to 1.000-1.005 (mostly as per recipes i followed) thanks in advance for any replies. oh and since iam brand new all the rubber stoppers were new. washed and sanitized but brand new.

 

[douglasbarbin]

Could be an infection, also.

 

[sancycling]

I had a similar situation when I started. The conclusion I got to was that the flavor was being caused by the vinil tubing, even though it was food grade. I changed all my tubing to food grade silicone and the problem disapeared.

At the same time I started using campden tablets. Probably they helped but I strongly believe that the vinil tubing was the issue.


Hope this helps.

 

[Yooper]

Oh, shoot, "rubber" isn't good. It could very well be infection.

I'd sulfite if you haven't, and rack to a new vessel in case there are any lees.

 

[Pinchecharlie]

ok ill rack onto sulfites into new carboy then just wait and see if the smell goes away? i googled "infected mead" and dont really see that kindov stuff but i trust that somethings a miss. i did use a syphon hose from a beer kit but i dont know what its made of? shoot thats just one more fail to add to the list. oh well try try again right? thanks

 

[fuelish]

......wife says they taste like a super ball....

Wow....you're taking me back to my youth, I well remember the smell/taste of superballs...hope you get it sorted, as definitely not a desired flavor in yer mead, for sure...

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

I remember getting those flavors in my earlier meads, They either age out or get fixed by stabilizing (not sure cause I never tested on vs the other). I don't think it's an infection though.

 

[brisbrew]

I had a batch like that. It took a long time but it took a long time.

 

[brisbrew]

But it went away. Sorry but I got distracted.

 

[CarbonTom]

I would +1 the infection. I've had some peoples' brett beers that gave off burnt rubber smell.

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

I would +1 the infection. I've had some peoples' brett beers that gave off burnt rubber smell.

The key there being beer. I've had the rubber smell 3 or 4 times in my first 6 or so meads, especially in ones with more fusels. The relation could be because of no nutrients (stress) or the fusels themselves. My point is I highly doubt an infection in this case.

Thinking back to my sour meads, the one with dominant brett was pretty clean. The sour blend had more funk around the 6 month period, but it was mostly nasty sock, not rubber. Thankfully that sock flavor/aroma aged out !

EDIT: I'm not saying you can't get rubber from brett, since it works so many different ways based on its environment, but I feel like this is pointing more towards fermentation treatment than infection.

 

[CarbonTom]

The key there being beer. I've had the rubber smell 3 or 4 times in my first 6 or so meads, especially in ones with more fusels. The relation could be because of no nutrients (stress) or the fusels themselves. My point is I highly doubt an infection in this case.

Thinking back to my sour meads, the one with dominant brett was pretty clean. The sour blend had more funk around the 6 month period, but it was mostly nasty sock, not rubber. Thankfully that sock flavor/aroma aged out !

EDIT: I'm not saying you can't get rubber from brett, since it works so many different ways based on its environment, but I feel like this is pointing more towards fermentation treatment than infection.

Lol didn't even realize this was in the mead forum. Something I have 0 experience making so disregard me! Derp

 

[TeeJo]

One of the comments I found buried deep in the BOMM thread was that Dr. Bray had stated having poor results with honey from bees with access to Milkweed. Something to the effect of not ever getting a drinkable mead from the stuff.

I have milkweed all over around here. <sigh> So much for that from my own honey!

Not saying it IS the problem, but the source of the nectar may be a contributor.

TeeJo

 

[Frognostic]

Burnt rubber sounds like an acquired taste.