Troubleshooting a bad batch

[Cajunbrewer87]

For my second batch I brewed the caribou slobber extract kit, but I used wlp002 for the yeast. My first batch came out good despite the fact that the water I used made the bitterness a little harsh. This batch has a kind of tart taste that takes away from the malty goodness you'd expect from a brown ale. Followed by a very strange tasting burp, hard to describe but almost solventy/plasticy. The only thing I did differently with this batch was make a starter. When I did, after losing water in the boil I was worried my starter wort gravity was too high. So I sanitized my hydrometer and test tube, took a sample, and poured it back into the flask after. Also, the day I pitched i found some gnats sitting on top of the foam stopper. I wasnt sure if it was contaminated but it was too late to get more yeast so I pitched it. Could contamination be whats causing this off flavor? It is still an ok beer to drink but there is definitely something off

 

[ong]

I would wonder if you fermented this a bit too warm? I get some tartness from WLP002 for sure, but that's greatly exacerbated when fermenting closer to 70-74 degrees.

 

[Cajunbrewer87]

I use a johnson temp controller with a chest freezer, fermented at 67 degrees

 

[doug293cz]

"Plasticy" can be from chlorophenols caused by chlorine and/or chloramine in your water. Easiest way to deal with with chlorine/chloramine is to add 1/2 campden (potassium metabisulfite) tablet per 5 gals of water. Works almost instantly if you crush the tablet before putting it in you brewing water. Treat both your strike and sparge water.

Brew on

 

[Cajunbrewer87]

Thanks doug. For my 5 gallons in the fermentor I used bottled water that doesnt have chlorine it. The only thing is, without thinking I used my tap water for the priming solution..I know 2 cups isnt much at all but my city recently chlorine flushed our water. And come to think of it, the beer didnt develope that taste until after bottling. Think its possible that those 2 cups of chlorine water did it?