Weird aftertaste, like gasoline

[MandyB]

New kombucha brewer here. I finished the second ferment on my second batch of kombucha. The scoby looks very healthy.This time I added some frozen fruit for the second ferment and got a nice fizz on.

First thing I noticed when I sampled it was a fairly strong smell and aftertaste that is almost like gasoline - could also be described as sort of metalic or plasticy but more pungent.

The kombucha itself tastes pleasant, fruity and still fairly sweet, it's just this weird smell and aftertaste that hits the back of your throat.

I've noticed this flavour before in the first batch, but not nearly as strong and it seems to dissipate with time.

I'm brewing in a ceramic container with a plastic spigot, and second fermenting in glass beer growler bottles that have been washed out and rinsed with boiling water.

Any ideas?

 

[Yooper]

New kombucha brewer here. I finished the second ferment on my second batch of kombucha. The scoby looks very healthy.This time I added some frozen fruit for the second ferment and got a nice fizz on.

First thing I noticed when I sampled it was a fairly strong smell and aftertaste that is almost like gasoline - could also be described as sort of metalic or plasticy but more pungent.

The kombucha itself tastes pleasant, fruity and still fairly sweet, it's just this weird smell and aftertaste that hits the back of your throat.

I've noticed this flavour before in the first batch, but not nearly as strong and it seems to dissipate with time.

I'm brewing in a ceramic container with a plastic spigot, and second fermenting in glass beer growler bottles that have been washed out and rinsed with boiling water.

Any ideas?

I wonder if for some reason it's got more alcohol than most, and it's fermenting warm(?), so it's got that hot alcohol burn in the finish? That's just a guess, and a wild one at that but I can't think of anything else at all.

 

[MandyB]

Hmmm. Our place is usually pretty cool but possibly the location of the second ferment is a bit warmer. Thanks for the suggestion.

I just had another theory - I wonder if its coming from the frozen peaches/mango/strawberry mix. When I smell the frozen fruit bag I can almost imagine that smell especially in the peaches. I could see it getting amplified with the fermenting. Its almost like a light freezer burn. Anyone experienced a different flavour when using frozen fruit?

 

[Sajbrewer]

I'm blaming the mango. I love them, but there's a certain chemical smell to them in my opinion (not unlike gasoline), especially when very ripe.

I've never used froze fruit, so can't comment there. Did you taste your booch after 1F before bottling? I'm guessing if you did you didn't notice anything then right? I read somewhere that if you have "acetone-like" smell is suggests something yeast-related.