What am I doing wrong

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CiliCoop

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Hey guys and gals. Very new to homebrewing. I have one all grain batch under my belt and the second is currently bottle conditioning. I need help identifying an off flavor. My first batch was an IPA. Began noticing a metallic cherry flavor during fermentation. I fermented rather hot (around 73-78) and assumed that was the cause. Did primary for 28 days, bottle conditioned for 3 weeks. End result was a very drinkable beer with very subtle hops, and a hint of cherry. Beer was pretty cloudy and resembled apple cider. Despite the off flavor, I was pleased considering it was my first brew and all grain none the less.

My recent batch is a variation of Yoopers APA. Everything seemed to go perfectly. No hiccups during brewing and fermented around 68. Primary 28 days and then bottled. Beer was crystal clear and tasted incredible at the last gravity reading. After 1.5 weeks of bottling, I decided to give it a try. Put it in the fridge for 24 hours, poured into a glass, cloudy as can be. Looks like apple cider. And then the taste. That hint of metal and cherry. Identical to my last batch. It isnt overwhelming, but it is there and it masks the hops just like the last one. Sorry to be long winded but I wanted to be thorough. I have read Palmer's chapter on off flavors and a couple of others. Cant seem to get to the bottom of it.

5 lbs Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 45.5 %
3 lbs Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 2 27.3 %
2 lbs Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 3 18.2 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 4 4.5 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 5 4.5 %
0.75 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 6 24.3 IBUs
0.50 oz Cascade [6.00 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 7 7.5 IBUs
0.50 oz Amarillo [10.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 8 5.9 IBUs
0.50 oz Cascade [6.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 9 3.5 IBUs
0.50 oz Amarillo [10.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 10 3.2 IBUs
1.00 oz Amarillo [9.20 %] - Boil 1.0 min Hop 11 1.3 IBUs
1.0 pkg American Ale II (Wyeast Labs #1272) [124 Yeast 12 -
1.00 oz Cascade [6.00 %] - Dry Hop 5.0 Days Hop 13 0.0 IBUs
 
What are you using for equipment ? Is it all stainless steel ? I've heard that using aluminum equipment such as spoons/kettles can cause metallic off flavors. Never have had any off flavors like you are experiencing so I can't say.
 
Cloudiness is chill haze. Try pouring a warm bottle in a glass, my hunch is it will be clear.
You were definitely way to hot the first time..but if you were measuring your actual wort temp and not ambient air temp the second time then you were right in there...Just remember internal core temps will be slightly higher then outside surface temp of your fermentor, but to be honest not really to much of a concern with a 1 gallon fermentor size. But just going by ambient air is not indicative of anything really so if that was the case you were probably still to high.

Not a lot of help sorry.
 
another question about metals in brewing. if it's aluminum, have you conditioned the pot? you need to boil it very full for a bit before you use it to oxidize the layer
 
It could possibly be an infection? How was the bottle when you cracked it open? Foamy and highly carbed? Pedio or Lacto could make it taste sour like cherry.
 
What are you using for equipment ? Is it all stainless steel ? I've heard that using aluminum equipment such as spoons/kettles can cause metallic off flavors. Never have had any off flavors like you are experiencing so I can't say.


All stainless steel.
 
Cloudiness is chill haze. Try pouring a warm bottle in a glass, my hunch is it will be clear.
You were definitely way to hot the first time..but if you were measuring your actual wort temp and not ambient air temp the second time then you were right in there...Just remember internal core temps will be slightly higher then outside surface temp of your fermentor, but to be honest not really to much of a concern with a 1 gallon fermentor size. But just going by ambient air is not indicative of anything really so if that was the case you were probably still to high.

Not a lot of help sorry.


Ambient air was 68, but I did have it directly in front of an AC vent running 24/7. It's a 6 gallon fermenter so it may have gotten fairly warm inside.
 
When you're pouring are you doing so careful not to pour the yeast from the bottom of the bottle? That could certainly be causing you cloudiness. As far as metallic cherry that's a new off flavor to Me. If you are pouring the whole beer yeast and all try pouring one slowly leaving the yeast in the shoulder of the bottle and see if that improves the flavor any.
 
What kind of yeast did you use? I've never experienced metallic-cherry flavors, either, but I know yeast can put out some bizarre off-flavors if the beer hasn't fully conditioned.

My only other thought is if you bought the brew kettle new it may have had manufacturing oils still on it. That would add some metallic tastes I would imagine.
 
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