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Author Topic: Help in identifying off flavor  (Read 6814 times)

Offline Joe Sr.

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Re: Help in identifying off flavor
« Reply #15 on: March 27, 2013, 06:57:35 pm »
Yeast was Danstar Nottingham.

That's my guess.  I always get a disagreeable sour tartness from Nottingham.

Me, too.  But I have a bunch of it so I pitched some in a stout on Monday with the hope that the roast barley and the hops will overpower the Nottingham flavor.  Pitched it cold, so maybe that helps.

I don't get any off odors from Nottingham, though, so I would guess there is more than yeast strain going on here.
« Last Edit: March 27, 2013, 07:00:19 pm by Joe Sr. »
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Offline ericksonpa

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Re: Help in identifying off flavor
« Reply #16 on: March 28, 2013, 06:53:16 pm »
Thanks to everyone for their comments and help.

While checking the gravity on a separate batch, my English Pale Ale, I am detecting this same odor, at a much much lower rate though.  So, I am doing an analysis of my equipment.
I am using a sst bayou kettle and have connected a brass hose barb to the 1/2" ball valve made of 304 sst. 
Do you think the brass barb could be the source of the problem?
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Offline klickitat jim

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Re: Help in identifying off flavor
« Reply #17 on: March 28, 2013, 07:51:58 pm »
How long do they age before tasting?
If first taste is off, do you dump the batch or age another week and taste again?
I just sampled a pale ale bottled for three weeks. Couldn't taste it, the odor was heinous.  Two weeks later it was way better. I would say it's as good as a fat tire. Going to give it one more week then transfer to the ready fridge.
You might try another month of aging and see what happens.

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Offline ericksonpa

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Re: Help in identifying off flavor
« Reply #18 on: March 28, 2013, 08:25:57 pm »
Tasted the first batch while transferring to the secondary, so about 6 days after putting into the fermenter.
Tasted the 2nd batch at transfer to secondary, as above, and noticed the flavor and then again when transferring into the corny about 10 days later. 
This latest, English Pale Ale, has been fermenting for about 10 days and is still in the glass carboy.
Odor and flavor is apparent but not nearly as much as the first two batches of Blondes.
At this point I can try to blame the brass fitting or face the facts that I must have a bacteria infection in my post boil equipment.  Which is too bad as I have another batch in the primary fermenter, for two days now, and am worried that it will taste the same.
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Offline klickitat jim

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Re: Help in identifying off flavor
« Reply #19 on: March 28, 2013, 11:46:09 pm »
Ok I'm curious how it tastes in a month or so.

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Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: Help in identifying off flavor
« Reply #20 on: March 29, 2013, 06:16:10 am »
OP - You might take some to the LHBS, a Brewery, or a local club meeting. Get someone with experience taste the beer and identify what is off, and recommend a course of action. I say this because the guys in my club helped me a lot back in the day from tasting my beers.
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Offline Mark G

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Re: Re: Help in identifying off flavor
« Reply #21 on: March 29, 2013, 07:26:50 am »
OP - You might take some to the LHBS, a Brewery, or a local club meeting. Get someone with experience taste the beer and identify what is off, and recommend a course of action. I say this because the guys in my club helped me a lot back in the day from tasting my beers.
This is sound advice. Odds are, they've experienced the same thing before. You can also rule out the brass fittings in your brewhouse, I have used brass ball valves with no ill effects for years.
Mark Gres

Offline ericksonpa

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Re: Help in identifying off flavor
« Reply #22 on: March 29, 2013, 07:59:45 am »
Thanks for the advice.
I did speak with my lhbs yesterday.  After explaining my problem his first comment was that it sounds like I had/have a bug in my plastic fermenter(s).  He too, did not blame the brass fitting, only suggested that I use a weak bleach solution in my buckets, overnight, before brewing again. 
I will be in that store today, so I will take him a sample of both that have this odor/flavor.  Thanks for that suggestion.
In the mean time I have taken apart my bayou kettle and boiled the fittings, valves etc. last night.  Placed my only brass fitting in a vinegar/hydrogen peroxide solution.  And, have rearranged my gear so that all equipment (post boil) has it's own sealed container and will now not come into contact with anything by me and the wort.
Klick, if my lhbs thinks there's a chance, I will keep these batches going and report back to the thread.  If not, they will go down the drain.
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Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: Re: Help in identifying off flavor
« Reply #23 on: March 29, 2013, 08:00:45 am »
OP - You might take some to the LHBS, a Brewery, or a local club meeting. Get someone with experience taste the beer and identify what is off, and recommend a course of action. I say this because the guys in my club helped me a lot back in the day from tasting my beers.
This is sound advice. Odds are, they've experienced the same thing before. You can also rule out the brass fittings in your brewhouse, I have used brass ball valves with no ill effects for years.
My palate is not the best. It is really poor over the internet.  :D
Jeff Rankert
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Offline jimrod

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Re: Help in identifying off flavor
« Reply #24 on: March 29, 2013, 09:38:25 am »
I've experienced a sour, metallic flavor with Nottingham more than once.
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Offline ericksonpa

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Re: Help in identifying off flavor
« Reply #25 on: March 29, 2013, 04:46:57 pm »
Back from my lhbs who sampled both beers.  They could not find the odors or tastes I have been describing, only saying they thought it had a very "yeasty" or "biscuity" aroma and taste.  Also said both beers were well balanced and thought they were very good.  Suggested they were a bit young and needed to mature a little bit is all.
So, either all four of them are nuts (not likely as they are a good bunch of guys) or I seriously need to take a course in beer judging/analyzing.
I am relieved, of course, to know that my last four batches are probably going to turn out ok, just mystified as to how I am coming up with something that they cannot get at all.
Thanks to all for your help.  I feel like I led everyone on a wild goose chase, but appreciate the help.
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Offline euge

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Re: Help in identifying off flavor
« Reply #26 on: March 29, 2013, 05:20:12 pm »
I'd been brewing for years when the Major pointed out "not to trust smells during fermentation." Took that to heart.
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

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