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Author Topic: Medicinal Off-Flavor ?  (Read 5896 times)

Offline ndcube

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Medicinal Off-Flavor ?
« on: November 20, 2009, 01:56:33 pm »
Can you get the same off flavor from fermenting too warm as you do from chlorine in your water during the mash?

Offline majorvices

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Re: Medicinal Off-Flavor ?
« Reply #1 on: November 22, 2009, 01:02:33 pm »
Most of the off flavors you will get from fermenting too warm are usually banana and apple type esters and solventy, harsh fusels. I have tasted some beers that had phenolics that may have come from high fermentation temp as well, but if you are getting band-aid like phenols similar to that you get from chlorine in the brew water that very well could be a sign of wild yeast infection.

Offline ndcube

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Re: Medicinal Off-Flavor ?
« Reply #2 on: November 23, 2009, 05:01:20 am »
I didn't realize that.

I was just thinking back many months when I brewed a couple of hop-burst IPA's.  I would get the flavor as an aftertaste like when I burped.  Never did figure it out.  At the time I just assumed it was my water and that my campden treatment didn't work but now I don't think that was the problem.

Brewing one today.  That's what got me thinking.

Offline wilypig

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Re: Medicinal Off-Flavor ?
« Reply #3 on: November 23, 2009, 07:46:53 am »
You can also get chloro-phenols from highly hopped beers and chlorinated water. Stressed yeast can also do this but for a pale ale so I would look at the hops and water. We had an example last week at a homebrew club meeting that had high levels of phenols that were on the edge of chloro-phenolic. The beer also had a very sharp acidic edged that was not from an infection. The yeast used was a large pancake of 5th generation yeast for an ESB. The fermentation finished in about 24 hours. The water for this beer was run through a whole house carbon filter so should not have had any free chlorine. An interesting effect due to poor yeast. All other parts of the brew for this batch were spot on. 
If you can make mac and cheese from a box, you can make great beer.
Weiz Guys Homebrew club Loveland CO
Wilypig Fermentation Specialties

Offline ndcube

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Re: Medicinal Off-Flavor ?
« Reply #4 on: November 23, 2009, 07:54:02 am »
You can also get chloro-phenols from highly hopped beers and chlorinated water. Stressed yeast can also do this but for a pale ale so I would look at the hops and water. We had an example last week at a homebrew club meeting that had high levels of phenols that were on the edge of chloro-phenolic. The beer also had a very sharp acidic edged that was not from an infection. The yeast used was a large pancake of 5th generation yeast for an ESB. The fermentation finished in about 24 hours. The water for this beer was run through a whole house carbon filter so should not have had any free chlorine. An interesting effect due to poor yeast. All other parts of the brew for this batch were spot on. 

So your saying large amounts of some hops alone can produce chloro-phenols or in conjuction w/ cholorinated brewing water?

Offline wilypig

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Re: Medicinal Off-Flavor ?
« Reply #5 on: November 23, 2009, 08:01:53 am »
Yes, This can also be confused with astringent husk phenols. I have seen this when judging and then discussing my comments with the brewer of a beer after a competition. Some hops are more prone than others but I do not know off the top of my head which ones.
If you can make mac and cheese from a box, you can make great beer.
Weiz Guys Homebrew club Loveland CO
Wilypig Fermentation Specialties

Offline Hokerer

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Re: Medicinal Off-Flavor ?
« Reply #6 on: November 23, 2009, 08:15:51 am »
The water for this beer was run through a whole house carbon filter so should not have had any free chlorine. 

Be careful of making that statement.  If the municipality supplying your water uses chloramines (as more and more of them seem to be doing), even a whole house carbon filter may still leave some chlorine.  They prefer chloramines to old-school chlorine additions because the chloramines are more persistent.  That persistence is exactly what makes them more difficult for a filter to get rid of, though.
Joe

Offline wilypig

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Re: Medicinal Off-Flavor ?
« Reply #7 on: November 23, 2009, 08:19:49 am »
all of the local water depts use standard chlorination protocols in this area.
If you can make mac and cheese from a box, you can make great beer.
Weiz Guys Homebrew club Loveland CO
Wilypig Fermentation Specialties

Offline Hokerer

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Re: Medicinal Off-Flavor ?
« Reply #8 on: November 23, 2009, 09:38:21 am »
all of the local water depts use standard chlorination protocols in this area.

Nice! Lucky you :)
« Last Edit: November 23, 2009, 09:40:30 am by hokerer »
Joe