# Burnt Rubber?)



## tonyt (16/3/12)

Hey all,Have been brewing for a couple of years now.....and loving it!Recently, every other brew or so has a burnt rubber aroma, cant really taste it,it is more a smell. Haven't changed procedures or recipes.And i can't seem to find any rhyme or reason to it. Any one have any idea as to what it can be?
Cheers


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## Wolfy (16/3/12)

"Burnt rubber" taste and smell is usually associated with autolysis - yeast cells dying and splitting open - which is usually caused by leaving the beer on the yeast too long or (maybe in this case) the fermentor was too warm after the fermentation was finished?


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## bignath (16/3/12)

Hmmmm, "burnt rubber" you say.....

didn't use that "turbo yeast" did you? :huh: 









...joking. 

I have no idea. I have a handy little app on my ipad called "beer defects" and lists a lot of the problems and cures for the most common beer defects, but burnt rubber isn't mentioned. 

Whatever Wolfy says when it comes to yeast is usually considered the bible, so go with what he reckons...


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## Wolfy (16/3/12)

Big Nath said:


> Whatever Wolfy says when it comes to yeast is usually considered the bible, so go with what he reckons...


I just remember what I read in books or at least a vague enough idea so I can find the reference when needed.
In this case it's Mr John Palmer: http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter10-3.html
... which incidentally is also the first result in a Google search for "burnt rubber beer", so i can't take much credit for that one. :icon_cheers:


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## thedragon (16/3/12)

After my first few brews I worked out that higher temp = faster fermentation. Sit the fermentation on top of the ducted heating vent and FG is reached within 7 days.

Great, you may say. No. Could not be worse. The beer tasted like burnt rubber. And burnt rubber tastes like shit. I don't understand the scientific reasons why, but all I know is that lower, constant temperature makes better beer.


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## pyrosx (16/3/12)

First step: Attack it with science: is there anything common to the smelly brews that isn't involved in the others: same fermenter? same shop the kit was bought to (i'm assuming you're kit'n'kilo'ing?). If there's something you're doing differently in the smelly brews than the good ones, no matter how subtle, that's where you should look.

My other thought, as it's the only time i've ever tasted a rubbery plastic smell, is: are you getting water through a garden hose, or some other kind of not-totally-food-quality tap or attachment? This is pretty simple to test actually - go grab a glass of water from whereever you fill your fermenter.... does it taste weird?


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## pyrosx (16/3/12)

thedragon said:


> higher temp = faster fermentation.
> 
> Could not be worse. The beer tasted like burnt rubber.



QFT.

High ferment temps are a pretty decent explanation of a rubbish tasting beer

Best homebrew purchase you'll ever make is an old freezer/fridge and an STC-1000 setup - you will, never, ever look back after organising yourself a temperature controlled fermentation setup.


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## tonyt (17/3/12)

pyrosx said:


> First step: Attack it with science: is there anything common to the smelly brews that isn't involved in the others: same fermenter? same shop the kit was bought to (i'm assuming you're kit'n'kilo'ing?). If there's something you're doing differently in the smelly brews than the good ones, no matter how subtle, that's where you should look.
> 
> My other thought, as it's the only time i've ever tasted a rubbery plastic smell, is: are you getting water through a garden hose, or some other kind of not-totally-food-quality tap or attachment? This is pretty simple to test actually - go grab a glass of water from whereever you fill your fermenter.... does it taste weird?
> [/quote
> ...


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## yum beer (17/3/12)

hey tony, are you keeping accurate records of your brews such as pitching temp, ferment temp, ingredients.

pretty sure you will find a common issue with the rubbery batches.


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## tonyt (17/3/12)

yum beer said:


> hey tony, are you keeping accurate records of your brews such as pitching temp, ferment temp, ingredients.
> 
> pretty sure you will find a common issue with the rubbery batches.



Ok, i keep records of everything and nothing is different.... At least what i can tell. Also have temp control.Only thing that may make sense is.. I filter, and just before i do, i have sometimesRun hot water through the filter housing and lines, just to flush any crap that mayBe there.The lines in filter system are the cheap clear type. Just wondering if theHot water, when it softens the plastic lines it releases the odour????


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## bignath (17/3/12)

tonyt said:


> Ok, i keep records of everything and nothing is different.... At least what i can tell. Also have temp control.Only thing that may make sense is.. I filter, and just before i do, i have sometimesRun hot water through the filter housing and lines, just to flush any crap that mayBe there.The lines in filter system are the cheap clear type. Just wondering if theHot water, when it softens the plastic lines it releases the odour????



Quite possible. 

Dont filter the next batch and see if you get the same flavour.

Ive started making my morning coffee by putting my mug with water in it into the microwave, heating, and then adding the coffee and sugar, instead of using the kettle.

Our kettle is a cheapo piece of shit, and i notice the plasticy smell and taste from the kettle materials in my cuppa. Not had the same flvour or aroma since doing this...


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## Nick JD (17/3/12)

I added 15% Carafa 3 to a Swartz once. Tasted like licking the road on a hot summer's day.

Went really nice with burnt sausages and dead horse. I recall I poured a bucketload of boysenberry syrup in it. Then it became completely weird.

But I suspect the OP's problem is a yeast issue, not filling the beer with so much blackened malt it tastes like tar.


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## bradsbrew (17/3/12)

I associate the smell of vegemite with autolysis. just went to the pantry a had a big wiff of vegemite and yes I guess a slight hint of burnt rubber


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## Nick JD (17/3/12)

Just a long shot, but a lot of the "burnt rubber" stuff I've read points back to sulphites ... the term "sulphitic" is often associated with wines tasting of burnt rubber. Mercaptans (smell like sewer to me ie. warm glass of VB aroma) from yeast being too warm have also been described as "rubber". 

OP, are you using a sulphite sanitiser? What's the water like there - town supply?

Autolysis IMO doesn't smell like burnt rubber, smells like vegemite. I get it in all my old trub samples, and if anything was going to smell like burnt rubber it'd be them.


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