Drinking bandaids (elastoplast)

[Blind Dog]

[SIZE=medium]Apologies for the long post[/SIZE]
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[SIZE=medium]So 5 of my last 7 English bitters were completely ruined by bandaid (or Elastoplast for any other Poms) flavours. Smells like the fabric plasters, and tastes like the smaell if that makes sense. Had 2 bandaid ones back in March/April, 2 nice ones in June/July (one placed 1st in the States) and now 3 more ruined. The most recent 3 (all with bandaid) were meant to be the ones I’d pick the entry for the nationals from, so somewhat annoyed without an entry to the nationals.[/SIZE]
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[SIZE=medium]Over the same period I’ve brewed a Kolsch, American Wheat, 3 APAs, AIPA, American Brown, special bitter, ESB and a faux lager which were all fine (sounds a fair bit, but I took 4 cases to my dad in the UK in June). Also brewed loads of English bitters over the years in an elusive search for the original Brakspear bitter[/SIZE]
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[SIZE=medium]Pretty sure I’ve ruled out infection as the other beers were brewed and fermented in the same environment and on the same equipment with the same cleaning (napisan or sodium percarbonate) and sanitation (Starsan substitute from National Homebrew) regime. The2nd bad beer might have been stored in an infected cube (it stank when I checked it once it was clear the beer was off, but I hadn’t cleaned it at that point (idiot) so the stink probably had more to do with that. Cube and fermenter were recycled before being used again just in case[/SIZE]
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[SIZE=medium]In terms of yeast, 2 were with Bedford (1 vial split and 1L starter for each). The other 3 were with fresh packs of 1275, 1469 and Windsor. The 2 bitters that worked were with 1275 and Bedford (fresh, single pack)[/SIZE]
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[SIZE=medium]Base malts varied (all English varieties and from various suppliers) as did spec malts and were used in other successful beers over the period. Hops varied (all English though) and again from a variety of suppliers. So I can’t see an obvious commonality in ingredients.[/SIZE]
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[SIZE=medium]Water is Sydney water from Ryde, filtered through an under sink carbon filter and treated with 1 campden tablet added to the kettle before I mash in. Usually chuck 6L of 76C water on top of the grain after lifting the malt pipe on the BM – that’s also filtered and campden tablet added. Mash pH is between 5 and 6 per the strips I use (don’t always use them though). Same process for all the other beers too[/SIZE]
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[SIZE=medium]Ferment in plastic or stainless is kind of temperature controlled in a fridge – noticed the wire on the probe was severed about 10 days ago and bodged up a fix and calibrated (boiling water & iced water & checked to digital cooking thermometer), but that would only affect the last 2[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]For ales I generally dough in at 35 to 40 and let it sit at that temp for 20 minutes before ramping to the 1st sacc rest for 45 min, then to 71 or 72 for 20 and mash out at 77.[/SIZE]
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[SIZE=medium]So just wondering if anyone can spot a culprit as I’m at something of a loss and really want to get this sorted. I’m leaning towards something odd in the mash, or possibly not giving the campden tablet enough time to do its magic before adding the malt?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium](and yes I have researched the numerous threads here and elsewhere but seem to have ruled out the suspects identified)[/SIZE]
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[SIZE=medium]Help much appreciated[/SIZE]
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[SIZE=medium]Cheers[/SIZE]

 

[Adr_0]

I thoughta ccarbon filter would remove chlorine.

Are you using bleach at all? This will get you big time.

Camden /sodium met turns chloramines to simple chlorine and it does work slowly. So you still need to boil, and uunless you're willing to wait overnight you may have to uptthe dose - which then raises sulphur components in the final beer.

I have started using sodium ascorbate. So far it is awesome.

 

[panzerd18]

Half a campden tablet should treat 20 or so litres of wort for Chlorine and chloramine.

 

[indica86]

I got it from bleach once.
Stopped using that then.

 

[Adr_0]

Well, the carbon filter should actually remove the chlorine... Unless it's old.

Just consider that the campden tablet has to be mixed in very well and has to sit fur a while to properly mix in. And a lot of sources say you need 2-3 times the theoretical amount to be effective.

So just things to consider. You'd think with carbon filter and campden you would be laughing.

Sure about the infection? And no bleach used anywhere?

 

[paulyman]

I'm very new to the home brew scene. But have had a lot of wine over the years. Mention band aid and I instantly think Brett.

You said it isn't infected and from your descriptions it seems unlikely, but that would be my number one culprit.

 

[danestead]

Have you pulled your beer faucets apart and cleaned them lately? What about the tap on the braumeister or your plate chiller (do you use one?)? Cleaned and sanitised your kegs including the dip tube?

 

[Blind Dog]

No bleach anywhere, ever

All equipment cleaned, rinsed and starsaned. Make up starsan with filtered water just to be sure

Filter is meant to be good for 2 years and is less than a year old

Taps on BM and fermenters disassembled and cleaned. Soaked for at least 24hours in sodium perc, rinsed and then soaked in starsan

It's not the kegs as the bandaid taste is there from the fermenter

Looking like it's the water (chloramine) or an infection that only affects bitters

 

[pat86]

Do you need to do water treatment? I live near Ryde and the water seems to be good. Never had any off flavors but I also haven't gone and tried tweaking water Chem either for any specific brews.

Maybe run a brew with plain tap water as a control - same as one of the affected recipes?

 

[Blind Dog]

Sydney water use chloramine as well as chlorine, hence the water treatment. What's got me stumped is that it's only happened to bitters, and not all the time. No effect on much lighter beers

 

[anthonyUK]

I'd guess that the chlorophenols only form with the higher AA hops that might have been used.

 

[Blind Dog]

I'd guess that the chlorophenols only form with the higher AA hops that might have been used.

It's a thought - will need the check the notes, but they're lower aa than the hops used in the APAs so maybe it's the higher aa uk hops that somehow react with something else?

 

[JasonP]

Do u chill or no chill?

 

[Tex083]

Brett can develop some band-aid flavours, have you had a sour brewing in your brewery?
Once Brett is in, its very hard to get rid of.
may be a fermenting issue, is there a long lag phase? phenols which are initially produced by the yeast can cause the flavour. Chlorophenols result from the reaction of chlorine-based sanitizers (bleach) with phenol compounds and have very low taste thresholds, Im not fimilar with camped and how it reacts I boil my water the night before to remove chlorine.

 

[Blind Dog]

Do u chill or no chill?

No chill

 

[manticle]

Get all new equipment (hoses,fermenter,cube) campden your water, wait 24 hours, charcoal filter, then heat to strike temp and see if that makes a difference.

I've experienced the flavour you mean but it was related to bleach.
Horrible.

 

[Blind Dog]

Brett can develop some band-aid flavours, have you had a sour brewing in your brewery?
Once Brett is in, its very hard to get rid of.
may be a fermenting issue, is there a long lag phase? phenols which are initially produced by the yeast can cause the flavour. Chlorophenols result from the reaction of chlorine-based sanitizers (bleach) with phenol compounds and have very low taste thresholds, Im not fimilar with camped and how it reacts I boil my water the night before to remove chlorine.

No sours and have brewed other beers with the same equipment without issue
I've never used bleach and when I've tested the filtered water for chlorine, the test is negative (not sure how accurate the strips are though). The Campden tablet is sodium metabisulphite and is meant to get rid of chloramine which the filter won't remove

 

[manticle]

Did you add dettol or drop a band aid/plaster in some of your beers?

 

[JasonP]

Are the affected beers lower in alcohol than the none affected? It does sound like an infection but curious why only showing in certain beers. How long is your lag time in these beers?

 

[Blind Dog]

Did you add dettol or drop a band aid/plaster in some of your beers?

No

And bandaids don't actually taste of bandaids which is weird (yes I did chew a few, seemed like a good idea. It wasn't) I figure the description of chlorophenols as having a bandaid taste is actually a reference to the smell and a taste that tastes like the smell if that makes sense