Medicine Taste

[PostModern]

I recently put on a big ale. 1.096 fermented out to 1.022. It has heaps of DME, a trace of pale choc malt, some CaraAroma, golden syrup and sugar. Relatively lightly hopped... Anyway, this thing fermented out with WLP500 Trappist High Gravity. Fermentation was pretty rapid and warm (26-28C) despite the fermenter being kept in an ice bath. It's a 15l batch currently in a cube where I dry hopped it a week ago with about 40g of Saaz and Tettnang as I noticed a slight "medicinal" taste.

I tasted it again last night and the medicinal taste is increasing, rather than fading (as I'd obviously hoped). I'm thinking I might rack it onto 5-10 litres of a strong dark bitter wort to try and mask the flavour with roast grains and say Perle or Northern Brewer bitterness.... what else could I try to help it go, or is it a characteristic of WLP500 to throw whacky phenols like this?

 

[deebee]

Did you happen to sanitise with bleach, supposedly a source of medicine flavours?

 

[PostModern]

Yes. However, I washed it thoroughly with hot water, followed by some 50% metho, followed by 10 litres of iodophor for half an hour, shaken occassionally followed by several rinses of cold water. I sniffed and sniffed and detected nothing but the nice clean "beery" smell that all my fermenters have. However, I did use a second fermenter when I was aerating the wort... and then there's the conditioning cube as well.... and I can't recall exactly how well I rinsed those out. I don't think I used bleach at all for them.

In any case, the horse has bolted and the taste is there.... how to hide it?

 

[Wreck]

According to White Labs you should expect moderate phenolic taste as well as solvents brewing at those temps. Check out:

Whitelabs Belgian Yeast chart

The tripel (OG abuot 1080) I did with the WLP500 didn't come out too phenolic though. I think I underhopped so it's a bit on the malty sweet side, which might dominate other flavours (talking out of my arse a bit here).

Wreck.

 

[Jovial_Monk]

Sounds llike a chlorine or iodine derived taste

Jovial Monk

 

[PostModern]

Sounds llike a chlorine or iodine derived taste

A chlorophenol, I'd say. C'mon JM, I'm sure you've fucked up a beer or two in the past. How do I mask it?

 

[THE DRUNK ARAB]

I recently put on a big ale. 1.096 fermented out to 1.022. It has heaps of DME, a trace of pale choc malt, some CaraAroma, golden syrup and sugar. Relatively lightly hopped... Anyway, this thing fermented out with WLP500 Trappist High Gravity. Fermentation was pretty rapid and warm (26-28C) despite the fermenter being kept in an ice bath. It's a 15l batch currently in a cube where I dry hopped it a week ago with about 40g of Saaz and Tettnang as I noticed a slight "medicinal" taste.

I tasted it again last night and the medicinal taste is increasing, rather than fading (as I'd obviously hoped). I'm thinking I might rack it onto 5-10 litres of a strong dark bitter wort to try and mask the flavour with roast grains and say Perle or Northern Brewer bitterness.... what else could I try to help it go, or is it a characteristic of WLP500 to throw whacky phenols like this?

Call it a Belgian Fruit Beer and no one will know the difference B)

C&B
TDA

 

[wedge]

Call it a Belgian Fruit Beer and no one will know the difference

C&B
TDA

I love it!! :lol: :lol:


That's going straight to the note book! :lol:

 

[wedge]

It can work on so many levels!

 

[deebee]

Drink it as a medicine chaser...

 

[big d]

ive two rolls of masking tape left if your interested pomo

 

[Batz]

Don't I remember a song??

PostModerns Medicinal Compond ??? :lol:

 

[siiren]

according to 'Homebrewing for Dummies',
Mediciny\plastic flavours are due to distinct phenols due to wild yeast,
or due to levels of chlorine in the water or residue from sanitising.

 

[deebee]

Sounds like Visitors' Beer, PoMo.

 

[PostModern]

Sounds like Visitors' Beer, PoMo.

I'd be too embarassed to serve it to visitors.

Anyway, thanks for all the input, guys. Looks like the collective has saved the day again. I think I'll just take my own advice and try and mask it with bitterness and roastiness - at least to bring down the perceptible level of chlorophenols.

 

[GMK]

PoMo

If you will not make it visitors beer - make it either Doctors Ale or
Miss Poly's Medicinal Belgium Friut Ale.