Metallic tang in my brew

[dicko]

I always use Magnum to bitter, but never had a drama with it.

How old is US Magnum?

Ageing hops can give an off flavour.

 

[Sambrew]

Do a brew without the fittings to confirm before binning them.

 

[_Mick_]

Yeah, will do a trial brew for sure.

Magnum is '13 crop but kept vacuum sealed and in the freezer, still seems fresh.

 

[marksy]

Just get a hack saw and do a small slit to see what type of metal they are.

 

[Brew Forky]

I just replaced a faulty SS ball valve and forgot to clean it. Mashing at the moment. What an Idiot. I'm also using Magnum to bitter. What is the issue with Magnum? I haven't heard that one before.

 

[dr K]

One person's metallic is another's astringency. All of my brewin water has lots of iron and copper contact, it comes the tap and my tap water is neither astringent nor metallic.
_Mick_ reports that the unfermented wort tastes fine (yes it may be sweetness covering up all sorts of things).
barring infection the three major changes from unfermented wort to fermented beer are, an increase in alcohol, a decrease in sugar and a drop in pH.
A 5% alcohol solution at a pH of say 4.5 is good way to get metallic ions from iron or copper, but I strongly suspect that the beer was EDIT not stored in iron or copper vessels.
my money is on over sparging, high pH tap water, or most likely , a combination of the two...

 

[Kodos]

Tina Panoutsas from CUB's sensory team showed us an impressive trick at ANCH if you suspect metal contamination in your beer.

Smear a few drops of the beer on the back of your hand, and give it a second. If it is actually metal causing the off-flavour, the smell will chance to full-on rust. The acids in your skin cause some sort of reaction - it's remarkable.

If you don't notice this change, you can rule out metal contamination and look for something that causes an off flavour *like* metallic.

 

[Spiesy]

Fwiw, I have noticed a metallic/iron/blood taste in heaps of beers over the years, but only once has this been Homebrew. I'm talking commercial beers. From Cooper's to Squire's and so many other beers - local and imported. It was never consistent either, I.e. never 'this beer' always tastes like metal, it was more 'this bottle', 'this 6-pack' or 'this slab'. I started a thread on it a couple of years ago.

In the end I put it down to storage. These beers were always from Dan Murphy's, where I shopped back then. I don't buy beer too much these days, but when I do, it's rarely at Dan's, and I haven't noticed it for a while.

There's always the chance that I'm also very sensitive to this taste/fault, as I used to pick it quite regularly. Enough to make me stop buying beer from said retailer, right or wrong.

 

[woodwormm]

very interesting to me.

i've almost condemned my Aluminium kettle due to metallic tastes in anything less than a hop monster.

my brewery is full of nickel coated brass valves and fittings. i like my kettle enough that i'll try to replace all the fitting for stainless before switching kettles...

 

[Cervantes]

Just a thought, but would the beer actually spend enough time in contact with the camlok fittings to pick up any flavours?

 

[dicko]

I just replaced a faulty SS ball valve and forgot to clean it. Mashing at the moment. What an Idiot. I'm also using Magnum to bitter. What is the issue with Magnum? I haven't heard that one before.

It is not only magnum but other high AA hops as well. POR is a classic as well when it gets a bit old. Commercially, West End Draught is full on metallic.

I have also found that if you are lightly hopping a beer and you have a chloride to sulphate ratio that is high in sulphate you may get a "metallic twang" in the beer. Or at least that is the way I percieve it.

The OP comes from Coffs Harbour so if he is using local water and boiling the chlorine out of it and then NOT adding extra spoon fulls of gypsum ( as some recommend) and there is no contact with iron / steel then hops is where I would be looking.
There is also other possiblities such as stale grain, unclean rain water, overdoing Starsan strength without rinsing, and the list could go on.
There is not a lot of info given in the first enquiry.

 

[_Mick_]

Definitely not the hops or grain, using coffs town water, never had an issue with it.
Ive put it down to the new equipment, camlocks and pump not being washed properly before use. Ive transferred the 3rd brew, Since the problem started, into the secondary and the taste has gone.

 

[Brew Forky]

It is not only magnum but other high AA hops as well. POR is a classic as well when it gets a bit old. Commercially, West End Draught is full on metallic.

I have also found that if you are lightly hopping a beer and you have a chloride to sulphate ratio that is high in sulphate you may get a "metallic twang" in the beer. Or at least that is the way I percieve it.

The OP comes from Coffs Harbour so if he is using local water and boiling the chlorine out of it and then NOT adding extra spoon fulls of gypsum ( as some recommend) and there is no contact with iron / steel then hops is where I would be looking.
There is also other possiblities such as stale grain, unclean rain water, overdoing Starsan strength without rinsing, and the list could go on.
There is not a lot of info given in the first enquiry.

Very informative post Dicko. With th Starsan, if you mix it at the right dilution rate, should you have problems, or is it leaving too much "foam" around?

 

[dicko]

Starsan mixed at the correct rate in clean water will not require rinsing and is quite safe in your beer..... But really, how many brewers actually measure the starsan at the recommended dose and use it in a neutral PH water to achieve the desired result.
Most tap water is laced with chlorine and is ultimately not suitable for the correct use of starsan.

On a funny but actually serious note, phosphoric acid (starsan) if overdone in concentration will cause all you teeth fillings to drop out if your teeth are subject to the drink that is high in acid content.

 

[Brew Forky]

On a funny but actually serious note, phosphoric acid (starsan) if overdone in concentration will cause all you teeth fillings to drop out if your teeth are subject to the drink that is high in acid content.

So if my fillings fall out, does that mean I can't hear Triple M in my head anymore? I probably wouldn't get the metallic taste in beer either. I know where the door is. I'll find my way out. All in jest Dicko, respect.

 

[Grott]

Starsan mixed at the correct rate in clean water will not require rinsing and is quite safe in your beer..... But really, how many brewers actually measure the starsan at the recommended dose and use it in a neutral PH water to achieve the desired result.
Most tap water is laced with chlorine and is ultimately not suitable for the correct use of starsan.

I use the Diggers demineralised water (from Coles, 4 litres $3.12) and measure in the 6ml of starsan using a syringe bought from a chemist for bugger all. The 4 litres works out to under 1 cent per longneck with the solution used for everything that needs to be sanitised.
Cheers

 

[Mardoo]

So if I yank/erode my fillings out could I never hear Triple M again?

 

[Brew Forky]

So if I yank/erode my fillings out could I never hear Triple M again?

Fuckin way off topic:

 

[Brew Forky]

I use the Diggers demineralised water (from Coles, 4 litres $3.12) and measure in the 6ml of starsan using a syringe bought from a chemist for bugger all. The 4 litres works out to under 1 cent per longneck with the solution used for everything that needs to be sanitised.
Cheers

I measure mine with a syringe too but add puratap to the bottle at the right doses. Don't know what's in the Puratap water though as I'm not a chemist, but the bottle stays clearer than when I use tap water.

 

[manticle]

So if I yank/erode my fillings out could I never hear Triple M again?

I have no fillings and it's never on in my place. Coincidence? You be the judge.