Strange Taste In Every Brew

[Darren]

Fermenting in a fridge with glad wrap as a lid could be your problem.

cheers

Darren

 

[barneyhanway]

I agree, and even more so if you chill to pitching temp (from boiling) in a fridge with gladwrap for a lid.
Fridges are disgusting. Turn one off and leave it for a couple of weeks if you don't believe me.

As a function of cooling, air is being sucked into your fermenter. Air from your fridge. Read above.

 

[Julez]

I agree, and even more so if you chill to pitching temp (from boiling) in a fridge with gladwrap for a lid.
Fridges are disgusting. Turn one off and leave it for a couple of weeks if you don't believe me.

As a function of cooling, air is being sucked into your fermenter. Air from your fridge. Read above.

I think if you guys read Inge's last test report, he stated that he replaced the fermenter and the lid and airlock! So it's not to do with glad wrap!

Irrespective, that's a damn good point, I guess if you are chilling from boiling in a fridge even with a lid and airlock, it still sucks fridge air in at the worst possible time, as wort is going through danger zone with temp. Unless you seal up the airlock hole or plug the airlock with some alcohol-soaked cotton-wool, etc....

Given the problem was still present with Inge's latest K+K though, I assume this is irrelevant anyway.

 

[Jez]

Clean all your fridges - both your fermenting fridge & your keg fridge.

I had a horrible taste problem which sounds pretty close to yours with everything I kegged - tasted fine whilst fermenting in the fermentation fridge then developed the same green apple, acetaldehyde (sp?) taste once kegged and in my keg fridge.

I did heaps of research about acetaldehyde "green apple" infections, lactic acid infections & changed my practice - was carefully that I milled my grain far away from where I brewed, let my beers ferment for a little longer, made sure I racked them to get them off the yeast cake etc. Nothing helped. Everything I kegged had the same green apple taste.

It happened about the same time I started AG brewing too so I was close to giving up. Then at my wits end one day I pulled my whole keg system out of the fridge it was in (pulled the taps off the front & blocked the holes, took out the gas manifold & all the lines) & used it as a fermentation fridge for one brew to see what happened. Got the same infected taste from that fermenter whist it was fermenting.

I gave the fridge a MAJOR domestos clean & fermented another beer in there recently, bottled it 8 weeks ago and so far it tastes ok.

I haven't put the keg system back together yet but have bought reseal kits for all kegs, new lines and have pulled the taps apart for a napisan soak. Hopefully will be all good.

Good luck!

Jez

 

[Inge]

Jules mate, you're spot on. Warmed it up to 18 degrees and I can't notice the bad flavour at all, hop and a touch of malt sweetness is all. Not too bad! Chilled back down to 10 degrees, and the same result. Seems as though the taste is only noticeable at very low temps, where malt and hop flavour is diminished. It's in the process of cooling to serving temperature, 6 degrees. This differs from the last 'bad' batch, where the taste was prominent plastic throughout the temperature range 18 through to 6.

Regardless, the fridge is getting a spraydown with peroxide. Need to cover all bases here.

Best case scenario, I'm tasting is normal acetaldehyde from a young beer, and a paranoid mind has warped the senses. Home brewers are a mad lot anyway. :lol: Worst case, it's a flaw only perceivable at super low temperature. I'm pressing ahead with this beer, it's going into the keg after a stint in secondary. I'll note any changes in flavour every couple of days until it's ready to drink.

Thanks for all your help guys!