Tell Me Does Everyone Go Through This?

[mick8882003]

Well I am starting to get a little judgemental? (for want of a better word) with the taste of my homebrew. I just tapped a keg of brewmasters cold with the kilo (cant rember which one though. straight dex or malt ect.) So since I have been brewing this is the first brew that I am not happy with, ok last week I said that my two can coopers was shocking, but funnyly enough in the end I quite liked it.

Out of the six kegs I have done so far (since I have been kegging that is) this has been sitting there the longest, it must be about two months old. Two weeks ago I thought it wasn't bad. Since then I have done my first all grain (have become addicted to it, just quietly.) and now just having tapped it, it seems to be lacking quite a bit. Putting it bluntly it tastes a bit plastic.

Does anyone else have a little "adjustment" time between brews, or is every brew you do just fantastic?

Oh yes and the last keg I tapped was a two can coopers ale, originally it was to bitter and astringent for me.

 

[NickB]

I've only been 'happy' with one of my brews ever. Comes down to the fact that we're our own harshest critics!

I've got pretty positive feedback from other brewers on my beers, which tells me that I'm more critical of my own work. Talking to other brewers tells me this is the case with them as well.

Best thing you can do IMHO is to give tasters to as many brewers as you can (Some accredited judges even - perhaps enter some comps for some unbiased feedback), and get some honest feedback!

Cheers

 

[mick8882003]

Maybe I'm better off with one of those, you know the illegal thing that starts with s and ends in till

Edit, that would take the fun out of it!

 

[NickB]

A still is not illegal in Aus.... I've had many a strong 'distilled water' and 'essential oil' out of one, and no ill effects yet!!!

Cheers

 

[barls]

but it is to discuss it on here

 

[mick8882003]

I shouldn't have dropped the **ill word, sorry.

My bad.

 

[pint of lager]

Join a club. You get to try other brews and also have yours sampled by experienced people that can give you constructive feedback about your beers.

What is your ag lacking? Brewing all grain can take a few brews to get everything right. It is alot more complex than making up a kit. You really need to get the basics right on your kits and then move onto ag. Two can brews work best with pale low hopped tins. You say your brew tastes plastic. This flavour can come from incorrect fermentation temperature, wild yeast infection, or are you refering to your ag being plastic?

 

[mick8882003]

Sorry the brew I am drinking at the moment, the brewmasters cold, seems a little plastic. - the ag is excellent, and I am waiting for it to mature.


What I am not sure on myself is if I have gotten used to the coopers ale two can and now this brewmasters cold, which previously thought was great, now tastes a little plastic.

I am pretty sure its not a infection issue, it just tastes a little like ive just licked foam or somthing simlar.


*****Dammit******, sorry for the cussing.

I have just realised what it is, I have recently given up the smokes, and I'll be shot dead if that's not it, not the plastic thing, but the big change in taste compared to two weeks ago.


Edit:
Hmf, now I have to rethink all my "great" and no so great beers.

 

[pbrosnan]

Sorry the brew I am drinking at the moment, the brewmasters cold, seems a little plastic. - the ag is excellent, and I am waiting for it to mature.


What I am not sure on myself is if I have gotten used to the coopers ale two can and now this brewmasters cold, which previously thought was great, now tastes a little plastic.

I am pretty sure its not a infection issue, it just tastes a little like ive just licked foam or somthing simlar.


*****Dammit******, sorry for the cussing.

I have just realised what it is, I have recently given up the smokes, and I'll be shot dead if that's not it, not the plastic thing, but the big change in taste compared to two weeks ago.


Edit:
Hmf, now I have to rethink all my "great" and no so great beers.

I've found that if I do make a great beer I'll know it straight away, probably before it's had time to carb. This doesn't happen that often. I frequently make a good beer, it's just that I need a few tastes and a bit of maturation time to realise it is a good beer. Rarely do I make a bad beer.

 

[reVoxAHB]

Sorry the brew I am drinking at the moment, the brewmasters cold, seems a little plastic.

Well, the obvious comes to mind... is it a kit (FWK?) that came in plastic (apologies, I don't know what brewmasters is)? Did you no chill in plastic? Did you ferment in plastic? Are you drinking the beer from plastic pet bottles?

Again, the obvious?

I'm a ardent glass nazi (on the ferm side). I don't think my beer ever touches plastic in any stage of the process, now that I think about it.

reVox

 

[mick8882003]

Sorry, brewmasters? is a brewcraft brand, I think I have that right.

Came in a tin, fermented in a good plastic fermenter and kegged.

Honestly I am sure either my mind or my tounge is playing tricks on me now. Like I said I am giving up smoking, so I am all over the place at the moment. I just tasted the "cold" (twice to be sure) and I couldn't detect any plastic taste at all.

Sooo, it is either the fact that I have changed beers tonight, or *which I suspect is the real culpret* giving up the smokes has sent my taste into overdrive, either that or all wacky.

Honesty I will have to give this a week or two to get the niccotine out of my system (it kills you tastebuds) and then re-educate myself.

It is interesting, does anyone know if master brewers have a non-smoking policy? (for tasting reasons)

Oh and if you smoke, it is so much better on the other side, its the smokes that make you feel bad, not the other way around.

 

[buttersd70]

Wouldn't surprise me if it is giving up the smokes thats thrown you off, mick. After a while it all settles back down, but whilst going through the quitting process, it throws your sense of taste and smell into a real spin. I know, I've given up the beasts on enough occasions. (and started again on as many)

 

[mick8882003]

Butters, well they ain't getting another chance with me.

Edit: the smokes that is.

 

[matti]

Taste is one of the better senses and giving up smoking one really starts to appreciate flavours again.
The plastic taste sensation may come from two things IMHO.

Too much maltodextrins in a kit effort give it a slick taste.

Sometime the bandaid taste can taste plastic before it overpowers the hops totally.

(I have give up smokes for the twentyeleventh time. I hope this one last longer then the last time, 18 months.)

Matti

 

[[email protected]]

It is interesting, does anyone know if master brewers have a non-smoking policy? (for tasting reasons)

Hey Mick,

I brew professionally and I'm currently studying to become BJCP qualified. It has taken a lot of kicking and screaming but smokers are now "not encouraged" to take part in our QC tastings. It took a while for the establishment to back me on this but now agree that having a smoker involved altered the remaining tasters senses. Aroma profiling was shot from the start and every beer they tasted were "fantastic, no flaws...". We have a couple of good beer judges here who take a bit of interest in QC and flavour profiling so being told a beer was great that obviously had flaws was a bit of a joke.

Also our admin girl who took minutes for the tastings used to turn up reaking of cheap perfume and a freshly made Vanilla-Mocha-Latte-cino... She was bahished also.

I'm not trying to re-open the "Smokers can't taste beer" debate at all but I'm just answering your Question.

Cheers

The 'Ol Boozeroony

 

[hatchor]

Boozeroony and all....
I agree with the idea that quitting the smokes will dramatically alter your taste perception for a while. AND your sensitivity to different ingredients. The missus and I have been off the smokes for a bit now and I can say that my appreciation for hop tastes, while not overly developed to begin with, are coming through much stronger now. Maybe not stronger, but my ability to detect differences is more.....refined....or something!! At the start of quitting my taste was all over the place too (like my brain.....) and one of my early beers that I thought was pretty good, for kit and extract, all of a sudden tasted like dirt (don't ask me why I know what that tastes like) :wacko:

swmbo has all of a sudden developed intolerance to anything chillli too, like the smokes used to give her a protective coating on her mouth!

Stick with it Mick C, getting rid of those little cancer causing bastards is the best thing I have ever done. Alien beer tastes for a while is worth it mate!! :beerbang: :super:

 

[pint of lager]

Mick, well done on giving up the cigarettes. Did the same years ago and it was probably one of the best things I ever did.

You can look forward to everything tasting different.

As a side benefit, you can calculate how much you will save and spend it on your good lady and yourself. You may be able to shout yourself some more brew gear.

A friend did his sums and bought a new motorbike.

As to smells when judging beer, even hand cleaner in the bathroom is going to throw your nose off. The best thing for clearing your nose is sniffing your own skin. The inside of the elbow works well.

 

[Fermented]

Congrats on kicking the cigs!

Been there, done that, and just like Butters I keep on coming back for more tasty, lung-busting punishment.

The first month of a quit leaves your sense of smell and taste ever so raw. I couldn't go into a public men's room - the odour was far too rank - for the first couple of weeks. Another mate swore by upping his dose of Vitamin C to 2000 mg ++ per day on his doctor's advice. Apparently woke his taste buds up less aggressively but more accurately (a winemaker in SA making resturant grade swill) so his work wasn't so unbearable.

That said, the idea of a judging panel being averse to a smoker being on the panel strikes me as rather odd. A few of the great vinophiles, including judges and a couple of top sommeliers, I've met over the years were members of the Order of the Black Lung. A well trained palate is able to see through the masking to which it has become accustomed. Average Joe on the other hand doesn't stand a chance. Or am I somehow foolishly believing that BJCP and other judges are these rare folk with a near perfect sense of taste?

Cheers - Fermented.

 

[pmolou]

Join a club. You get to try other brews and also have yours sampled by experienced people that can give you constructive feedback about your beers.

What is your ag lacking? Brewing all grain can take a few brews to get everything right. It is alot more complex than making up a kit. You really need to get the basics right on your kits and then move onto ag. Two can brews work best with pale low hopped tins. You say your brew tastes plastic. This flavour can come from incorrect fermentation temperature, wild yeast infection, or are you refering to your ag being plastic?

a bit off topic but how old are people at clubs??? I'm only 19 so would be weird if i'm the only youngin

 

[Pollux]

I'm just going to add on the non-smoking front, having now been off them for 10months myself after 10 years of pack a day still habits....

I can smell and taste so much more, sometimes this is a good thing, I finally appreciate dark chocolate and also good coffee and chai lattes. Other times it is a bad thing, I can't drink many of the beers I used to drink, the customers at work smell worse and cheap perfume just kills me, particularly when people marinate themselves in it.


As for the odd plastic taste, no idea but if you want an evil taste/smell try my first attempt at an all Amarillo extract that was accidently fermented at 28deg due to a combination of a "helpful" 22month old and also my own carelessness in not noticing that she had closed a dead fridge the fermenter was in, that didn't have ice bottles at the time.....It's like nail polish/acetone/old spice/other random things I can't work out......My good I hope it settles, I really do, but if it doesn't by the time I want the bottles, it will be used as draino.....

Jesus, that became an essay quite quickly.