That ' Home Brew' Taste.

[Rod]

I started out with K&K

then no sugar ,

used brew enhancers

moved to partials

tried BIAB , a lot of work , but good brew

Now do partials

keep the fermentation down to 18 to 20C for ales

10 to 12C for the ales

fermentation temperatures make a significant difference any thing over 22C , IMO , gives a chance of home brew taste

don't touch anything for 3 months , 6 weeks and you are asking for the HB taste

drink most brews after 6 months , takes a while to build up stock , cheat by drinking the 3 month stuff early

some brews I have had for 12 months , heavier styles , and would not want to share them with the doubters

 

[PostModern]

I've had "that homebrew taste" too. But then I've brewed kits in 6 days and had them on tap without it. I think yeast management is a big part of it.

 

[Adamt]

The home-brew twang... not explicitly called that by Palmer but this is what I believe it is:

Metallic flavors are usually caused by unprotected metals dissolving into the wort but can also be caused by the hydrolysis of lipids in poorly stored malts.

This is from here under 'Metallic'.

 

[Brewman_]

There's lots of aspects to Home Brewing that need to be mastered / understood to create a good beer. Even then if you serve a good beer to a mate that is used to drinking 30 can discount blocks, they generally are not ready for it.

But I was encouraged after a good session of Home brew recently at my place with some mates, that one of my mates pulled a party where he put on the beer. He is not a home brewer. At his party he put on the beer that included James Squire, Pilsener Urquel other imported beers and coopers, etc. In 20 years he has never done that.

He was a Hahn light drinker. The thing I took out of that was beer education was getting through. He also asked for some HB from me to bring to the party.

FNL

 

[Nick JD]

Try this on your tastes like homebrew friends (the ones who swill Tooheys and VB). It works a treat, and I believe, proves that well over half of taste (and smell) perception is preconceived. Much of it comes down to labeling and packaging.

At the bottleO, buy four or five bottles of strange import stubbies from the ends of the earth. Your mates who drink VB will never have tasted these brands.

Insist on being a very polite and gracious host - go to the fridge and get your mates some of the range of interesting beers your work gave you for xmas or something - but while in the kitchen out of their view, decant your homebrew into the empty, exotic stubbies.

If your homebrew is decent, I'll bet you not one of your megaswill mates will know they're drinking homebrew.

Another interesting phenomenon is the fact that you can serve the same homebrew to the same mate in three different stubbies and he'll swear the second one was the best, because, "Bla bla bla".

Presentation, labeling and preconceptions haunt homebrew more than flavour.

 

[flattop]

All of my brews have improved with age.
Nothing bottled before late November has got the twang now.
4-5 weeks in the bottle is minimum shelf life for a Coopers kit, 2-3 months is much better.
I think we also look for the taste, i taste every brew thinking "is it there".

 

[Bribie G]

I find it helps to actually go out and drink the occasional XXXX and get the odd bottle of Melbourne Bitter to recalibrate the taste buds. The Mrs likes the pokies, doesn't drink, so I accompany her to the pub or club and have a few chilled ones. I have noticed that XXXX in particular has a twang that is similar to mouse cage aroma (if you have ever kept mice or know someone who has, the smell is unforgettable). Now and again VB has a real sulphur nose, despite what they claim I don't believe that they invariably produce an identical brew even in a hi tech factory like Yatala. Getting home to a nice HB is a revelation.

 

[flattop]

never could stomach XXXX.... VB was mothers milk when i was younger but Carlton on tap was the go.
I believe you are right, re-calibration is a good idea.

 

[watchUburn]

I used to like XXXX. Tried one the other day and couldn't finish it.
I think my taste-buds have a one-way recalibration setting.