Why Is My Stout Metallic?

[braufrau]

My husband and I were just comparing my stout to the grand ridge hat lifter.
Mine's nicer.
Bit fruitier, more malt character, but the bitterness is different
After much sipping and deliberation we decided it tastes metallic. Its tasted
in the back of the tongue and the roof of the mouth, like bitterness, but sort of broader and somewhat like sucking
on a galvanised nail.

Actually, come to think of it, someone gave me a sip of beer (fosters, carlton draught??)
years ago and I saw "ewwww it tastes like nails!". That's the taste.
And this guy was a naturapath and announced I had zinc defficiency.

Now my equipment is all SS. Could be the pot was cleaned with a scourer and hadn't
passivated.?? :unsure:

Recipe was coopers stout kit (supermarket ... could be the culprit)
300g dried wheat malt (also might not be properly stored)
450g xtal malt (ditto)
15g saaz
300g cane sugar

Its only been in the bottle 5 weeks.

Now I'm thinking that the last brew, which used unhopped extract also has that taste from
the bit I tasted in the hydrometer vial. Why doesn't this blokey site have a crying emoticon?

So what do you think? Will it go away with time?
Is it my equipment? Or dodgy ingredients?

-braufrau

 

[Adamt]

Sounds like good old fashioned "kit twang" to me, as far I know that comes from old extract.

Unless you took a big gouge out of the stainless steel, it'd passivate fast enough to not be a problem.

 

[braufrau]

Sounds like good old fashioned "kit twang" to me, as far I know that comes from old extract.

Unless you took a big gouge out of the stainless steel, it'd passivate fast enough to not be a problem.

Thanks Adam. Non of my other kit brews had the "twang" so fingers crossed that my memory
of the hydrometer taste of my latest brew was wrong. :unsure:

-braufrau

 

[simpletotoro]

hi ...you probably know more about brewing then me... this may help though...
http://www.howtobrew.com/section4/chapter21-2.html
cheers simple totoro

 

[Mr Bond]

Old or poorly stored extracts I'd say.

 

[braufrau]

Old or poorly stored extracts I'd say.

Yep. Looks like that's the consensus.
Some posts I've found on the web suggest that adding some of the extract late
in the boil will help. I doubt it, since I assume the extract has already formed
twang while sitting on the shelf, but I'll give it a go.
Better hop utilisation that way.
And I'll pay attention to use by dates as well.

Sigh!

-braufrau

 

[tangent]

of my other kit brews had the "twang"

...or did they?

Maybe you're tasting more stout flavours than you ever noticed before.
Times like these are great to buy a heap of similar commercial versions and have a re-taste.
Now you know what to "taste for" and you're familiar with a few of the raw ingredients now, everything tastes a bit different.... or crap.

Edit - I'm not being negative, it's great! Your senses are being provoked. Now ordinary beers seem really crappy and the occasional weird beer seems to be oh so right!

PS thanks to Dr.Gonzo for the Friday arvo imported wheat beer lessons. My brain failed after the crazy% beers, but I'd had a big day!

 

[braufrau]

...or did they?

Maybe you're tasting more stout flavours than you ever noticed before.
Times like these are great to buy a heap of similar commercial versions and have a re-taste.
Now you know what to "taste for" and you're familiar with a few of the raw ingredients now, everything tastes a bit different.... or crap.

Yes that's possible. I should see if I can find an old bottle lurking somewhere.

-braufrau

 

[tangent]

don't forget, good stouts get better with age.
one wine fluffer wrote Coopers Stout longnecks deserve 10 years in the cellar!
i've seen a "beer judge" describe the "all grain" flavours in a Coopers canned stout
everything else should be consumed between 3 weeks and 6 months otherwise IMO.
some stuff gets better, most fades. Commercial stuff included.

 

[warrenlw63]

Braufrau

Just curious... How's your tap/tank/whatever water? It's not excessive iron from your tank and/or plumbing is it?

Warren -

 

[braufrau]

Braufrau

Just curious... How's your tap/tank/whatever water? It's not excessive iron from your tank and/or plumbing is it?

Warren -

Hmmm. Adelaide hills water and its filtered.
I don't think there's iron in it since the toilet isn't turning red and I don't taste it.

-brafrau

 

[SpillsMostOfIt]

I don't think there's iron in it since the toilet isn't turning red and I don't taste it.

I probably would have phrased *that* differently...

Since I've been able to taste some of my all-grain brews side by side with my extract and K&K brews, I believe I have come to understand what is known as 'extract twang'. I think the suggestion to buy something commercial and similar-ish is a good one.

 

[Gusfcc4ever]

I've heard that aluminum pots can create that metallic taste. However, I've also heard that its just a rumor with no real ground. Sorry, not that clear on the subject, however I was always told not to use an aluminum pot.

 

[warrenlw63]

I've heard that aluminum pots can create that metallic taste. However, I've also heard that its just a rumor with no real ground. Sorry, not that clear on the subject, however I was always told not to use an aluminum pot.

Pure urban myth.

Warren -

 

[pint of lager]

Some infections also show up as a metallic taste.

 

[Brewer_010]

I've also tried the coopers stout and it had a 'metallic' taste even tho the BB date was June 2008 (brewed it last october). Could have been poorly stored?

I've tasted this 'twang' in a craft brew beer once...it was a NZ IPA (can't recall the brewery name), but was quite disappointed as the beer was nice otherwise.

 

[drsmurto]

Hmmm. Adelaide hills water and its filtered.
I don't think there's iron in it since the toilet isn't turning red and I don't taste it.

-brafrau

Adelaide Hills water...mains or rainwater? And what are you filtering it with?

Cheers
DrSmurto
p.s. where in the hills are you?

 

[braufrau]

Adelaide Hills water...mains or rainwater? And what are you filtering it with?

Cheers
DrSmurto
p.s. where in the hills are you?

Mains and a sediment filter and ummmm .... might be activated carbon but
I think its an "aquasmart" filter. To quote the place we got it ...
"Waterworld have a range of counter top or undersink twin filters like the AQUASMART which offers a broader spectrum of contaminant removal than a carbon filter can due to it's combination with a unique patented media which removes heavy metals such as aluminium, lead, copper, mercury etc.."

But it was 6 months ago I changed the filter and I can't remember what it was!

Anyway its a twin thingy that looks like a giant puratap hanging on the outside wall where the mains
go in.

Same water I've made all my beers with but as tangent says, perhaps I am just getting more
discriminating.

-braufrau

 

[braufrau]

Well I now have a collection of possibilities ...

1. extract twang
2. its supposed to taste like that
3. chlorine in the water (but that's only possible if my filter isn't working and I can tell when that is by the
way my skin reacts) http://www.craftbrewing.org.uk/grafton/doc/grafton-275.htm
4. zinc http://www.thegrumpytroll.com/beer_glossary.html
5. other heavy ions in the water. could be a seasonal thing since adelaide water deteriorates in summer.
Actually, we're prolly on the same supply as Grumpy's. I wonder what they do to their water.
6. unpassivated pot (or aluminium but its not)
7. storing the beer in contact with caps http://www.chiff.com/beer/score-sheet.htm
8. my husband and I are both sick or have been poisoned e.g by arsenic http://www.fulcrumhealth.co.uk/guide.htm


Oh! That's enough!

:lol:

-braufrau

 

[johnno]

I had a couple of 6 packs of JS porter a few weeks back that had a metalic/blood taste about them.

I mentioned it on chat at he time but we never figured out what it was.

Weird.

cheers
johnno