"That homebrew taste"

Stu · Aug 4, 2024

Has anyone actually worked out what causes THT?
Since returning to brewing, using bottled water and all-grain, I've not had it until tonight.

I've been doing this Duvel for what seems like weeks - we're in week 6. It's been lagering for a couple of weeks and I thought I'd taste it tonight before bottling. It's quite beery, which is fine, but it's got that aftertaste.

I've bottled it and will bottle condition it for 3 weeks, but I think this is going to be a fail.

dmtaylor · Aug 4, 2024

Week #6? Likely oxidation. It happens to me and I've grown tired of it and begun doing something about it. Like me, you might want to look into limiting oxygen ingress. Besides fermenting only in glass, I've started to add tiny amounts of Campden (bisulphite) for any racking, or if leaving for more than a couple weeks before packaging. I believe keeping oxygen out as much as reasonably achievable and scavenging oxygen when appropriate is giving me better beer. The one and ONLY exception to this is AT yeast pitch, oxygenate the heck out of it right then, but nowhere else, either on hot side or after fermentation has begun.

JockyBrewer · Aug 4, 2024

My first thought is oxidation too.

Sadfield · Aug 4, 2024

Sounds like it could be underpitched or with a adjunct heavy beer, lacking in nutrient. Slow fermentation, causing acetaldehyde and or fusels.

jof · Aug 4, 2024

Also not helped with summer temperatures (if you don't use temperature control)

Stu · Aug 4, 2024

jof said:
Also not helped with summer temperatures (if you don't use temperature control)

Absolutely temperature controlled. All done in a fermentation fridge.

But as above, does sound like oxidisation. Because I couldn't ferment under pressure, I've a feeling I did get oxygen in.

Thanks all!

Sadfield · Aug 4, 2024

Stu said:
I've a feeling I did get oxygen in.

How? What FV are you using? Did it have an airlock?

samale · Aug 4, 2024

Stu said:
Absolutely temperature controlled. All done in a fermentation fridge.

But as above, does sound like oxidisation. Because I couldn't ferment under pressure, I've a feeling I did get oxygen in.

Thanks all!

I don't agree with that, give the beer a chance. 3 weeks in the bottle is not enough either. Judge the beer in 3 months time

Stu · Aug 4, 2024

samale said:
I don't agree with that, give the beer a chance. 3 weeks in the bottle is not enough either. Judge the beer in 3 months time

Oh absolutely - a mate of mine said "There's no such thing as bad beer - if you leave it long enough, it'll taste great"

I did a NEIPA that came out horribly a few months back - way too bitter. His thoughts are that if I leave it long enough, it'll mellow.

samale · Aug 4, 2024

Stu said:
Oh absolutely - a mate of mine said "There's no such thing as bad beer - if you leave it long enough, it'll taste great"

I did a NEIPA that came out horribly a few months back - way too bitter. His thoughts are that if I leave it long enough, it'll mellow.

I have made my fair share of bad Beers. Tasting a beer that's not had a chance to mature or carbonate is difficult to judge. Give it a chance

hoppyscotty · Aug 27, 2024

Oxidation is definitely enemy #1 but for me also the homebrew twang was from a combination of fermentation temperature and control and water chemistry and mash ph. As soon as I started paying attention to those things then the beer was a lot better and stopped tasting like homebrew. Not sure which of those things has the greatest impact as I started to manage them at the same time.

MashBag · Aug 27, 2024

Sadfield said:
Sounds like it could be underpitched or with a adjunct heavy beer, lacking in nutrient. Slow fermentation, causing acetaldehyde and or fusels.

I am with you. There are more possibilities than just oxidisation.

And we do have enough information about ingredients and practices to determine. Could be over use of campden tablets (sodium type)

Chippy_Tea · Aug 27, 2024

Stu said:
Has anyone actually worked out what causes THT?

Many a thread about it here is one from 2013 -

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/how-to-get-rid-of-the-homebrew-taste.27966/post-266011

Stu · Aug 27, 2024

Chippy_Tea said:
Many a thread about it here is one from 2013 -

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/how-to-get-rid-of-the-homebrew-taste.27966/post-266011

Just had a look through it. I've not done any of those.

Used bottled water. I used chemsan to clean. The only sugar I used was candy rocks (as in most Belgian beers) other than malt etc.
Most of the things they suggest in that thread are about extract brewing and cheap kits with sugar - obviously this was a tried-and-tested all-grain method
https://www.greatfermentations.com/belgian-golden-strong-recipe/

Oh well, I'll put it down to a bad brew. It's now been bottled 3 weeks and tastes awful. I'll try again in a month or two.

Caramel Ox · Aug 27, 2024

I’m quite sensitive to the taste of fermented cane sugar so I would guess at that being the cause. It’s also a bit of a plain recipe for a big beer?

Chippy_Tea · Aug 27, 2024

Stu said:
Just had a look through it. I've not done any of those.

Grab a beer and a seat this'll take a while to get through -
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/the-homebrew-twang-experiment.82710/post-827597

Hazelwood Brewery · Aug 27, 2024

Stu said:
Has anyone actually worked out what causes THT?
Since returning to brewing, using bottled water and all-grain, I've not had it until tonight.

I've been doing this Duvel for what seems like weeks - we're in week 6. It's been lagering for a couple of weeks and I thought I'd taste it tonight before bottling. It's quite beery, which is fine, but it's got that aftertaste.

I've bottled it and will bottle condition it for 3 weeks, but I think this is going to be a fail.

Stu, you note it’s been lagering for two weeks at week six, was the beer fermenting for 4 weeks? If so, you’re at the limit before yeast autolysis becomes a possibility. If you re-used old yeast you’re probably beyond the limit.

Stu · Aug 27, 2024

Hazelwood Brewery said:
Stu, you note it’s been lagering for two weeks at week six, was the beer fermenting for 4 weeks? If so, you’re at the limit before yeast autolysis becomes a possibility. If you re-used old yeast you’re probably beyond the limit.

Cheers. I can't remember the timings now. I followed the instructions.

3 weeks ferment, 3 weeks lagering. I'm now another 3 weeks in and it's frankly awful. It's not that dark, so I don't think it's oxidised. I do think it might have an infection. It's just not a great beer at all.

MrRook · Aug 28, 2024

Stu said:
I did a NEIPA that came out horribly a few months back - way too bitter. His thoughts are that if I leave it long enough, it'll mellow.

Absolutely. I entered a British barleywine into a compitition and got so-so scores: "Too hoppy for style ". A year later it got the highest score I've ever received and second in best of show.

"That homebrew taste"

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