Beer Flavour

[matnik]

Ok, im not even sure I know how to explain this, but here goes.
Every type of beer I brew ends up having a distinct ”homebrew“ flavour. It’s not an unpleasant flavour, but it does detract from the beer style flavour.
When I come out of the fermenter into the corny it’s not there, but over time it develops.
I brew all grain, various types (I have noticed it’s not as pronounced in wheat beers)and keg in cornies.
Any suggestions?

Cheers
Matt

 

[Donegal john]

Without knowing your process it’s hard to say. Could be any number of things like oxidation for one. What is the taste ?

 

[MmmBeer]

What are you using for cleaning / sanatising, also are you treating your water at all? if is less obvious in cornies, what colour are your bottles?

 

[matnik]

I knew I’d have to try and explain the taste. As I say, it’s not unpleasant, not sure what oxidation tastes like, and how it occurs, but as I’m sure it’s not infection, as I know what that taste likes from experience, it could be.
I don’t do anything with my water and have wondered if it is just that.

 

[Alastair70]

I’ll take a guess at chlorine/ chloramine then. Try a campden tab and see how the next brew goes.

 

[matnik]

I did try leaving my mash water overnight as I’d heard that can clear chlorine. Do I just chuck it in the mash water?

 

[MmmBeer]

Oxidation can be perceived as anything from wet cardboard to sherry taste/aroma.

Chlorine usually gives a medicinal/TCP/sticking plaster aroma. It can be caused by using a bleach based cleaner and insufficiently rinsing.

If using campden tabs, use a quarter tab in the mash water, crushed and left for a while, overnight if possible, and the same in the sparge water.

Try searching for beer off flavours and see if anything matches your experiences.

 

[Dazzelknight]

Try using good old Ashbeck water from Tesco in your next brew, see if that eliminates the taste u describe. If so Its your water profile

 

[matnik]

Thanks for the advice, I’ll give it a go next brew day. Is it worth buying a batch of bottled water and trying that?

 

[Nicks90]

Definitely worth paying a fiver for some bottled water. At least you can rule out or immediately identify one source of the off flavour.
Just make sure you do a brew you make frequently so you can compare. Might even be worth holding some of your last brew that's bottled and repeating that one EXACTLY for a side by side comparison

 

[Dads_Ale]

Do you have fermentation temp control?

 

[matnik]

Hi, yes, all temp controlled for ferment and conditioning. I also force carbonate if that could affect anything. Just to be clear, the flavour isn’t an “off” flavour, just a taint.

 

[Dads_Ale]

Hi, yes, all temp controlled for ferment and conditioning. I also force carbonate if that could affect anything. Just to be clear, the flavour isn’t an “off” flavour, just a taint.

Thanks for the update. I would definitely give bottled water or water treatment a go then report back

 

[Dads_Ale]

Sorry forgot to ask but do you chill after the boil?

 

[matnik]

Yes, I use a copper coil chiller down to 20c, then into f.v.

 

[chillipickle]

Ashbeck is a pretty good canvas for water treatment, especially hoppy ales.My water is hard as nails, £5 or 6 for ashbeck is a small price to pay.If i wasn't on a meter i would ro my water.

 

[matnik]

I’m down in East Sussex so high calcium

 

[Gerryjo]

I’m down in East Sussex so high calcium

Out of curiousity what and how do you clean your kegs as I have had to disassemble mine and clean the diptubes and post internals due to hop and yeast debris as I noticed mine getting progressively bitter over time in one particular keg.

 

[matnik]

I have a bit of a regime with my kegs. If they’ve stood a while I’ll Oxy them, then rinse and pressurise with no rinse sanitiser for a while. Squirt a bit out through the dispense then empty and fill with beer.

 

[Brew_DD2]

Hi, yes, all temp controlled for ferment and conditioning. I also force carbonate if that could affect anything. Just to be clear, the flavour isn’t an “off” flavour, just a taint.

Just as an FYI, when people refer to an off-flavour, ithey don't mean that the beer tastes as if it has gone off, but rather there is a flavour that is "off" from what would be considered desirable.