Gon orft

[Truckin and brewin]

Hi and happy new year to all ,I have a batch of muntons gold pilsner larger that was brewed, oct/Nov last year but is completely dead no fiz at all ,and tastes very metallic. Is this a flop and destined to become drain rinse or can it be saved.
It was brewed in a fermenter from a kit in my shed sat on a heater pad and in a temp controlled half wardrobe for two weeks then bottled every precaution was taken on sterilisation, but a cheveze Mexican from wilco brewed at the same time is absolutely fine ,I used carbonation drops always in bottling and non rinse sterilisation powder.
Sometimes wonder if two weeks in a fermenter is too long ? Any ideas on this cheers nick.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Hi Nick, a metallic taste is due to metal ions that have leached into your beer from a metal container/fitting that was damaged or not passivated. It can also come from stale malt or from using water that is high in metal ions. If this was an extract kit the damage may have been in production or if the extract came in a can, maybe the can was damaged or out of date? There’s not much you can do about that metallic taste as far as I know.

The carbonation issue might be fixable with a bit of hassle but if you don’t like beer with a metallic taste you’re not going to bother.

Two weeks in a fermenter is fine, almost all my beers are fermented for 10-14 days.

 

[Truckin and brewin]

Thanks for the reply as you say not too excited at the taste so will put it down to experience, first failed brew in 18 months so can't grumble. Let's get an ipa going ,do you ever use spray malt in ales ? Or straight brewing sugar

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

If you’re using a few hundred grams you can use either. You may get a little more malt flavour and body from spray malt than from sugar but unless you have a good palate you’ll probably not tell much difference in an IPA.

If you’ve using a Kg or more then spray malt or part spray malt and part sugar might be better so as not to thin the beer too much.

 

[Truckin and brewin]

If you’re using a few hundred grams you can use either. You may get a little more malt flavour and body from spray malt than from sugar but unless you have a good palate you’ll probably not tell much difference in an IPA.

If you’ve using a Kg or more then spray malt or part spray malt and part sugar might be better so as not to thin the beer too much.

Thanks again

 

[Truckin and brewin]

Hi Nick, a metallic taste is due to metal ions that have leached into your beer from a metal container/fitting that was damaged or not passivated. It can also come from stale malt or from using water that is high in metal ions. If this was an extract kit the damage may have been in production or if the extract came in a can, maybe the can was damaged or out of date? There’s not much you can do about that metallic taste as far as I know.

The carbonation issue might be fixable with a bit of hassle but if you don’t like beer with a metallic taste you’re not going to bother.

Two weeks in a fermenter is fine, almost all my beers are fermented for 10-14 days.

Hi thanks for the info but weds 2nd feb I went to empty the bottle's to reuse them and now have carbonation in them so I put it in a glass and low and behold we have a great looking larger with a great head.
So we tasted it and the metallic taste has completely gone and now has proper pilsner flavour.
Perhaps the 2 bottle's I tried were duds ,so it maybe a case of lucky dip .thanks for replying appreciated

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Hi thanks for the info but weds 2nd feb I went to empty the bottle's to reuse them and now have carbonation in them so I put it in a glass and low and behold we have a great looking larger with a great head.
So we tasted it and the metallic taste has completely gone and now has proper pilsner flavour.
Perhaps the 2 bottle's I tried were duds ,so it maybe a case of lucky dip .thanks for replying appreciated

Good to hear the beer has come good

I think it’s more likely that it wasn’t actually a metallic taste after all. During fermentation yeast produces lots of intermediate products on the way to making alcohol. Some of those products don’t taste that good but through a period of conditioning the yeast cleans up after itself. My guess from what you’ve said is that you tried the beer too early and some of these intermediate products gave you an impression of a metallic taste. Given more time the yeast has now cleared up leaving a clean tasting beer.

A lesson in patience
(I’m just as guilty)

 

[Sandimas]

Sounds like your 2 dud bottles might not have been totally sealed, and having no CO2 could have resulted in the off taste as they would have been exposed to the air and oxidised.

As you brewed this Oct/Nov it should be coming good around now.