Persistent Off flavour/aroma driving me insane!

[Dads_Ale]

Of course the trouble is do you now need to get another new FV just to be totally sure when not using the fridge.

Good luck with your next brew

 

[Leon103]

I haven't read all the posts but a couple of thoughts and suggestions.

First off find a bcjp judge and get them to taste your beer, they maybe able to pin point what it is as you seem to be describing a lot of things.

What ingredients are you using, where are they bought, how are they stored?

 

[chrisbrooker]

Hi All,

Next chapter in the story! I think that I have managed to identify the ferm. fridge as the issue. I made a nice simple smash beer and used a new and cheap bucket, fermenting in a cupboard in a different part of the house. Kegged last weekend, and have been drinking since last Thurs. My first pour was really disheartening, some similar off flavours to before. Having poured a couple of glasses from the keg though the off flavour disappeared and I have been enjoying pints through last weekend/early this week. It's a very bog standard basic beer, but clean tasting. I have noticed a sour/tart flavour creeping in since Tuesday though, and so I'm not quite over my woes.

I'm still counting this as an improvement, slight sourness is much better than my prev. undrinkable batches, and I should hopefully still be able to get through a few more pints this weekend before it reaches tipping point. It was brewed in the same room as the infected fridge, and the keg and siphon had been in this room also, and so I think that trace amounts of bacteria have managed to make their way in, taking much longer to reach noticeable levels.

I have a new fridge coming tomorrow, and they're taking away the old one. On Saturday I'm going to pull everything out of my workshop and disinfect from top to bottom to give myself a fresh start. I'll get another batch on once this has been done, and keep you all updated on the results.

It's annoying that another batch has been affected, but actually I'm still hopeful that I can see light at the end of the tunnel!

 

[Bill_g]

My suspicion would focus on those things in your process which make physical contact with the beer. Microbes don't have legs and they can't fly, but can move around on dust, utensils, your hands etc. Sounds like you are making some head way so good luck for the next batch. I have the feeling that sometimes plastic things in particular cannot be fully sanitised once badly infected. You mention a siphon, would it be a good idea to maybe get a new one? I wish you success whatever you decide.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Chris, where did you source your CO2 - is it food grade?

 

[Bill_g]

Chris, where did you source your CO2 - is it food grade?

I have used welding CO2 to prime my Corny kegs with no hint of off flavours. It's a bit naughty & can't be recommended but I bet the source is the same but with more checks along the way for food grade. Nevertheless, I don't think that it's something that I shall keep on doing once the cylinder is empty.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

If it’s not food grade then it’s possible the CO2 is contaminated. Oil for example may be used to lubricate compressors, filters may be simple particulate filters rather than activated carbon filters, etc.

 

[Elliott 22]

Hi All,

Next chapter in the story! I think that I have managed to identify the ferm. fridge as the issue. I made a nice simple smash beer and used a new and cheap bucket, fermenting in a cupboard in a different part of the house. Kegged last weekend, and have been drinking since last Thurs. My first pour was really disheartening, some similar off flavours to before. Having poured a couple of glasses from the keg though the off flavour disappeared and I have been enjoying pints through last weekend/early this week. It's a very bog standard basic beer, but clean tasting. I have noticed a sour/tart flavour creeping in since Tuesday though, and so I'm not quite over my woes.

I'm still counting this as an improvement, slight sourness is much better than my prev. undrinkable batches, and I should hopefully still be able to get through a few more pints this weekend before it reaches tipping point. It was brewed in the same room as the infected fridge, and the keg and siphon had been in this room also, and so I think that trace amounts of bacteria have managed to make their way in, taking much longer to reach noticeable levels.

I have a new fridge coming tomorrow, and they're taking away the old one. On Saturday I'm going to pull everything out of my workshop and disinfect from top to bottom to give myself a fresh start. I'll get another batch on once this has been done, and keep you all updated on the results.

It's annoying that another batch has been affected, but actually I'm still hopeful that I can see light at the end of the tunnel!

Hey @chrisbrooker did you ever get to the bottom of the off flavour as I’ve been suffering from this a bit myself since moving to a fermzilla and kegging

 

[chrisbrooker]

Not exactly, but it must have been infection/contamination. Once the new fridge arrived I absolutely blitzed my brew room. Pulled everything out and disinfected from top to bottom. Boiled and PBW'd all metal parts, and PBW'd everything else. Sanitised absolutely everything before moving back in. Was worried about the FV and so swapped my Fermzilla for an all rounder as I was having a nightmare disassembling and cleaning it and worried about infection. Since then I've had no issues with off flavours at all, so hopefully on the other side now. I still think the most likely culprit was my ferm. fridge, as something really bad was getting into the beer, making it completely undrinkable within days of final gravity

 

[Elliott 22]

Not exactly, but it must have been infection/contamination. Once the new fridge arrived I absolutely blitzed my brew room. Pulled everything out and disinfected from top to bottom. Boiled and PBW'd all metal parts, and PBW'd everything else. Sanitised absolutely everything before moving back in. Was worried about the FV and so swapped my Fermzilla for an all rounder as I was having a nightmare disassembling and cleaning it and worried about infection. Since then I've had no issues with off flavours at all, so hopefully on the other side now. I still think the most likely culprit was my ferm. fridge, as something really bad was getting into the beer, making it completely undrinkable within days of final gravity

Thanks Chris
I’ve been chasing mine for months and think I may have found it was carbonic bite!

I have been pressure fermenting at 25psi in my fermzilla and then matching the pressure at final gravity after closed transfer for the style and current temp of the beer using dr hans carbonation calculator, then setting regulator to serving pressure of 12.

yesterday I read through all the comments after stripping my taps downand cleaning lines again. I took the keg out the fridge and let it vent then a few hours later tried from the top with a ladle, the taste wasn’t there!

lid on purged and then back in the fridge and reconnected I attached to me regulator and tasted again after an hour, mostly foam as too warm but the taste was there again?

Iran line cleaner though my taps and all came out purple so was clean? So couldn’t understand, decided to vent the keg a little and set serving pressure to 6, gave it another hour and tried it and the flavour had gone.

so guessing when fermenting under pressure to drop back serving pressure in headspace and to set way lower the carbonation calculator. Thing is the beer wasn’t overly carbed to the eye? Anyone have any other ideas or have I cracked it