Saved it but wheres the issue?

[Its 6pm somewhere]

OK, so had an issue with this one and usually they work a treat. Sample on day 9 was amazing, cloudy as expected but tasted great. Fast forward 20 days to allow to clear...left in fermenter at 15psi the entire time (converted commercial keg)...turned out crystal clear but with what I can only describe as a 'homebrew syrup kit' taste. Nothing against syrup kits, its how I got into hombrewing and still brew a few on occasion but was not expecting that taste on an all grain batch. Racked 18 litres to a corny keg with 20g of saaz and 15g of citra Pellets (all I had at hand) just thrown into the keg with a floating dip tube and after 3 days it tastes fantastic. Its cloudy again but I'm sure that will clear up in time. But where did it go 'off'?? I'm anal about cleaning and actually enjoy that aspect of homebrewing. Still another corny kegs+ worth to rack so open to suggestions on hoppage for that one. I've left it on the yeast a lot longer than that with pressure before with no issues so don't think it's that. I usually rack direct to a 50l keg and pitch new wort direct onto the slurry (once) but won't be doing it this time.
BTW my efficiency was off because I pushed the grain bill on this one which I won't do again but doubt that was a factor since it tasted fine and yes it's well outside the guidelines on bitterness but I like them with a bite.

 

[MashBag]

Cloudy on day 9 surprised me

Would you describe this taste as tinny or dry or banana ?

Do you treat your water?

 

[Its 6pm somewhere]

Cloudy on day 9 surprised me

Would you describe this taste as tinny or dry or banana ?

Do you treat your water?

Tinny more so than the others. Just a campden tablet and ph stabiliser (not sure if that stuff does anything)

 

[Its 6pm somewhere]

Cloudy on day 9 surprised me

Would you describe this taste as tinny or dry or banana ?

Do you treat your water?

That's day 9 after pitch and that's when I started the cold crash

 

[MashBag]

I call that homebrew "twang" and I am pretty sure the Campden tablet caused it. At what point did you add?

 

[Its 6pm somewhere]

I call that homebrew "twang" and I am pretty sure the Campden tablet caused it imo. At what point did you add?

Added it while heating up the strike water

 

[MashBag]

Do you have a massive chlorine swimming pool whiff with your water?

 

[Its 6pm somewhere]

Do you have a massive chlorine swimming pool whiff with your water?

No I have very good quality drinking water but it is treated with chlorine at source

 

[Tickles58]

I’ve read with interest the issues you mention and have been experiencing similar. Although I’m not transferring in the same manor to my kegs. I am doing all grain kits which are varied clones and although they brew/ ferment well they have all come out with an after taste. 2 have come out with the home brew twang although they look and taste good enough but leave that kind of hoppy taste and another which I’ve brewed until mentioned above have not been able to put my finger on it so to speak which i thought was an off milk kind of taste but now believe is a kind of banana twang. I always crush and dissolve a campden tablet in the water prior to commencing and thats the only water preparation. I clean with VWP rinse and then cemsain.
Any suggestions and please don’t get too technical.

 

[Its 6pm somewhere]

Might need to brew this again with bottled water and see what the outcome is just to see if it is the campden and/or water

 

[MashBag]

Are you thinking of campden and bottled then?

Drop the Campden tablet, tap will be fine.

Have you looked at your water report?

 

[Its 6pm somewhere]

Are you thinking of campden and bottled then?

Drop the Campden tablet, tap will be fine.

Have you looked at your water report?

Live in the west of Ireland. All we get on local water reports now are test results saying the water is free from this and that but no report as to mineral content or ph. That wasn't the case a few years back but we are where we are.

 

[Its 6pm somewhere]

Decision made. I've racked the 'dry hopped' corny to a fresh corny and refilled the 'dry hopped' corny from the fermenter. I won't get the same hop utilisation but doubt it will take much to override the 'twang'. Experience dictates there's 3 or 4 litres left above the yeast cake in the FV. I will brew again on Wednesday with my tap water but without a campden tablet. I'll rack the remaining 3/4 litres in the fermenter to a 5l keg as a 'control' and pitch the new wort onto the yeast cake. I accept there will be residual 'twang' in the fermenter but I'm hopeful 47 litres of fresh wort will make that imperceptible and it would be a shame to waste those billions of lager cells. I won't be brewing the same beer but it will be another lager so if the taste is there again it will be noticeable

 

[Its 6pm somewhere]

Week later than planned but brewed again today and left out the campden tablet. Pitched on top of the slurry from the last batch. We'll see how it goes.

 

[MashBag]

What did you do with the slurry during the weeks wait? Does it still taste sweet?

Watching with interest. Although this isn't a clinical test, I believe it will give you some answers.

 

[Its 6pm somewhere]

What did you do with the slurry during the weeks wait? Does it still taste sweet?

Watching with interest. Although this isn't a clinical test, I believe it will give you some answers.

Agreed, far from clinical but I'll have beer at the end either way.
Slurry was in the fermenter under pressure with about 4 litres of beer that I transferred prior to pitching in the new wort. Tasted the same.

 

[MashBag]

Nice. Get that.

 

[Its 6pm somewhere]

It's safe to say I will never be using campden tablets again. It was fermented out in 3 days, left it @20c for another 6 days rousing the yeast every 2 days, probably not necessary but no harm could come from it. Let it free fall to room temp over 2 days and then began cold crash. Clean crisp lager, no off flavour, saaz shining through. Needs more carbonation but fantasticly clear, you can read through it.