So it's finally happened...my first ruined brew

[StevieDS]

After much research and loads of questions on the forum, i finally got round to brewing my wheat beer on Sunday night. Everything went fine, mash, boil, cool, pitch all good. However when I transferred from boiler to fv I noticed that the 2 heating elements in my homemade boiler were coated with hard black stuff which didn't come off easily but I didn't really worry about it. Just assumed that some of the trub had burned onto them during the boil and it was'nt a big deal. Just before pitching the yeast I even had a wee sip, as I always do, after checking the og and it tasted normal enough.

However, I took another gravity reading today even though its only been 2 days, just out of curiosity cos the yeast took off like a rocket after pitching. Again i tasted the sample but this time it tasted like an ashtray! Whatever happened during the boil to the elements had caused a horrible, strong burnt flavour in the beer. This is the 3rd brew I've made in this boiler and this hasn't happened before. The only difference this time is that it was a wheat beer.

Has anyone else experienced this?? I'm quite upset at my first ruined brew and can't understand what went wrong.

:?

 

[pittsy]

is your mash filter working ? sounds like bits of grain in the wort and has caramelized and then burnt on your elements

 

[StevieDS]

I'm using BIAB method and I have a false bottom in the boiler so the grain was kept well away from the element, so it must have happened during the boil. It's the exact same method I used twice before without any issue. I wonder if there is something specific to wheat which caused this?

 

[pittsy]

it can be finer so your mesh bag may not have been enough of a filter , where mashing the grist etc filters it .

 

[StevieDS]

It's a very fine mesh bag, when I take the bag out after the mash its so fine it holds the water too and has to be squeezed, I don't think I could get a finer bag to be honest. There is always trub at the bottom after cooling, obviously, but I cant understand why it burnt onto the elements this time. There was quite a lot of trub but no more than my previous pilsner brew which was boiled for 90 mins just like this one. :wha:

 

[pittsy]

maybe someone out there will know :wha:

 

[StevieDS]

I hope so, I'm sure I'm not the first to encounter this!
It's heart breaking having to pour the lot down the drain after so much effort :cry:

 

[Rwilts]

If you haven't poured away yet why not let the ferment run its course and keg it, see what it's like in a month. Nothing to loose?

 

[StevieDS]

I don't have a keg, just stick to bottles and space is a bit of an issue otherwise i would keep it. Though I had another smell of it just there and it's terrible. Just smells like smoke, not smoky beer, just smoke.

Can't believe I didn't notice when transferring to the fv, it actually smelled quite nice :wha:

I'm at a loss as to how to avoid this in future :?

 

[fermentall]

:sick: get another on a bit quick. :pray:

 

[StevieDS]

:sick: get another on a bit quick. :pray:

I would but I'm scared of it happening again!
:shock:

 

[Darcey]

Descale your elements and try again. Is your mash bag all good? No left over sanitiser? Clean the FV, boiler and bag and try again!

If there is a build up on the elements and its burnt it mush be grain somehow?

D

 

[StevieDS]

It is possible that there was a very small amount of build up on the elements before use, but I can't get my head round how this would cause the wort to burn. It wouldn't make the elements hotter would it, so why the burning?