Why does my beer taste like stagnant pond water?

[Bobtheblob]

Brewed a Mangrove Jacks Red IPA and it's been bottled for about 3 weeks or so. Followed the instructions to the letter. Sanitise all as usual.
But it tastes like old vegetables or stagnant pond water.
Done about five or six kits previous to this and all have been great, but this is undrinkable.
Funny thing is, I thought that pint was so bad, but I had a can of Hobgoblin Red IPA (another red ipa) in the fridge. That was equally disgusting and had to chuck that too.
So it was back on the red wine.
Any ideas or could it just be a crap kit?

Edit - It was actually Hobgoblin Ruby Beer.

 

[jMac]

Did you taste the beer at other times before bottling? If it tasted fine up to bottling, it could be either a bottle infection (in which case, other bottles might be fine) or possible skunking from sunlight (which shouldn’t be an issue if using amber bottles and storing somewhere dark).

Strange the Hobgoblin exhibited similar characteristics - could be there’s a malt or hop in both recipes that you just don’t like the taste of. But your description of the problem would seem to preclude that.

 

[foxy]

Brewed a Mangrove Jacks Red IPA and it's been bottled for about 3 weeks or so. Followed the instructions to the letter. Sanitise all as usual.
But it tastes like old vegetables or stagnant pond water.
Done about five or six kits previous to this and all have been great, but this is undrinkable.
Funny thing is, I thought that pint was so bad, but I had a can of Hobgoblin Red IPA (another red ipa) in the fridge. That was equally disgusting and had to chuck that too.
So it was back on the red wine.
Any ideas or could it just be a crap kit?

Either your taste buds don't like red IPA or you have a serious case of an infected fridge.
I had a broccoli beer once, not expecting the broccoli to come through but it did.

 

[Pennine]

what are the hops used?

 

[Surfingobo]

Does anything else taste off to you?? It is a symptom!

 

[Old Geezer]

Isn't that one of the symptoms of Covid 19, A change in taste or losing taste. Not saying it is but..............

 

[chthon]

Isn't that one of the symptoms of Covid 19, A change in taste or losing taste. Not saying it is but..............

I have seen an interview with a doctor (a specialist even) who had COVID-19 and he said it was really very fast, completely no taste, no smell (yeah, I know you are kidding).

 

[terrym]

But its only 3 weeks since you bottled it.
I would forget all about it for at least another month and then try again.
If its still rank leave it another month then try again.
At that point if its still undrinkable you can then think about dumping it.

 

[An Ankoù]

Funny thing is, I thought that pint was so bad, but I had a can of Hobgoblin Red IPA (another red ipa) in the fridge. That was equally disgusting and had to chuck that too.

I didn't know they did a red IPA, but if you mean Hobgoblin IPA, cold from the fridge, I know exactly what you mean. It's due to the dry hopping with hops which for me give a "grassy" flavour. In the Hobgoblin IPA, it's quite intense. I also get that flavour when I dry hop with lots of Cascade.
The MJ kit, on the other hand doesn't use those hops. Was there a big charge of dry hops to add at the end?

@terrym 's quite right, if it's the hops, it'll improve with keeping. In fact it'll improve with keeping anyway.

 

[Galena]

Aren't vegetable flavours supposed to be caused by DMS?

 

[jMac]

NM. Forgot quote

 

[jMac]

Aren't vegetable flavours supposed to be caused by DMS?

You are correct, of course, but it’s a kit, so it’s unlikely (I think!).

 

[An Ankoù]

Aren't vegetable flavours supposed to be caused by DMS?

Yes it is, but I had thought that was a problem for AG brewers, not those using extract, But, look at this for possible DMS in the Hobgoblin. (I don't think it is, I think it's the hops).

Prevalence in Commercial Beers

Most brewers probably don’t think their beer (especially ales) contains detectable levels of DMS, however, an interesting study of thirteen commercially available beers were tested with surprising results. Seven domestic ales, two domestic lagers, two imported lagers, and two non-alcoholic lagers were among the beers tested and found that DMS was at or above flavor thresholds (30-60 µg/L)7 in all but one of the beers, which shows that DMS was contributing to the flavor profile of the beers. Surprisingly, DMS levels in the ales were comparable with the lagers, which are known for producing higher amounts.8 The flavor threshold for DMS is relatively low at 30 µg/L, so it doesn’t take much to contribute to the flavor of a beer.9

from:
http://scottjanish.com/how-to-prevent-dms-in-beer/

 

[Old Geezer]

I have seen an interview with a doctor (a specialist even) who had COVID-19 and he said it was really very fast, completely no taste, no smell (yeah, I know you are kidding).

Actually I wasn't joking (this time)

From the NHS website
The main symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are:
a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you've noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

If it was just his homebrew fair enough but when he said "I had a can of Hobgoblin Red IPA (another red ipa) in the fridge. That was equally disgusting" it made me think.

 

[Galena]

Yes it is, but I had thought that was a problem for AG brewers

Apparently DMS can be caused by bacterial contamination as well as from the boil.

 

[Galena]

You are correct, of course, but it’s a kit, so it’s unlikely (I think!).

As above DMS can also be caused by bacterial contamination?

 

[An Ankoù]

Apparently DMS can be caused by bacterial contamination as well as from the boil.

I know. But the weird thing is that the OP's Hobgoblin IPA tasted the same.

 

[Galena]

I know. But the weird thing is that the OP's Hobgoblin IPA tasted the same.

Indeed, but I cannot see any way the two can be connected, the only common denominator is the drinker.

 

[darkbright]

The other thing is glassware - did you drink from the same glass?

Sometimes our glasses look and smell a bit off, it's usually when I've forgotten to top up the dishwasher salt or the dishwasher needs a clean itself.

 

[Bobtheblob]

I had one of the bottles after about a week and it tasted ok ish. Bottles are brown PET type and stored in the dark.
Hops used were Mosaic, Citra and Nelson Sauvin. Yeast was M36 Liberty Bell.
I don't have Covid, I think we all had it back in January anyway. My taste and smell are fine.
The Hobgoblin Ruby beer was in a different glass, it didn't taste the same but was still awful.