Yucky plastic aftertaste :(

[SteBeardface]

So, I tried brewing the Bulldog Strawberry Pale Ale kit (2nd homebrew ever) and after a long awaited 3 week wait to try it after bottling, I get this horrible plastic smell followed by the taste of plastic when drinking...

After a quick google, it seems that my issue is chlorophenol. Can anyone here back that info up?

I'm just annoyed because I treated my water with a half campden tablet like I did for my Youngs AIPA kit, which doesn't have the smell/taste, yet this has happened. The only things I can think of is I didn't leave the water with the campden long enough (pretty sure I used the water immediately) and/or I introduced the chlorine/chloramine with water I used for the hop teabag.

Either way, if the beer has no chance of improving over time, it's going down the drain coz I ain't enjoying it... Let me know if this is a wise choice or not before the evening comes :P

 

[Drunkula]

I had it because the thin bleach I was using to make acidified bleach sanitiser turned out not to be thin bleach any more and had surfactant making it stick to the bottles. I had the vinyl taste on a a string of batches then as soon as I went to using the oven to sanitise the bottles it went away.

Tasting at bottling on these batches was nice, which should have let me find the problem sooner.

I can taste it easily but beers I thought were rank I've done tastings of with loads of different people and only some pick it up, and even some real beer geeks didn't taste it.

They got slightly better over 6 plus months, but they only way I could hide it was by making shandy, which was actually nice.

If you don't like shandy, don't have kids that like shandy, or can't give it away then... yeahhhh, I can't bring myself to say it.

 

[Dutto]

I've never thrown away a brew if it didn't smell and taste like vinegar or old socks!

I wouldn't even have tasted one of my own brews as soon as three weeks; never mind consider throwing it away!

My advice is to be patient and wait for a couple of months before trying it again. If it smells of vinegar or a Turkish Wrestler's Jock-Strap then throw in away ...

... otherwise wait another couple of months!

 

[SteBeardface]

Ok, I thought it would take more to convince me not to chuck it, but you've both managed it :P the shandy thing is a good idea, I'll try that. I'll exercise some patience too... I have some AIPA to finish off in the meantime!

Cheers for your help, guys!

 

[BeerCat]

I have had a few batches that tasted great on kegging only to develop band aid type flavours. I put it down to an unhealthy fermentation as i don't use tap water. An RO system is well worth buying. If my beer is horrible i throw it down the sink. Life is too short to drink horrible beer. :)

 

[Bigcol49]

Turkish Wrestler's Jock-Strap

Hi!
This once was a regular saying of mine - it's yonks since I heard it!
Thanks, @Dutto

 

[SteBeardface]

An RO system is well worth buying.

I have considered doing this, or buying water from the supermarket to start with. I've looked at some faucet filters at reasonable prices, but they seem to make water harder, which I don't want, and probably don't fit to my tap (unless I use the outdoor hose?)

Can you recommend a RO system?

 

[strange-steve]

How's your sanitation, a chlorophenol flavour can be caused by a wild yeast infection too?
Unfortunately if it is a chlorophenol issue, which it does sound like, then it won't get better with aging.

 

[SteBeardface]

How's your sanitation, a chlorophenol flavour can be caused by a wild yeast infection too?
Unfortunately if it is a chlorophenol issue, which it does sound like, then it won't get better with aging.

Um, some might say excessive? I star san'd everything the brew came in touch with, including the cup I used to stew the hop teabag in (I thought this step was a waste of time anyway)

I've a fair few kits to do now, I'm going to try another, following the same sanitation processes I used for this and see how I get on. Campden tablet in for at least an hour this time though, just in case!

 

[strange-steve]

There's no need really to leave the campden tab for an hour, as long as it's well stirred and dispersed through the water the reaction is pretty much instantaneous.

I'm not convinced water is your problem, campden tabs are very effective and I'd be surprised if the small amount of untreated water used for a hop tea would cause such an issue.

 

[BeerCat]

I have considered doing this, or buying water from the supermarket to start with. I've looked at some faucet filters at reasonable prices, but they seem to make water harder, which I don't want, and probably don't fit to my tap (unless I use the outdoor hose?)

Can you recommend a RO system?

If you want to collect it straight into a bucket or HLT you need something like this "5 Stage RO & DI resin reverse osmosis water filter system". You can hook it up to the tap outside. Homebrew Chris has video about it on youtube.
I have one with a tap and res which is in a cupboard next to the sink which is used for drinking water. When i want to brew i have to collect 40 1l jugs which takes about a day as the res has to refill. Its a pita and i walk often walk off and overflow the jug so i will be getting one without a res strictly for brewing. This one is like mine.

 

[SteBeardface]

Ok, so I did 2 more brews recently, both kits and I made sure everything was cleaned and sanitised (VWP, followed by many many rinses, then Star San). I checked last night, fermentation had stopped, but I still can smell plastic... I wondered if it was an infection of sorts, but i checked my first plastic-y brew after 2 months of storage and it didn't gush, so not sure if it should rule that issue out. The only thing I can think of is that my Star San solutions normally use untreated tap water and I keep a spray bottle of it for quick use.

What do you guys think?

 

[braziliain]

Have all the brews been made up in the same fermenter?

If so, I think I'd be tempted to try a different fermenter at this stage.

 

[MarkBowie]

Try a simple SMaSH and see if you get it then.

 

[prog99]

Have all the brews been made up in the same fermenter?

If so, I think I'd be tempted to try a different fermenter at this stage.

Thats my thoughts too. I had two brews a few years ago with the same issue, almost quit. Dumped the fermenter and not had a problem since.

 

[SteBeardface]

Have all the brews been made up in the same fermenter?

If so, I think I'd be tempted to try a different fermenter at this stage.

I have a youngs FV, it worked great on my first brew, but the 2 since then have had the taste/smell. I also used a new Brewferm one recently, but that seems to have the same issue...

Thats my thoughts too. I had two brews a few years ago with the same issue, almost quit. Dumped the fermenter and not had a problem since.

I'm tempted by this, but I'm surprised that I'd have to replace 2 practically brand new buckets so soon... what sort of FV should I go for then, stainless steel or stick with plastic?

 

[divrack]

Never had plastic taste from Young's buckets but had other issues with them. Also am very sensitive to plastic flavour, had to go through a bunch of tubing to stop getting it.
Not using hose pipe or anything weird to boil in?
My advice is to get a few corny kegs from the home brew company for under 40 bucks each and you can ferment in them, avoiding O2 and bugs and having beer on tap and avoiding the dreaded bottling day.
Win win win win.

 

[SteBeardface]

I'm not even boiling, these are all kit brews. I want to get the basics under my belt and iron out any creases before I turn to AG, which I have everything I need to start.
I've only been brewing since June this year and the only successful brew I've had is the Youngs American IPA kit I got with a starter homebrew kit in East Belfast.
I'm not keen on spending so much on kegs yet, even if they are half the price. I just can't think of what I'm doing wrong...

 

[Mavroz]

Do you dechlorinate your water with Camden tablets or similar?

 

[braziliain]

What else is common to all brews? Do you use a silicone Syphon? Was it cleaned, sterilised and dried after the first brew?

Edit: I've just realised you said it smells in the fermenter before using the Syphon to bottle... So it won't be that.