49 replies to this topic

[Iceman]

In that case, I'd really suspect the bleach you introduced, even if it was a while ago. I'd fill any vessel that is suspect with water and give it the K2S2O5 treatment (above) for a soak. I don't know if the plastic / lines in your system could retain any of that chlorine. Keep us posted.

Edited by Iceman, 04 November 2009 - 12:12 PM.

[ranagel99]

In that case, I'd really suspect the bleach you introduced, even if it was a while ago. I'd fill any vessel that is suspect with water and give it the K2S2O5 treatment (above) for a soak. I don't know if the plastic / lines in your system could retain any of that chlorine. Keep us posted.

I haven't used bleach for 3 batches now. Do you think it could still be in my system? I replaced everything plastic except my air locks. I guess the carboys could have it but I soaked them in oxyclean, scrubbed them with a carboy brush, and sanitized them with saniclean and didn't rinse.I know it is likely sanitation but I feel like I have really stepped up my sanitation process. Just frustrated....25 gallons down the drain.The only other thing I can think of is my growler that I use for starters. I may know I rinsed it good and used saniclean. I don't remember if I used oxyclean first though.

[ranagel99]

I had another question. Is there any chance I could be getting anything funky on the preboil side during mashing or lautering that wouldn't get killed or drivin off in the boil?

[ranagel99]

I had another question. Is there any chance I could be getting anything funky on the preboil side during mashing or lautering that wouldn't get killed or drivin off in the boil?

I did notice on my last porter that it smelled different during runoff and did not taste as roasty as it has on other brewings (sams difference during the boil too). I used differnt brands of cyrstal and chocolate and assumed this was the reason. I used a british 65 crystal instead of Briess 60 and a british chocolate instead of Briess.

[MolBasser]

70 degrees is a hair high with 1056 but nothing out of the ordinary. That won't make the bandaid taste....Hmmm....MolBasser

[Stout_fan]

70 degrees is a hair high with 1056 but nothing out of the ordinary. That won't make the bandaid taste....Hmmm....MolBasser

That's the basement temp. Figure at least a 5°F rise for internal temps.At 75°F that's too much for that yeast.At a 65°F basement I sometimes see a spike to 70 degrees and do get a slight bandaid taste.Standard problem for us conical owners.

[Iceman]

It's hard to say. The chlorophenol taste I had was obvious, I mean strong medicinal/bandaid ... not drinkable, didn't get better with age at all. I know it takes very little to affect a batch of beer. If you're getting this, I'd really suspect some kind of chlorine being left over somehow. I know it sucks, been there. I had it on a carboy once as well that I bleach soaked (and totally rinsed), and it continued to haunt me for a couple of batches. I never used it again, so I don't know if this could be the case. I din't know about the potassium met soak back then though. Why not try to ferment in another vessel. Is there any way you can start to do some mini-batches with extract or something and eliminate a variable one by one from your system? That way you can isolate it. New water source, batch 1, new fermenter, batch 2, new brewing location batch 3 etc. I never did completely fix my problem as I quit brewing for a couple of years after that and then built a new system ... I really almost quit the hobby because of it as it took me close to 10 5 gallon batches to finger the culprit - all down the drain. This was several years ago when the internet community wasn't as strong to help.I can't give you much else other than keep trying.

[stellarbrew]

Apolgies if this was already discussed (I looked quickly through the the thread and didn't notice any mention)...Did you reuse the yeast from one bad batch to the next? I'm just thinking that if there was contamination involved, it could be passed from one batch to the next with the yeast slurry.

[ranagel99]

Apolgies if this was already discussed (I looked quickly through the the thread and didn't notice any mention)...Did you reuse the yeast from one bad batch to the next? I'm just thinking that if there was contamination involved, it could be passed from one batch to the next with the yeast slurry.

No I did not.

[djinkc]

I'm throwing my hat in the ring for temperature control. Been watching this thread and looking at the timeline for bad batches spring summer temps come into play. When I restarted brewing my tasting/describing skills were poor. They still are but a little better. I wonder if the OP is having problems identifiying off flavors. Most of us can identify bad pretty fast. Pinpointing it can be a problem for some brewers - me included. Sometimes you know it sucks but can't put the finger on it. Then an assumption is made that might not be the issue. Just throwing something out - lets get some good beer brewed.well crap, can't access the pics on the expanded emoticons again. Wanted to put one in but maybe I'm just too old for the interwebtrons anymore.........