13 replies to this topic

[3rd party JKor]

My last two batches have had an off flavor, there's a few commonalities between the batches. Originally I was thinking it might be due to the fact that the beers were both low gravity, and the off flavor had something to do with my lack of unfermentables. After further consideration, I don't think that's the case. Now I'm thinking that the flavor might be from my heating element. It could possibly be described as metallic. It doesn't seem like an infection, but I guess I could be wrong. I did do extra cleaning and sanitizing on my fermenter after the first batch came out tasting funny.Anyone have something similar happen to them?Here is the element I'm using > LINK

[BarelyBrews]

Never had metallic taste yet for me, so im not sure i can help you there.I would just wait ,and see if there is any change in your beers. I have rushed to judgement too soon myself in the past.

[djinkc]

Nope, I've been using a Camco 4500W extra low density element for years. It looks the same as yours. It does need to be throttled back during the boil if you're using a keggle. I have a much wider kettle and run it at 100% power.

[HVB]

I just use a standard LD element. The kind that just folds back over itself and have not notices any off flavors. I have done some light beers like a kolsch and blonde and also have not had any issues. The only beer that I had an issue with was a wet hop IPA that had a real caramel aroma but I think that was because I had the element on 100% all the time to get the most vigorous boil to get the most utilization.Jay, what kind of control are you using? I normally throttle back to 75% on my element to get a nice boil.

[3rd party JKor]

Control? I don't need no stinkin' control!Seriously though, I'm just using on/off control via my PID. I set my setpoint temp at a level that keeps the element on maybe 50% of the time.

[stangbat]

I'm also using a extra low density element like yours. I haven't had any flavor issues after quite a few batches over a few years, some of them being lighter beers. However I did dry fire my element during the last session about a week ago. It seems fine and that is definitely one way to make sure any crud gets burnt off it. Hopefully the beer will taste fine.One thing I'd look for is rust on the chromed part that has the threads. I have a little rust, and I wondered about possibly getting iron/metallic flavors from it, although to date I have noticed nothing. I switched to an aluminum lock nut to hopefully prevent any more rust by setting up a sacrificial anode. So far so good, but I only have one session with the new lock nut.

[CaptRon]

A while ago I had seen a picture of a heating element that someone was using on Homebrewtalk in a rubbermaid cooler and that element had some kind of blue coating on it so it wasn't just the metal element. I thought that was a great idea for boiling of wort. I'll try to find the info on that and report back, but I'm not sure I can find it again.

[3rd party JKor]

I did a taste test on Tuesday with water from the tap and water that had been heated in my kettle. No difference. Of course, the acidity of the wort is much different than water. I'm going to make up some wort for starters tomorrow. I'll try again with the wort to see if I notice a difference.I also tasted a bottle of my mild earlier this week that had had this strong off flavor, it's been almost five month since I brewed it and maybe two months since I last tasted it. The off flavor has definitely dissipated a bit, but is still noticeable. Previously it had been undrinkable. I said earlier it could be described as metallic, but I think it's more of an unripe banana flavor.

[stellarbrew]

I wonder if that particular element has any zinc in it's coating material?

[djinkc]

I wonder if that particular element has any zinc in it's coating material?

Incoloy, pretty much inert in a wort.

[3rd party JKor]

Where did you see that the coating is Incoloy?

[djinkc]

Where did you see that the coating is Incoloy?

I'm not sure, maybe on the packaging or on a website I bought from. I think it's standard for the ripple elements. Much darker than the chrome plated ones.

[3rd party JKor]

I'm not sure, maybe on the packaging or on a website I bought from. I think it's standard for the ripple elements. Much darker than the chrome plated ones.

Yeah, a quick google search confirms it. That pretty much blows my theory out of the water. Well, at least that source can be eliminated.

[stangbat]

Incoloy, pretty much inert in a wort.

Guess that explains why I was able to dry fire mine and it lived to brew another day. It takes a superalloy to resist my efforts.