"Plastic" taste to beer

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WelshPaul

WelshPaul

Landlord.
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I had my first batch go majorly wrong recently and it as resulted in a strange plastic/tcp-like flavour to an APA. It was noticable after less than 2 weeks in the FV and time has not removed it so I'm going to have to write this lot off.
The only thing that I can think of is either I missed something in the sterilising part or I forgot to properly add a Campden tablet to the tap water (this batch needed nearly 50 litres but I only added 1 tablet.
Can anyone suggest anything else it could have been?
 
Sounds like PHENOLIC:

CHARACTERISTICS: A hospital-medicine chest flavor and aroma, best detected by its aroma components; caused by phenols.

HIGH LEVELS DUE TO PROCESS: Yeast strain; chlorophenols in the water; improper rinse of chlorine sanitizers; oversparging; sparging above pH 6.0; sparging above 170 degrees; wild yeast contamination.

LOW LEVELS DUE TO PROCESS: Charcoal filtering of tap water; good healthy yeast strain; proper sparging while monitoring temperature and pH, good rinse of sanitizers or use of non-chlorine sanitizers.


from: http://www.kroc.org/Links/TroubleshootingGuide.htm
 
broadfordbrewer said:
HIGH LEVELS DUE TO PROCESS: Yeast strain; chlorophenols in the water; improper rinse of chlorine sanitizers; oversparging; sparging above pH 6.0; sparging above 170 degrees; wild yeast contamination.
Click to expand...
Agreed . . . However in order of probabbility

wild yeast contamination
improper rinse of chlorine sanitizers
Yeast strain
oversparging; sparging above pH 6.0; sparging above 170 degrees;
chlorophenols in the water

90-95% of phenolic tastes are probably due to some sort of an infection . . . probably wild yeast
 
Yes, I don't think omitting the second Campden tablet would have helped me much! I'll also invest in some decent non-rinse steriliser this weekend to avoid future occurances like this.
 
I doubt it's the lack of campden Tablet causing you a problem. I only ever use one in my HLT which usually has 70 litres of water in it at the start of a brew day.
 
WelshPaul said:
Yes, I don't think omitting the second Campden tablet would have helped me much! I'll also invest in some decent non-rinse steriliser this weekend to avoid future occurances like this.
Click to expand...
! campden tablet will treat 17UK Gallons of water at 3ppm of Chlorine/chloramine so 1 in 50L is more than enough!!
 
could be a problem with water ask your water supplier for some non return valves and fit them to the inlets of your washing machine/dishwasher etc. We have had no problems since fitting them they are free :thumb:
 
Mark , I have seen you mention this before - did your lot supply them free ? What sort of thing are they , just an inline valve ?
 

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