Off flavour cause?

I confirmed tonight something I feared, that the beer served from my cornies is tainted in some way. A bottled version doesn't have the same taint; confirmation of this only possible with "cleaner" Brewferm beers. I'm not experienced with problem flavours, and don't want to influence your comments of support, but if I had to say, then I'd say it's the cardboard oxygenated flavour, also with a metallic bite.

I currently do kits and plan a move to AG, but I've still got wider lessons to learn obviously. I'll probably start to gather the AG equipment but must still work to sort out these basic problems.

I clean with an oxi-clean copy and sanitise with Star-San. My current process has me bottle just before transfer of the bulk to a secondary. My secondary is a Chinese copy of a Better Bottle which I leave clearing in the cellar a further 2 weeks or so. On final transfer to the cornie, I do make efforts to purge the oxygen.

What is the likely culprit? Perhaps I'm introducing oxygen on transfer, or the oxygen sitting in the secondary is the problem, or the Better Bottle copy is oxygen permiable (least likely due to time I guess), or I'm not rinsing the oxi-clean properly, or I'm not purging the oxygen from the cornie correctly, or somewhere something is not cleaned so well, or maybe it's the beer lines or taps. Lot's of possibilities. It does seem to improve the more I pour, suggesting it might be the lines, but I never pour more than a few pints a day to really test this theory. Anyone been here themselves and found the problem?

I think my first step wil be to skip secondary and extend primary. Still, with one brew a month it could be a year before I get to the bottom of this, and not easy to pick up on anyway unless I brew Brewferm beers.

Thanks for any pointers.

EDIT: bottle a few examples just before transfer....

I've had some days to think about this and I've convinced myself that the problem is oxygen sitting in the secondary. So my strong advice would be, if you do want to transfer to secondary, do it while there is still activity, helping push out the oxygen.

I'm mixing in SodaStream syrup to try and get through this batch :-(

I feel I'm talking to myself in this thread.

Anyway, I believe I might know the problem, and would you believe it, it's not one of the many possibilities I outlined above. I have come to notice, thanks to Muntons IPA Officers Reserve, that the potency of the strange flavour is directly proportional to the amount of Brewing Sugar I add. This now has me believe that the Dextrose, which apparently should not add any flavour, does in fact significantly effect flavour. So I have a Brewferm on the go with normal cane sugar and hope that this can prove my theory. Both my previous Brewferm's, Diabolo & Triple, were quite strongly effected by this problem; a sort of "blood" like flavour.

I'll be sure to keep you updated...

I think you're updating yourself mate :wink: try the Craft brewing forum where all the old lot have gone from here!

Hey matey want to get proper response your in the wrong place come over to the brewers forum dot co dot uk

Well it's still green at only 10 days in the keg, but there is a definate reduction of "that taste", so using normal granular sugar has helped. I won't be using brewing sugar again.