Persistent nightmare

[Marcarm]

Some of you will have read my previous posts abouts my finished beer having a burnt match taste/smell, and I did narrow it down to underpitched yeast.

Just sampled my latest batch made with gv12, rehydrated etc and yet again that taste it there. Although I'm not sure if it is the yeast as I've had this issue with brewery yeast before, unless it is just underpitching regardless of the type of yeast.

I'm getting so fed up with it I'm really considering giving up brewing as I'm wasting more than I'm bottling. I've got ingredients to make one more batch and if it happens again that's it.

I have another batch that I made at the same time made with s04 that tastes lovely. This has finished but has still got some thick krausen on top. I want to dryhop so should I remove this krausen by sieve or set the fridge to cold so it can drop out, then raise the temp again to dryhop then drop again to cold crash?

 

[Covrich]

http://www.eckraus.com/blog/my-fermentation-smells-like-burnt-matches

Did you rule out wild yeast?

Are these all grain brews?

 

[Marcarm]

I BIAB, not sure how I would identify wild yeast?

I no chill in the FV, use starsan to sanitise.

Could I try that splash racking without oxidising the beer? Suppose I've got nothing to lose by trying anyway.

 

[clibit]

I don't know what the problem is, but if you have made some good batches then there is a solution. There's always a solution. But I know it can be tempting to quit. Can you determine any differences between the good and bad batches? What you did, and what ingredients you used? Sanitation and fermentation are the key areas in brewing. Maybe you need to describe exactly how you sanitize at each stage, and how you ferment. The yeasts you used for the bad batches, length of fermentation, temperature.

 

[Cwrw666]

Not sure what you mean by `burnt match smell'. Would that be sulphur dioxide? If so I fail to see how the yeast pitching could be the cause. Have you tried using bottled water to make a brew? That would rule out anything unpleasant coming in with your water supply.

 

[simon12]

If you are using electricity could the element be burning something somewhere in the process?

 

[Marcarm]

You know you get that taste at the back of your mouth when you strike a non safety match, that's what I mean. Maybe struck match smell/ taste would better describe it.

I posted about it a while ago, and MyQul suggested it was underpitched yeast as it appeared I had not pitched enough. This happened on 3 separate batches, 2 where I didn't think about the viability of liquid yeast I got from a brewery, and another where I didn't rehydrate a pack of gv12.

I have had this issue with 3 different types of yeast, gv12, s05 and liquid brewery yeast. I've also used bottled and tap water, the tap water I've used a Campden tablet, and in others not still with the issue.

The current failed batch is in a new FV, never before used.

I use a buffalo to boil, use soda crystals to clean and rinse with cold water, as well as spraying starsan on anything that comes into contact with the beer. Yeast is pitched at 20 degrees and then left in the fridge for 10-14 days.

I buy my ingredients from the brewery so can't imagine it's them, the first time I had this issue was with the Way to Amarillo kit from Brewuk.

I have 2 batches in the fridge, one with the issue and one without. The only difference between them, apart from the recipe is the yeast used. One has s04 and the other gv12, both rehydrated with cooled boiled water. Fermented at 20 degrees and they were made 2 weeks ago.

Out of the last 5 batches I've made I think I must have thrown 3 away, frustrating isn't the word :-(

 

[clibit]

Do you monitor and record the temperature of the beer during fermentation? How long is the beer in the FV?

 

[Marcarm]

I check the stc frequently to see that's ok but no more than that.

Normally in the FV for 2 weeks before either dryhopping for 5 days then crashing, or just going straight to crashing, but this off flavour is present before fermentation is complete, sometimes after a few days then gradually getting worse.

 

[clibit]

So it starts during fermentation?

 

[Marcarm]

That's as far as I have worked out, hence my believing when MyQul said it could be down to stressed underpitched yeast.

But then my two batches now, both yeast rehydrated and the gv12 has an off flavour and the s04 is lovely. Used one packet in each for the same volume of beer.

I can't think of what else it could be if it's not the yeast. But the fact I've had it with different types of yeast confuses me, as if it was one type it would be easy to rule out, but with different types?

 

[Covrich]

have you checked with a thermeter just to see if your thermostat is accurate? I am sure it probably is just shooting ideas here.

What do you use to sanitise with?

 

[Dads_Ale]

Have you tried any brews not using the fridge for fermentation?
Although the fact that you appear to have one good and one bad in the fridge at the moment may discount this train of thought.

 

[Marcarm]

It's a new (to me) fridge, I have a larder and an undercounter. Issue has been present with both fridges.

I use starsan mixed with tesco ash beck.

I have a traditional liquid thermometer in the fridge as well and the stc has been calibrated against this.

 

[Dads_Ale]

Only looking at the fridge as my brand new beer fridge started developing mould after only a couple of weeks afterSWMBO put some veggies in it. The temp is set at 10c.
Food is now banned from this fridge.....

 

[simon12]

Did you ever taste the wort to check it happened after everything else?

 

[nbpicklesno2]

Hmmmm...I was toying with banning the other half from putting food in the freezer as it's displacing my hops.:lol:

But due to self preservation, I thought better of it.

 

[Marcarm]

Yeah tasted the wort after the book and no off tastes so definitely happens during fermentation.

 

[dweb]

I got a burnt taste from a previous brew and came to this conclusion as it hasn`t happened again....
Whilst waiting on the boil,I had the lid on and had to nip out for what I thought was around 10 minutes.I was away for around 30 minutes and when I came back,the wort was boiling away very rapidly due to the lid being on(not tightly,just sitting on top.)
There was a lot of foamy **** pouring out onto the floor.I cleared the mess,added the hops and carried on as normal.
Once I cooled it down and transferred to the FV,I noticed the element was covered in black thick ****ty gunge.
I feremented it out and had a taste as usual just before I transferred to a King Keg and it had a really strong burnt taste,so I binned the lot.Gutted but I put it down to leaving my lid on during the boil,accidentally as it hasn`t happened again.

 

[clibit]

Prior to BIAB, did you do kits? Any problems?