Wierd taste and smell

[lilhatchet]

My last couple of batches of beers have had a noticeable aroma and taste to them kinda sour I guess would be the way to describe it. I can't I.D. the taste or smell very well sorry. Is it and infection? I have been using star san to sanitize should I rinse out after sanitizing with the star san? I don't know what it is I am at a loss. I am still dring the beer because I refuse to let it go to waste and I figure that it is a good punishment. Help please I enjoy brewing and want to make qaulity brew.

[seanhagerty]

Sour beer can be caused by many thing.

Liquid Malt Extract can sometimes cause a sourness or twang that is noticable. If you are using LME, dry switching to DME and see what happens.

You may haver an infection. Do not rinse starsan. If you are mixing it at the proper ratio,you shouldn't have to rinse it. Plus what ever you rinse it with may have bugs, so you may defeat the purpose of sanitizing. Look at your entire process and make sure that anything that comes in contact with your wort after the boil has been sanitized or boiled.

Sanitation is a two step process. Clean then sanitize. Are you using a good cleaner like oxyclean, pbw, or b-brite? Follow up your cleaning with the sanitation.

If you are an all grain brewer check your mash temps and times. You may be making a sour beer by your process.

Let us know your recipe and process and we may be able to help more.

Sean

[Chuli]

Sounds like an infection. Do not rinse the Starsan, that will defeat the purpose, it will not cause a sour tast.

You may want to replace all your plastic hoses and any other plastic that may have been scratched.

When transfering or bottling your beer, make sure you are in still air. I close up a small bedroom for a hour before transfer to lessen the chance of floating beasties. No vaccuming before transfers!

I also cover my pot with aluminum foil during chilling as I brew outside. Any transfers I make after the wort is below 180*, I make sure all openings are covered with sanitized alum foil. Surrounding racking cane, and tubing into the fermenter.

If you are bottling, make sure the bottles are srubbed well with an oxy cleaner, then Starsan.

[lilhatchet]

I have used star san and the powder sanitzer that comes with the kits I buy, but have gone with the liquid star san I purchased. I have not rinsed. I have used DME and LME and had same results maybe it is something else in my process. Should I leave the beer in the fermenter longer after it is done? I will defiantly analyze my process more before the next brew.

[hotrod38]

If you bottle your beers, you may want to check the bottling wand and the valve. (if you use a bottling bucket.) Those two things can harbor all sorts of problems. Replacing all of your transfer tubing is a cheap piece of insurance too. I change mine out 2-3 times a year.

[bub]

swap your hose and find crevices you didn't know existed. Seriously go after all your equipment like you were doing a testicular self exam. You will find something crusty up in there. If you have a plastic fermenter swap that out too.
Bottling Bucket with valve is a good place to look too, bunch of places you can't see is where the shit usually is.
BUB

[lilhatchet]

Thanks for all the replies I will checkk all mentioned items I am sure Bub knows about testicular exams care to check mine? I need an expert. I will check all items mentioned here in this thread. May I say that BN rocks even with Bub as a member.

[BeerPal]

I am sure Bub knows about testicular exams care to check mine?

OK, now you've crossed the line.