Funny Flavor

[akbrewer]

Can someone help? I recently brewed a extract pale ale, fairly hoppy. I used a friends plastic conical to ferment in. It hadn't been used in a while and had some mold inside. I cleaned it (I thought) really well and used Straight A to sanitize. Here's my problem. I have bottled it and it looks great, nice and hoppy and about 7% alcohol, however, I taste a distinct mold flavor. I have had several friends try it and they think it's great. Plus, they say I'm crazy - there is no "mold" flavor. To me some bottles are so moldy strong, I can't drink them. Other have just a hint and are quite drinkable. But no one else but me tastes this flavor.

Have I gone mad? (perhaps rhetorical...) Has anyone else had an experience like this? Is there anything I can do other than give it away to people (seems to be everyone else) that can't taste it?

Puzzled in Denali

[seanhagerty]

Can someone help? I recently brewed a extract pale ale, fairly hoppy. I used a friends plastic conical to ferment in. It hadn't been used in a while and had some mold inside. I cleaned it (I thought) really well and used Straight A to sanitize. Here's my problem. I have bottled it and it looks great, nice and hoppy and about 7% alcohol, however, I taste a distinct mold flavor. I have had several friends try it and they think it's great. Plus, they say I'm crazy - there is no "mold" flavor. To me some bottles are so moldy strong, I can't drink them. Other have just a hint and are quite drinkable. But no one else but me tastes this flavor.

Have I gone mad? (perhaps rhetorical...) Has anyone else had an experience like this? Is there anything I can do other than give it away to people (seems to be everyone else) that can't taste it?

Puzzled in Denali

I would use some boiling water in the conical before you try it again. As a matter of fact, its probably a total write off, send it to me for disposal.

Send some of your beers to the show and see if they can detect the flavor your describe, or find a bjcp judge that is local and take him a couple or find a brew club and show up at their next meeting and see if they can help you.

There is a very distinct possibility that you HAVE gone mad. This whole brewing thing does that to us....

Sean