Recuring contamination of Band-Aid

[edwinfarr]

Hey everyone,

I have been brewing for 3 years now and had the occasional contamination but in the past 6 months I have had nearly 1/2 of all beers contaminated by a band-aid flavor that makes you gag (literally like you will throw up). Sometimes it is very intense and sometimes it is very subtle. It seems to favor lighter beers but some I have made seem fine and others are ruined. I have tried all kinds of remedies.

First I brew on a home made RIMS system. The hot wert goes from the kettle through a CFC, through a thrumometer, then into my primary (usually a bucket). I shake the bucket for airation and then add my yeast. I always dunk everything in starsan. and if it is gunky I clean with oxyclean.

I have tried to isolate the source but still dont have any definated leads. I have tried brewing in carboys. Still there. Tried oxycleaning and PBW, and starsan the inside of my pipes and CFC, still there. I am down to assuming it is the air or water I use but if that were the case then everyone would be bad right? I know it is happening in the primary because the taste is there as soon as I go to rack to the secondary.


I have tried to figure this one out and everytime I think I have it licked another one bites th edust. Any help would be greatly appreciated because I am at wits end. If it were every beer I could find it better but it is only every other beer or so. I usulaly brew 2 batches per session. I have tried buckets, kegs, and carboys as fermenters and the contamination seems to be independent of switching. I have tried leaving starsan foam in the primary and rinsing it out with my well water but neither seems to effect the occurance of contamination either. Do you tthink it could be bio film? Airborne contamination? Well water contamination? Thanks again and cheers!

[ajdelange]

Your description of the problem flavor suggests chlorphenolics but as you are on a well that is hardly likely. Your description of your cleaning protocols does not mention any use of chlorinated cleaners so that couldn't be a chlorine source either. About all I can think of is to try running the water through a GAC filter prior to brewing with it in the hope that it is something organic in the well that a GAC filter would catch.

[Thirsty Boy]

Maybe - A particularly tough wild yeast pushing out nasty phenolics??

I'm going to suggest a counterintuitive action given the bandaid off flavor. Nuke the Christ out of everything with a good strong acidified bleach solution, rinse it in boiled water (really well) then sanitize it all again, this time with iodophor, just incase you have a bug that is shrugging off the Starsan.
Super careful at your next pitching time to make sure nothing is dropping into the wort.

No new trees, flower beds, neighbors with new crops? Stuff like that?

I think it probably is your water... But after you try AJ's suggestion, if it's still not right, try all out chemical warfare.

[Beer Baron]

Did you boil your kettle valve?

[dmtaylor]

This sounds to me like a chlorophenol problem.

Is the water or wort in contact with any kind of rubber hose (or anything rubber) at any point during the process? Garden hoses are especially horrible as they contain chloride compounds that are every bit as bad for your beer as chlorinated water. The only way to get rid of this problem might be to go to all metal or polypropylene tubing, or otherwise eliminate all rubber or even other plastics from your whole process.

If that ain't it, then your guess is as good as mine.