Off flavor in beer. Help!

[Mylo]

Also I do pitch directly into the beer, I don't do a tester. I've heard from several people that it's not really worth it.

Ok, I'm calling Yeast Protective Services on you. They will be by shortly to confiscate your fermenting beer and give it to someone who will treat them better.

A starter is not needed with dry, but you SHOULD rehydrate before you throw them in there. Boil a half a cup of water, covered on the stove for 10 min and let it cold down back to room temp. Pitch your dry yeast into the cooled water and let it sit for 10-15 min before you pitch it into your wort. It wakes them up from their slumber. I'm pretty sure that doing this will result in a slightly shorter lag time - and you can sleep at night, knowing that you treat your yeast right.


Mylo

[thatguy314]

Also I do pitch directly into the beer, I don't do a tester. I've heard from several people that it's not really worth it.

Ok, I'm calling Yeast Protective Services on you. They will be by shortly to confiscate your fermenting beer and give it to someone who will treat them better.

A starter is not needed with dry, but you SHOULD rehydrate before you throw them in there. Boil a half a cup of water, covered on the stove for 10 min and let it cold down back to room temp. Pitch your dry yeast into the cooled water and let it sit for 10-15 min before you pitch it into your wort. It wakes them up from their slumber. I'm pretty sure that doing this will result in a slightly shorter lag time - and you can sleep at night, knowing that you treat your yeast right.


Mylo

I don't have a bad lag time actually. I usually finish around 10pm and it's going fairly vigorously by 9am when I leave. I pitch them on the surface, let them hydrate, and then swoosh it around with a sterile spatula, which aerates them very well and lets them get mixed. I get good attenuation, don't get a racing fermentation or short lag time, and the only off flavor I get is the sandy flavor. Wish I knew what caused it.

[DannyW]

the only off flavor I get is the sandy flavor. Wish I knew what caused it.

I don't quite get what you mean by a sandy flavor. I think of sand as being tasteless (or salty if I'm at the beach) but gritty or mealy - more of a mouthfeel thing than a flavor or aroma thing. Are there any other words that get closer to the heart of things? How about chalky, minerally, muddy, or musty perhaps?

[thatguy314]

the only off flavor I get is the sandy flavor. Wish I knew what caused it.

I don't quite get what you mean by a sandy flavor. I think of sand as being tasteless (or salty if I'm at the beach) but gritty or mealy - more of a mouthfeel thing than a flavor or aroma thing. Are there any other words that get closer to the heart of things? How about chalky, minerally, muddy, or musty perhaps?

To use wine terminology, it's mostly on the entry, which is where aroma is the strongest component of the flavor. It smells like sand (I work with it in the lab, the big bag of sand has a smell to it). It's got a component of both mineral and astringency. It's very slight, but it's there, and it's been my single biggest complaint about my brewing because while slight (only my serious beer drinking friends have noticed it, often only after I point it out), it's consistent so it must be something that I'm repeatedly doing. I will say since I tasted it a few days ago, the flavor and smell has died down. I'd say it is mildly sour/tart, which is suggestive of contamination... but i would not say it smells or tastes phenolic or fruity.

[DannyW]

What water did you use for these beers? Did you recently move and find this flavor after you moved? If you used tap water, do you have a mineral analysis of that water? Even if you don't you might want to try R.O. or other very soft water in your next batch and see if that makes a difference.

Could "mineral and astringent" be described as metallic? Do you scrub your kettle shiny after every batch?

[thatguy314]

What water did you use for these beers? Did you recently move and find this flavor after you moved? If you used tap water, do you have a mineral analysis of that water? Even if you don't you might want to try R.O. or other very soft water in your next batch and see if that makes a difference.

Could "mineral and astringent" be described as metallic? Do you scrub your kettle shiny after every batch?

I do not have a mineral analysis. I have preboiled on several occasions and haven't seen any calcium carbonate form and I'm fairly sure it's not hard water. I do scrub clean after ever batch. Fermenter too.

[Sent From My iPhone]

Do you use anything to buffer/adjust the pH of you mash?

[thatguy314]

Do you use anything to buffer/adjust the pH of you mash?

No.