Phenol Problems

Ok so I just popped the top off my 3rd and latest homebrew and I taste chlorophenols. I ruined my second batch because i tried sanitizing with bleach and didn't rinse good enough. But this time I invested in some star san so I have no idea why this batch screwed up. I used filtered brita water from a brand new filter, fermented between 65-70. Maybe you guys know...I'm lost...

Also, the intensity isn't as bad as my 2nd batch. I had to dump it, it was like liquid rubber stopper. This batch tastes like there is a bandaid in my glass

Chlorine?

Brits filters take chlorine out, but they don't effectively filter 100% of chloramine. Many cities are using chloramine to purify tap water instead of chlorine because it is less combustable. Do you always use tap water? If do you might want to boil it after you filter it. It would need to be boiling for a minimum if five minutes to boil out any remaining chloramine that the filter didn't catch.

Two things.

Do you use plastic buckets?

And did you EVER soak (more than a minute at any level) said buckets in bleach?

If you did, I would fill those buckets with hot water and CAREFULLY!!!! drain them. This will open the pores and get some of that trapped bleach out. I would them soak them overnight in star san, only for overkill reasons of this never happening again.

Unless you're brewing with swimming pool water, I've never seen water so bogged down with free chlorine that it resulted in a drain pour.

I do use plastic buckets for primary. And I have sanitized with bleach in those buckets. I may just get new ones and try my next brew with bottled spring water. I'm just so mad that the last two brews I made are messed up by my buckets or water when they should have turned out perfect

It can be frustrating, I hear ya. I say the next recipe should be a celebratory one.

Im back and I bring bad news. Made my 4th batch and its ruines as well. I just don't know. I didnt use my old buckets. Used starsan and spring water. Fermented at 65-70. And still a rubber taste. I really cannot figure it out.

txbrewer2 said:

Im back and I bring bad news. Made my 4th batch and its ruines as well. I just don't know. I didnt use my old buckets. Used starsan and spring water. Fermented at 65-70. And still a rubber taste. I really cannot figure it out.

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Is your spring water mineral water?
What is your water chemistry?
What beers are you brewing? Any Belgians? What yeast?

Give us some more info please...

It was bottled spring water. I used american white labs yeast

Are you sure it's a rubber taste? Is there any way it's astringency?

What sparge method are you using, and how are you cooling?

Also, are you extract brewing? If so, disregard the sparge question.

I did a brew in a bag 2.5 gallon batch with a dunk sparge and cooled in an ice bath

What temp did it ferment at?

Oh I see, 65-70...hmm..


You brewing with the lid off the pot and getting a good boil for an hour?

Ok heres my brewday. My grains are crushed instore. I used bottled walmart spring water for my brew in a bag mash. Boil for an hour lid off. Chilled in an ice bath. All my equipment was chlorine free oxyclean washed then rinsed with distilled water then sterilized with starsan made with distilled water. 5g carboy one week then 3g better bottle one more week. American white labs vile. Fermented at 65-70. Bottled with equipment cleaned and sterilized like my ferment equip. No chlorine. No bag squeezing. I don't know. I cant figure it out.

The only thing I can think of is letting the bottled spring water sit outside while you're setting up and some sort of leaching taking place from the plastic to the water in the Texas sun, assuming you're boiling outside in a propane burner and letting the bottled water sit out for a few hours.

You're process sounds fine. I'd only change two things. First, you should make a starter when pitching a vial, especially with older lots. Secondly, just keep the beer in your primary for three to four weeks, and then bottle/keg. If you keg, you can transfer and cold crash after two to three weeks. Either way, no need to transfer to secondary.

I hope you're able to resolve this issue soon.

txbrewer2 said:

Also, the intensity isn't as bad as my 2nd batch. I had to dump it, it was like liquid rubber stopper. This batch tastes like there is a bandaid in my glass

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Could it be from a hose that had hot wort going through it, using something plastic during the boil, or something along those lines?

I siphon fermented liquid through vinyl tubing but I dump my cooled wort through a strainer into my fermenter

What is the temp of the wort when you pitch your yeast?

When you say ferment at 65-70, are you talking the fermenting wort temp or the ambient temp? Fermentaiton generates heat and can be significantly (5-10 degrees) above ambient during its most active phase...

I always pitch below 80 and i keep my strip thermometer on my carboy at 65-70

You used the same yeast every time? Is it fresh? What about oxygen for the yeast, do you aerate?

You used the same water on all the beers? Perhaps walmart mineral water is high in ph and alkalinity.

What's the longest you've let a beer age before drinking it?

I have used both wlp060 and wlp001. I have used brita water and walmart spring water and I let my beers condition and carb for the usual 3 weeks

Figured it out guys. I read an article saying just because its bottled or says spring doesnt mean it has no chlorine or chloromines in it. Im gonna try one more batch with all water treated with campden tabs

Get a carbon filter (not a whole house filter) get the level two filter. Do a mixture of filtered and distilled water for a pilsner. All filter for an ale.

Be careful with campden tablets. Sulfur dioxide isn't something to take for granted.

Crito said:

Be careful with campden tablets. Sulfur dioxide isn't something to take for granted.

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Can you explain this in more detail?

I know this paper is a bit old, but I don't see any reason to think its conclusions are wrong:

http://hbd.org/ajdelange/Brewing_articles/BT_Chlorine.pdf

It suggests that in general, the sodium dioxide generated will be broken up by the reaction with chlorine/chloramine and excess sodium dioxide will likely further react in the mash to form substances that help prevent oxidation/staling. If some still exists beyond this, much of it will be driven off during the boil.

Obviously if 1 tablet is sufficient to clear chlorine/chloramine from 20 gallons of water, using a full tablet for a 5G (or smaller) BIAB batch would be overkill. But other than the suggestion to only use 1/4 tablet instead, I don't see the potential harm in the use of a Campden tablet here...