Help me determine an experiment for the source of metallic taste

[Apendecto]

I tried brewing up a few brews with my dad for my upcoming wedding. Both beers I brew with his hard well water and cool basement (read: not temp controlled) taste very metallic.

There are a million threads about metallic taste and the possible causes are...

*Beer comes in contact with metal and reacts. (We boil in keggles, so I don't this is the issue.)
*Grain is too finely milled. (I doubt this as well. I've used the same settings on my grain mill and haven't had any issues.)
*High iron content. Definitely a contender.
*Poor temp control. Also a really good possibility.
*A million other options, yeast health, poorly stored grain, phase of the moon, type of socks worn during brewing, etc.

My guess is it's my dad's iron rich water, not temp controlling or both.

Our process is BIAB, grain stored in dog food containers milled at home with a Barley Crusher. The light brown used dry yeast and the Censored clone used new 007. Both batches used his well water, which I bet is high in iron.

I brew all the time with my water and temp control it and don't get these flavors.

I want to make a few batches and get to the root of the problem. What's your vote on the culprit so I make the least amount of test batches?

Options:
*Make the same beer with two different sources of water
*Make the same beer with his water and temp control one
*Make the same beer with my water and temp control
*Change my socks
*Other

Thanks for your help

 

[JJL]

The top 2 reasons I've run into for metallic taste are iron content in the water or residue on your bottles/glassware. The best way I know of to resolve this one quickly is to send a sample to Ward Labs and let them test it. It takes about a week to get the results. As for the bottles/glassware, just make sure you are sanitizing your bottles, rinse the glassware reall well right before you use it, and make sure you don't have any rust om your caps. Beyond that, if it's a crush problem or temp control, you're on the right track. Eliminate one possible cause with each batch until the problem disappears. You can always scale down your batches to 1 gal so as not to waste as many ingredients. For that matter, I would suggest doing a simple smash recipe to eliminate as many confounds as possible.

 

[Apendecto]

Cool. Does the high iron content come through with all beer or is it the mashing process that gives you that metallic flavor?

 

[mabrungard]

If there is ANY staining (black or rust colored) on your plumbing fixtures, then it is definitely the water that is the source of the metallic taste. The taste threshold for either iron or manganese is typically less than what it takes for stains to be produced.

It may be time to obtain another water or install a RO system to supply your brewing.

 

[Magic8Ball]

IMO the easiest solution is removing the most obvious source of your Iron brew. Brew your next batch with store purchased RO water with some salt additions. If your beer tastes fine, its your water.

I get my RO from Walmart, just bring in your carboy you wont need to buy one there. IMO you should read the water primer on the forums here for basic salt additions.

 

[Crashola]

I agree on trying some RO water from a store (and then adding salts). A quick and cheap way to try a beer without using your regular tap water.

I like to use those Glacier Water machines at the front of supermarkets. The readout on the machine will tell you when it was last serviced.

 

[Magic8Ball]

No it has to be Walmart RO water. I got a lot of stock in them.

 

[Crashola]

No it has to be Walmart RO water. I got a lot of stock in them.

But they SQUUEEEEEZE their suppliers big time. Are you sure the stuff they're selling is bona fide RO? Maybe it's just tap water from Bentonville, Arkansas.

 

[ajf]

I've had three batches or beer that had a metallic taste.
The first one was boiled in a chipped enamel kettle, and had to be dumped (along with the kettle).
The other two were brewed with wyeast 1028, but after aging for another 2 - 3 weeks, the metallic taste had completely disappeared.
I have no idea why the 1028 beers came out like that. I used 1028 regularly, and only twice had a problem, but as the problem disappeared after about 3 weeks, I didn't really care.

-a.

 

[Apendecto]

I've had three batches or beer that had a metallic taste.
The first one was boiled in a chipped enamel kettle, and had to be dumped (along with the kettle).
The other two were brewed with wyeast 1028, but after aging for another 2 - 3 weeks, the metallic taste had completely disappeared.
I have no idea why the 1028 beers came out like that. I used 1028 regularly, and only twice had a problem, but as the problem disappeared after about 3 weeks, I didn't really care.

-a.

Another possibility. Thanks.

 

[Magic8Ball]

But they SQUUEEEEEZE their suppliers big time. Are you sure the stuff they're selling is bona fide RO? Maybe it's just tap water from Bentonville, Arkansas.

I don't know about your RO vending machines, but mine does take in the local water before it does its thing and comes out filtered. And yes its in Bentonville so yes it is Bentonville tap water filtered through a RO filter with a carbon prefilter and a UV light at the end for good measure.

As for your Walmart supplier comment. My wife and I have worked at many of the large retailers in the US. You are crazy if you don't think that all of them demand the best pricing possible. I have seen Walmart go out of their way to treat vendors as partners in business. I don't think Walmart forces ANY vendor to do business with them. Your innuendo is claptrap. You don't know what you are saying.

 

[Apendecto]

Wow, this thread went in a weird direction.

I just wanted to see if it was the water or all grain vs extract (mash) that gave you a metallic taste, not the sour taste that Walmart puts in my mouth.

 

[Magic8Ball]

Sorry to have left a taste in your mouth. If I would have said target ro water I am sure it would have not caused a stir. But it's about the beer here. so i will try to shut up. I hope you find the cure to your metallic flavor. Good luck m8b

 

[prohl84]

I found out that my yeast booster was responsible for causing metallic flavors in my beer- turns out it was the extra magnesium. Sometimes it will age out of the bottles.