Medicinal off flavour, shared equipment

[benkbenkbenk]

So my friend borrows my kettle every now and then to brew, his last beer was practically ruined by a medicinal off flavour.

My new brew following his disappointment has now been a week in the fermenter. I tested the gravity after a bit of a strange fermentation, (very active airlock but little to no krausen for two days, now no activity at all, it's down at 1.016), and I think I have a similar medicinal off flavour!

What could cause this, is it just paranoia? The kettle is an alluminium pan, the only other thing we share is the local water supply, and I've brewed plenty from it before!

Could some detergent he or I used to clean the pan cause this? Would it still cause it in the next brew? Is there a good way to clean the pan, and all my equipment to remove whatever could be causing this?

Thanks in advance.

 

[bknifefight]

From How to Brew:
These flavors are often described as mediciney, Band-Aid™ like, or can be spicy like cloves. The cause are various phenols which are initially produced by the yeast. Chlorophenols result from the reaction of chlorine-based sanitizers (bleach) with phenol compounds and have very low taste thresholds. Rinsing with boiled water after sanitizing is the best way to prevent these flavors.

If you think it's the kettle, I'd fill it with water, boil it and then drain it through the valve (or recirculate) while still very hot or boiling. That should clean it pretty well.

 

[flars]

Chlorine and chloramine levels will change in a municipal water supply. Perhaps you both have just brewed when the levels were elevated.

 

[Gameface]

If you're a new brewer (just guessing based on your post count) and you started brewing in the fall or spring you may not have had any issues with fermentation temp until now. If ambient temp is on the high 70s it is possible that your beer is fermenting in the 80s, which is bad for all but a few yeast strains.

Your kettle is almost certainly not the culprit. The boiling process should take care of any issues that might exist there.

Like the previous posters mentioned your problem might be chlorine/chloramine. Easy enough to prevent issues with that by treating your water with campden tablets.

If it is infection related, which I doubt, then look more at transfer tubing and equipment used on the cold side instead of the kettle and stuff used on the hot side.

 

[Braufessor]

Your kettle is almost certainly not the culprit. The boiling process should take care of any issues that might exist there.

This.^^^^ Unlikely to carry an infection through a boil kettle. Infection would be more likely through improper handling after boil is over - moving to fermenter, fermenter itself, tubing, siphoning, bottling, etc.

I agree with the thoughts on Chlorine/Chloramine as a possible culprit as well as possible high fermentation temps.

 

[Danno355]

I had a phenol issue as well back in June. My neighbor who just retired from waterworks told me in the summer chlorine is variously higher in the local system. I use spring water for summer brewing now. No issues since.