Off flavor from stainless pot?

[ElJefeBrews]

It seems every couple years or so my store bought stainless pots start leaching off flavors into the beer and buying a new one will fix the problem. Does anybody else experience this?

 

[SoCal-Doug]

Unless there are some really bad welds harboring bacteria, or your hygiene practices are lacking, I see no reason for stainless to leach anything under normal stresses of brewing. I have however seen some low grade pseudo-stainless made in sketchy countries go south.

 

[ElJefeBrews]

I'm guessing it might be a low grade product then. Might need to throw in for a real brewing kettle

 

[kingschiff]

I'm guessing it might be a low grade product then. Might need to throw in for a real brewing kettle

If you keep buying cheap pots, you could've probably had a decent kettle already!

 

[ElJefeBrews]

The last one was $50. Thought I would get more use out of it than this

 

[tll77]

definitely sound like a quality issue to me

my boil kettle is fashioned out of a repurposed wine fermenter, it was manufactured in 1973(older than myself), I expect it to outlast me

 

[OG-wan Kenobi]

You sure it's real stainless?? I have the same Mega Pot from day 1 never an issue I have a Brewbuilt for a year and love it. Bad welds I don't think would do it because your boiling in the kettle

 

[kingschiff]

The last one was $50. Thought I would get more use out of it than this

oh yeah! you're 1/4 way to a really really nice kettle.

 

[cubalz]

Stainless steel does not leach off flavors. I use kettles that are over 10 years old with hundreds of batches created it them with no issues. I think it is a process or ingredient issue driving your problem.

 

[Iseneye]

Instead of getting rid of the pots you could try passivation with citric acid at a warm temperature for a few hours. I haven't done it myself but lining up to do it in a few weeks.

 

[ElJefeBrews]

oh yeah! you're 1/4 way to a really really nice kettle.

I should say that's $50 for a 3 gallon one. I do mostly 1 gallon batches.

When I first bought this pot I had no off flavors and the beers were coming out good. The off flavor has slowly gotten worse and the beers now are undrinkable. My process or ingredients have not changed and my last pot did the same thing which leads me to believe that's the culprit. I think it's time to invest in a good one.

 

[Rockn_M]

How would you describe the off flavor? It could be an infection or some other culprit.

 

[kingschiff]

That iron result is not a factor when dealing with manganese. With an aesthetic limit of about 50 ppb for manganese, it has a very metallic taste above that concentration. If your plumbing fixtures have blackish discoloration and your water has a metallic taste, that is an indication that the manganese level may be higher than desirable in your tap water.

Check out the above post from another thread. Maybe could be this?

 

[ElJefeBrews]

Kinda hard to describe but just a general rough flavor. I'm well familiar with all the common off flavors and this doesn't fit them. I guess the closest I can fit it too would be oxidation but I've tried several techniques to minimize that and it didn't help. I really don't think that's it

 

[ElJefeBrews]

Check out the above post from another thread. Maybe could be this?

My tap water is way too hard to brew with. I've tried RO water from a local machine, store bought RO water, and distilled water and it was there on them all

 

[OG-wan Kenobi]

AIH has a stainless 5 gallon kettle for $19.99 if you want a new kettle Item Number: 99-2555 since you say that has been you prior solution, I however don't think it is the kettle causing your problems but I have been wrong before and I am sure I will be wrong again

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Could the problem be related to the presence of "beerstone"?

 

[ElJefeBrews]

Could the problem be related to the presence of "beerstone"?

Now that's I good question and something I didn't think of. I'm gonna look into that

 

[ElJefeBrews]

Actually after looking into it I'm pretty sure it is beerstone. Good catch. I'll give it a good clean and try again

 

[seatazzz]

I know everyone here raves about SS kettles and such, but I've got a 12g aluminum kettle that only cost me $50 at Costco and has never done me wrong. Granted, right now I only use it for catching first runnings since I have a keggle with a valve, but I have used it in the past for boiling and never got off-flavors from it. Something (cheaper and longer-lasting) to consider.

 

[ElJefeBrews]

Could the problem be related to the presence of "beerstone"?

It was indeed beerstone and it has been remedied. You saved my homebrewing habit. I hope to have the honor of buying you a beer someday.