Same funky smell to my extract batches

[StophJS]

The extract batches that I have been doing lately all have the same dominant aroma, which is a kind of musty, old smell. My girlfriend and I both interpret the smell as sort of resembling something that's been in storage for a long time. It is not discernibly present in the actual flavor of the beer to either of us, but it truly ruins the smell of the beer, and is a nuisance in that every time you go in for a drink you are greeted by this strange smell. I'm pretty desperate to figure out what's causing this, because it's very difficult to just overlook. Does anyone have any idea what this might be?

 

[philjohnwilliams]

I don't know what kind of extract you are using, but i would be tempted to say it is due to old stale LME.

 

[Grizzlybrew]

Assuming you are using quality extract/kits from a reputable source...

perhaps it's your water. Are you using charcoal filtered water? Are you bottling? Are your fermentation temps under control?

 

[Stauffbier]

I had a similar problem with an extract amber that I brewed a few months back. After it got some age in the bottle it went away. How old are the beers you're drinking? Have they had some time to mellow?

 

[malkore]

What beers are you making, and what (if any) is the final 5 minute or flameout hop addition? And are you dry hopping?

You might not like a particular hop aroma from the variety you've been using. Especially if you're newer to craft beer drinking (i.e. coming from a BMC background)

 

[StophJS]

I think I can say pretty confidently that it's not a hop aroma. I've had many, many micro and macro brews and none have ever had a smell like this. This smell has been exceedingly present in my last two batches especially, which were the BB Porter and Midwest Ferocious IPA. As far as aging, all I can say for sure is that the smell is still present at 4 weeks but has mellowed considerably (That's really about as far as my 5 gallon batches typically make it). The porter's in bottle right now though and I'm letting it a age a bit more so I'll see what happens with that.

I am bottling, my ambient for these two recent beers was a very stable 64 degrees, and I use exclusively store bought spring water. I was actually leaning toward the LME myself. I have a brew in primary right now that used only DME so I'm curious to see if the smell is there with that one. I think both of the recent kits I got should in theory have had relatively fresh LME, but who knows. It may very well not have been.

 

[unionrdr]

Or those kits had some very earthy hops that don't mix well with those recipes?...

 

[StophJS]

The IPA used citra, amarillo and ahtanum. I don't actually know anymore exactly what hops were in the porter but it was obviously a very differently hopped beer. The smell between the two however is essentially the same from what I can recall of the IPA.

 

[CKITTS]

I'm faily new to brewing myself, but can't this type of smell come from oxidization. I once had a drink of some 70 year old whiskey that wasn't stored correctly for aging, and it smelled/ tasted like an old attic. My uneducated guess...

 

[StophJS]

I'm faily new to brewing myself, but can't this type of smell come from oxidization. I once had a drink of some 70 year old whiskey that wasn't stored correctly for aging, and it smelled/ tasted like an old attic. My uneducated guess...

I've definitely been considering this.. With this porter at least, there is a distinctly red wine-like flavor to it. I've never had cooking sherry so I don't know if it resembles red wine, but I know oxidation can cause a sherry-like flavor. When bottling my next batch I plan on taking steps to reduce my back pressure on my bottling wand. That's really the only time I could see oxidation happening in my process.

 

[ValleyBrew]

You seem to be on top of things based on your posts, but you are controlling the light exposure to the fermentor? That could definitely cause some odors...

 

[StophJS]

Maybe not as well as I could, but I was under the impression it doesn't really matter in bucket fermenters.

 

[unionrdr]

I have a BB ale pale & a cooper's micro brew fermenter. I cover them both with dark tee shirts at least,depending on temps. Light gets in to one degree or other,so better safe than sorry.

 

[Stauffbier]

I just started covering my bucket fermentors on the last 3 batches. I use a cardboard box that they arrived in. Although, if it's light causing the problem I would think the off flavors would just be a "skunked" flavor which is pretty obvious when present. I have a stout that tastes a little "hot" in spite of the fact that it was fermented mid 60's. I also have a creme ale that has a stale aftertaste, but I'm not sure why. All of my extract batches seem to have a similar "lacking" quality to them, but they don't taste bad (except for the above mentioned stout).. I'm currently drinking the first AG batch I had ever made and it tastes wonderful! I have 2 other AG batches in primaries, and I'm looking forward to seeing if their quality is also better...

 

[malkore]

read this page, especially the 'grassy' section
How to Brew - By John Palmer - Common Off-Flavors

could indeed be poorly stored ingredients (at the LHBS, warehouse, etc)

Oxidation wouldn't be tasted early but would gradually get more 'stale' tasting, especially if the beer is stored warmer/at cellar temps vs. serving temps/in a kegerator.

On the bottling wand, I attach mine to the bucket with only 2" of tubing, so its the wand coming directly off the spigot basically. that kills all the pressure from a 3 foot drop to the floor so the bottle doesn't fill so rapidly that it tries to foam from the CO2 trapped in solution during fermentation.

 

[Stauffbier]

could indeed be poorly stored ingredients (at the LHBS, warehouse, etc)

.

I sometimes suspect this, but I more suspect the possibility of bad shipping practices. Who knows how things are stored or how hot they might get once they get into the hands of shipping companies. When I order from Midwest it has to come half way across the country over the coarse of 5 days or so, so who knows. I can't imagine it's being kept in a very forgiving climate while in the back of a hot tractor trailer. I learned this the hard way with liquid yeast. I always have to opt for "cold shipping" now..

 

[StophJS]

read this page, especially the 'grassy' section
How to Brew - By John Palmer - Common Off-Flavors

Maybe I have just been getting unlucky with my LME. I'm going to fix my bottling situation, and see how this stout with only DME turns out. Should be bottling it on Friday.

 

[unionrdr]

Here's another thought that might help. It all started with my newly emptied HB bottles. Carbonation was coming out a bit lower,& slightly uneven from bottle to bottle,no matter how well the priming solution got mixed in the bottling bucket.
So I then suspected that just rinsing & drying them on the bottle tree to be insuficient. So I started by the usual dreg rinse,then put them in a bucket of PBW for 2 hours. Then bottle brush each one,then rinse in the sink. Then onto the bottle tree to dry before storing in covered boxes. I thought that might well eliminate anything in the bottles effecting carbonation or flavor.

 

[fivepoundpossum]

i think i know what you're talking about. for the longest time i had extract batches that didn't taste quite right. finally figured out that if i let sit in the fermenter for a bit longer (four weeks instead of two) and then in the bottles for three weeks on top of that my off taste disappeared. haven't had the same problem since. good luck sorting it out!

 

[StophJS]

Just bottled up a milk stout that used only DME and that musty smell is nowhere to be found. I think I was getting stale LME.