Hi All
Just joined after being a long time reader and would like to know the answer as to why some home brews smell and taste quite soapy.
My recent brew was a Coopers dark ale using the brew enchancer no 2 and a teaspoon of cinamon. This brew fermented quite widly and even came out the air lock.
But it smells quite soapy and taste a little soapy as well. I have also experienced this with a coopers larger using brew enhancer no 1.
Could someone shed some light on why this happens so I can try to avoid it next time.
Thanks
Soapy smell and taste
BigBanko, I had a very similar problem. Of my first 15 or so brews, about 5 had what I described to others as a soapy taste. At the time there was lots of threads reguarding infection, describing a "band aid" taste, so I started being extra clean, and tried a couple of different sanitisers. No real change. Then I got my brewing notes for the 5 beers compared them to each other and some good brews....the worst tasting brew had been in the fermenter for 12 days, not so bad about 8 or 9....nothing in the fermentor for 7 days or less had a bad taste. I accidently confirmed this recently, tasting as I was bottling, there was that very familiar taste....checked my notes and found that it had been in the fermentor for 10 days, (racking at 4 days). Other people have said they leave their brews on for much longer than this but I dont seem to be able to....
The only time I encountered that 'band aid' taste was when leaving the beer in primary for extended periods (yes I know there are stories of beers being left for weeks in cold climates!) and it took me several brews to work out it was all my doing!
The only thing I changed was the time in primary. Beers were bloody clear but...eewwww! Noone visits me now for beers as a result!! I stopped leaving the beers in primary for two weeks at a time.
Went through all the possible sources with the bloke at the HBS turns out there was something about the yeast consuming itself or something equally unappealing. The 'taste' was from the beer sitting on the trub for so long which was imparting the bad taste.
Don't fret about beers finishing quickly. This Chimay clone I'm doing abruptly stopped at 5 days. This is supposed to be a high alc brew! Most others of mine slow right down at about 3 or 4 and that's at 20-25C. I rack now for the clarity and to stir up the yeasties to make sure fermentation is complete. No more bad tastes! Unless I just make a crap beer...
The only thing I changed was the time in primary. Beers were bloody clear but...eewwww! Noone visits me now for beers as a result!! I stopped leaving the beers in primary for two weeks at a time.
Went through all the possible sources with the bloke at the HBS turns out there was something about the yeast consuming itself or something equally unappealing. The 'taste' was from the beer sitting on the trub for so long which was imparting the bad taste.
Don't fret about beers finishing quickly. This Chimay clone I'm doing abruptly stopped at 5 days. This is supposed to be a high alc brew! Most others of mine slow right down at about 3 or 4 and that's at 20-25C. I rack now for the clarity and to stir up the yeasties to make sure fermentation is complete. No more bad tastes! Unless I just make a crap beer...
Interesting to hear your views on time in the fermenter as I was of the opinion 2 weeks in the fermenter is a good idea.
The 2 brews I have mentioned were in the fermenter for 8 days for the larger and 5 days for the dark ale and then bottled.
I am in the process of getting another fermenter for racking and bulk priming. Maybe racking and then in the fridge for a week may help.
The 2 brews I have mentioned were in the fermenter for 8 days for the larger and 5 days for the dark ale and then bottled.
I am in the process of getting another fermenter for racking and bulk priming. Maybe racking and then in the fridge for a week may help.
A lot of it depends on the brewing temperature . if you have a brew that ferments at 25 degrees and finishes primary ferment and then you leave it sitting on the yeast crud then the crud is going to impart a tste to the finished brew. If, however, you ferment at 14 degrees and have an extend3d ferment over 2 weeks then you are not going to get the bad taste.
It all comes down to temperature control nd fermentation.
It all comes down to temperature control nd fermentation.
The liver is Evil and must be punished!!
The soapy taste that you percieve is very likely to be oxidation of the fatty acids in the can of malt extract. This occours with time though storage can have some effect.
You can also get it by leaving your beer in the fermentor too long but the most likely result of this is autolysis.
Check your use-by dates.
K
You can also get it by leaving your beer in the fermentor too long but the most likely result of this is autolysis.
Check your use-by dates.
K