Caramel Taste to beer
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- Steady Drinker
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Caramel Taste to beer
Hi All
Seem to be having an issue on the last few kit brews and now getting a caramel taste to the beer. I've recently brewed a Mexican Cerveza expecting a light straw coloured beer. I got something that was slightly darker with a caramel taste.
Bulldog Mexican Cerveza
1kg extra light DME
20lts untreated tap water
Safale US-05 yeast
Fermentation laster for two weeks at a steady 18 degrees in a Grainfather conical fermenter until fermentation had stopped. I then left it for a further week at 4 degrees and then transferred to a corny keg sitting at 5 degrees in a fridge at 8 psi for force carbonation served fro a beer font. This has been left around three weeks and i do get a nice pour and carbonation, just a very strange caramel taste.
Everything has been sterilised thoroughly. Not too sure where i am going wrong as my last few kits have all had a similar caramel taste.
Any help really appreciated, loosing the will at the moment
Thanks
AB
Seem to be having an issue on the last few kit brews and now getting a caramel taste to the beer. I've recently brewed a Mexican Cerveza expecting a light straw coloured beer. I got something that was slightly darker with a caramel taste.
Bulldog Mexican Cerveza
1kg extra light DME
20lts untreated tap water
Safale US-05 yeast
Fermentation laster for two weeks at a steady 18 degrees in a Grainfather conical fermenter until fermentation had stopped. I then left it for a further week at 4 degrees and then transferred to a corny keg sitting at 5 degrees in a fridge at 8 psi for force carbonation served fro a beer font. This has been left around three weeks and i do get a nice pour and carbonation, just a very strange caramel taste.
Everything has been sterilised thoroughly. Not too sure where i am going wrong as my last few kits have all had a similar caramel taste.
Any help really appreciated, loosing the will at the moment
Thanks
AB
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- Steady Drinker
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- Joined: Sat Oct 20, 2018 3:47 pm
Re: Caramel Taste to beer
Hmmm.....
a bit of research, am i suffering with Diacetyl?
tks
AB
a bit of research, am i suffering with Diacetyl?
tks
AB
Re: Caramel Taste to beer
Two questions
1. Why the extra DME ?
2. Cervesa is a generic Spanish term for lager. Why such high fermentation temperature. ?
1. Why the extra DME ?
2. Cervesa is a generic Spanish term for lager. Why such high fermentation temperature. ?
"You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on." Dean Martin
1. Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming... "f*ck, what a trip
It's better to lose time with friends than to lose friends with time (Portuguese proverb)
Alone we travel faster
Together we travel further
( In an admonishing email from our golf club)
1. Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming... "f*ck, what a trip
It's better to lose time with friends than to lose friends with time (Portuguese proverb)
Alone we travel faster
Together we travel further
( In an admonishing email from our golf club)
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- Hollow Legs
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Re: Caramel Taste to beer
Yeah it’ll probably be diacetyl. You need to rest the beer around 15c for 2-3 days after fermentation - yeast clean up diacetyl, scavenge oxygen and remove some acetyldehyde in that time.
You can test for it by submersing a sample glass of your beer in hot water bath. If the smell amplifies it’s diacetyl.
You can test for it by submersing a sample glass of your beer in hot water bath. If the smell amplifies it’s diacetyl.
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- Steady Drinker
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Re: Caramel Taste to beer
Thanks both
Initial mistake in the original post, it was a coopers european lager kit that has had the DME and not the Bulldog.
Temperature wise I just followed the instructions, is there an ideal temperature and schedule for brewing kit lagers?
After fermentation I have reduced them temp to cold chill then transfer to the keg!
Help needed!
Tks
AB
Initial mistake in the original post, it was a coopers european lager kit that has had the DME and not the Bulldog.
Temperature wise I just followed the instructions, is there an ideal temperature and schedule for brewing kit lagers?
After fermentation I have reduced them temp to cold chill then transfer to the keg!
Help needed!
Tks
AB
- wanus
- Lost in an Alcoholic Haze
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Re: Caramel Taste to beer
Hello Suffolkbrewer.IMO you need to add 4 or 5 campden tablets to 20l of untreated tap water.
I`m not saying it will get rid of your unwanted caramel taste but it will help with other off flavours.
Good luck and may the brew gods be with you.
I`m not saying it will get rid of your unwanted caramel taste but it will help with other off flavours.
Good luck and may the brew gods be with you.
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Re: Caramel Taste to beer
Suffolk,
I can`t help you with the Caramel taste, but every Cerveza I have done has come out a Golden colour
but smells and tastes like a Golden Ale, nothing like a Cerveza! Maybe that`s just me.
1/2 a Campden tablet is OK for 20lts, why do you waste so many?
WA
Sent without tapertork.
I can`t help you with the Caramel taste, but every Cerveza I have done has come out a Golden colour
but smells and tastes like a Golden Ale, nothing like a Cerveza! Maybe that`s just me.
Wainie,
1/2 a Campden tablet is OK for 20lts, why do you waste so many?
WA
Sent without tapertork.
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- Steady Drinker
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Re: Caramel Taste to beer
Just checked the bulldog instructions and it is suggesting fermentation between 18-24
- wanus
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Re: Caramel Taste to beer
WA i live in a hard water area and when i first started brewing i did as you say only used half a tablet.
I found it wasn`t enough to get rid of that twang so i started doing what it says on `the tin`and use one to every 5 litre.
It was a huge improvement.
I read somewhere sodium metabisulphite evens out the chlorine content in the water and neutralises off tastes chlorine can cause.
I found it wasn`t enough to get rid of that twang so i started doing what it says on `the tin`and use one to every 5 litre.
It was a huge improvement.
I read somewhere sodium metabisulphite evens out the chlorine content in the water and neutralises off tastes chlorine can cause.
FV 1:Empty
FV 2:Empty
Demi 1&2:Empty
Demi 3&4:Empty
Maturing: Bastard builders brew
Bottle conditioning: Bastard builders brew
Drinking:McEwan's
Planning:More 🍺
Keep yer pecker hard and yer powder dry.
FV 2:Empty
Demi 1&2:Empty
Demi 3&4:Empty
Maturing: Bastard builders brew
Bottle conditioning: Bastard builders brew
Drinking:McEwan's
Planning:More 🍺
Keep yer pecker hard and yer powder dry.
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Re: Caramel Taste to beer
Wainie,
Okey Dokey, point taken.
WA
Sent from my sofa.
Okey Dokey, point taken.
WA
Sent from my sofa.
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Re: Caramel Taste to beer
Hard water needs alkalinity reduction, not Camden tablets.wanus wrote: ↑Thu May 09, 2019 8:42 pmWA i live in a hard water area and when i first started brewing i did as you say only used half a tablet.
I found it wasn`t enough to get rid of that twang so i started doing what it says on `the tin`and use one to every 5 litre.
It was a huge improvement.
I read somewhere sodium metabisulphite evens out the chlorine content in the water and neutralises off tastes chlorine can cause.
How hard is your water?
Guy
- wanus
- Lost in an Alcoholic Haze
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Re: Caramel Taste to beer
Hello Guy.Am unsure how hard exactly i`ve never done a calculation.You`ve given me more to think about with your comments.
I learn one thing then find out theres more and more to learn.Hows alkalinity reduced now we`re on the subject?
I learn one thing then find out theres more and more to learn.Hows alkalinity reduced now we`re on the subject?
FV 1:Empty
FV 2:Empty
Demi 1&2:Empty
Demi 3&4:Empty
Maturing: Bastard builders brew
Bottle conditioning: Bastard builders brew
Drinking:McEwan's
Planning:More 🍺
Keep yer pecker hard and yer powder dry.
FV 2:Empty
Demi 1&2:Empty
Demi 3&4:Empty
Maturing: Bastard builders brew
Bottle conditioning: Bastard builders brew
Drinking:McEwan's
Planning:More 🍺
Keep yer pecker hard and yer powder dry.
Re: Caramel Taste to beer
[quote
Hard water needs alkalinity reduction, not Camden tablets.
How hard is your water?
Guy
[/quote]
Not with kit brewing
Hard water needs alkalinity reduction, not Camden tablets.
How hard is your water?
Guy
[/quote]
Not with kit brewing
"You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on." Dean Martin
1. Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming... "f*ck, what a trip
It's better to lose time with friends than to lose friends with time (Portuguese proverb)
Alone we travel faster
Together we travel further
( In an admonishing email from our golf club)
1. Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming... "f*ck, what a trip
It's better to lose time with friends than to lose friends with time (Portuguese proverb)
Alone we travel faster
Together we travel further
( In an admonishing email from our golf club)
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Re: Caramel Taste to beer
Ah, silly me! Forgot this was in the kit brewing section! You're right IPA. All the water treatment has been done to get the extract.
Mind you, wonder what a kit beer would turn out like if the dilution was done with treated water?
Guy
Mind you, wonder what a kit beer would turn out like if the dilution was done with treated water?
Guy
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Re: Caramel Taste to beer
1/4 of a Campden tablet is all that is needed for 20 liters.
Developer of 'Mash Made Easy', a free and complete mash pH adjustment assistant spreadsheet
https://mashmadeeasy.yolasite.com/
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