Caramel Taste to beer

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Suffolkbrewer
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Caramel Taste to beer

Post by Suffolkbrewer » Wed May 08, 2019 7:31 pm

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

Suffolkbrewer
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Re: Caramel Taste to beer

Post by Suffolkbrewer » Wed May 08, 2019 8:10 pm

Hmmm.....

a bit of research, am i suffering with Diacetyl?

tks
AB

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IPA
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Re: Caramel Taste to beer

Post by IPA » Thu May 09, 2019 7:29 am

Two questions

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

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Robwalkeragain
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Re: Caramel Taste to beer

Post by Robwalkeragain » Thu May 09, 2019 10:09 am

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.

Suffolkbrewer
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Re: Caramel Taste to beer

Post by Suffolkbrewer » Thu May 09, 2019 11:33 am

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

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wanus
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Re: Caramel Taste to beer

Post by wanus » Thu May 09, 2019 6:09 pm

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.
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FV 2:Empty
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Maturing: Bastard builders brew
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WalesAles
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Re: Caramel Taste to beer

Post by WalesAles » Thu May 09, 2019 8:06 pm

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! #-o Maybe that`s just me.
wanus wrote:
Thu May 09, 2019 6:09 pm
IMO you need to add 4 or 5 campden tablets to 20l of untreated tap water.
Wainie,
1/2 a Campden tablet is OK for 20lts, why do you waste so many? [-X

WA

Sent without tapertork.

Suffolkbrewer
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Re: Caramel Taste to beer

Post by Suffolkbrewer » Thu May 09, 2019 8:23 pm

Just checked the bulldog instructions and it is suggesting fermentation between 18-24

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wanus
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Re: Caramel Taste to beer

Post by wanus » Thu May 09, 2019 8:42 pm

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. :wink:
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.

WalesAles
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Re: Caramel Taste to beer

Post by WalesAles » Thu May 09, 2019 9:00 pm

Wainie,
Okey Dokey, point taken.

WA

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guypettigrew
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Re: Caramel Taste to beer

Post by guypettigrew » Thu May 09, 2019 9:55 pm

wanus wrote:
Thu May 09, 2019 8:42 pm
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. :wink:
Hard water needs alkalinity reduction, not Camden tablets.

How hard is your water?

Guy

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wanus
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Re: Caramel Taste to beer

Post by wanus » Thu May 09, 2019 10:42 pm

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? :mrgreen:
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.

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IPA
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Re: Caramel Taste to beer

Post by IPA » Fri May 10, 2019 7:38 am

[quote

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)

guypettigrew
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Re: Caramel Taste to beer

Post by guypettigrew » Fri May 10, 2019 9:22 am

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

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Re: Caramel Taste to beer

Post by Silver_Is_Money » Fri May 10, 2019 3:50 pm

WalesAles wrote:
Thu May 09, 2019 8:06 pm
Wainie,
1/2 a Campden tablet is OK for 20lts, why do you waste so many? [-X

WA

Sent without tapertork.
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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