Caramel Taste to beer

[Suffolkbrewer]

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]

Hmmm.....

a bit of research, am i suffering with Diacetyl?

tks
AB

[IPA]

Two questions

1. Why the extra DME ?

2. Cervesa is a generic Spanish term for lager. Why such high fermentation temperature. ?

[Robwalkeragain]

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]

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

[wanus]

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.

[WalesAles]

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.

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?

WA

Sent without tapertork.

[Suffolkbrewer]

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

[wanus]

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.

[WalesAles]

Wainie,
Okey Dokey, point taken.

WA

Sent from my sofa.

[guypettigrew]

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.

Hard water needs alkalinity reduction, not Camden tablets.

How hard is your water?

Guy

[wanus]

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?

[IPA]

[quote

Hard water needs alkalinity reduction, not Camden tablets.

How hard is your water?

Guy
[/quote]

Not with kit brewing

[guypettigrew]

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

[Silver_Is_Money]

Wainie,
1/2 a Campden tablet is OK for 20lts, why do you waste so many?

WA

Sent without tapertork.

1/4 of a Campden tablet is all that is needed for 20 liters.