Great Article. But I do think the beauty of being a homebrewer is to experiment so really ditching a beer is a shortcut for what could be a huge learning curve...

Problem solved! I replaced my kettle elements because I hadn't been descaling them properly. Hefeweizen brewed and bottled no ash taste present! I now descale them after every brew. So if you ever get a cigarette ash taste in your beer. Check your elements or any build up of last brews trub...

I Homebrew at the brewery (a bit of a mind F@%k that) and our water is from a water source that doesn't change. I was playing with my brewing salts a little bit too much maybe but it happened twice in a row so that really threw me off that train of thought.

Yeah it has absolutely crossed my mind but do you think you would be able to taste it in the wort? Its a taste/smell that develops through fermentation not directly after the boil which (to me) means there might be something else going on?

Hi all! The Taste I now have had to ditch 2 brews in a row as they both have developed a burnt cigarette taste. As a commercial brewer too I have experienced a few off tastes but only really the classics never this. I will explain what happend to help diagnose this very strange off taste...