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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.
The Backstory
A few weeks ago I was brewing an all grain hefe and admittedly I was in a rush and pitched a little too much yeast at a warmer temp than normal (25C) and it obviously took off with hefe all over the worksurfaces. When it began to slow down I took at gravity reading and gave it a smell. It smelt just like a cigarette after it was burnt. I then tasted it and it tasted like I was drinking cigarette ash its fair to say that's not pleasant.
I ditched the brew and kind of assumed it had something to do with a combination of over pitching, rushed fermentation and potentially some kind of bug. I used the cask washer at work to CIP the fermenter so it couldn't really contain any bugs.
So then last week I brewed an imperial rye ipa.... Exactly the same cigarette taste. Which leads me to think it must be a procedural problem. But where on Gods green earth does a cigarette taste come from in the procedue? I have replaced my boiler elements in some vein attempt to solve the problem but I was hoping someone might have some insight into whatever this could be?!
Any help greatly appreciated!
Happy non-cigarette brewing everyone!
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.
The Backstory
A few weeks ago I was brewing an all grain hefe and admittedly I was in a rush and pitched a little too much yeast at a warmer temp than normal (25C) and it obviously took off with hefe all over the worksurfaces. When it began to slow down I took at gravity reading and gave it a smell. It smelt just like a cigarette after it was burnt. I then tasted it and it tasted like I was drinking cigarette ash its fair to say that's not pleasant.
I ditched the brew and kind of assumed it had something to do with a combination of over pitching, rushed fermentation and potentially some kind of bug. I used the cask washer at work to CIP the fermenter so it couldn't really contain any bugs.
So then last week I brewed an imperial rye ipa.... Exactly the same cigarette taste. Which leads me to think it must be a procedural problem. But where on Gods green earth does a cigarette taste come from in the procedue? I have replaced my boiler elements in some vein attempt to solve the problem but I was hoping someone might have some insight into whatever this could be?!
Any help greatly appreciated!
Happy non-cigarette brewing everyone!