OP - You might take some to the LHBS, a Brewery, or a local club meeting. Get someone with experience taste the beer and identify what is off, and recommend a course of action. I say this because the guys in my club helped me a lot back in the day from tasting my beers.
This is sound advice. Odds are, they’ve experienced the same thing before. You can also rule out the brass fittings in your brewhouse, I have used brass ball valves with no ill effects for years.
Thanks for the advice.
I did speak with my lhbs yesterday. After explaining my problem his first comment was that it sounds like I had/have a bug in my plastic fermenter(s). He too, did not blame the brass fitting, only suggested that I use a weak bleach solution in my buckets, overnight, before brewing again.
I will be in that store today, so I will take him a sample of both that have this odor/flavor. Thanks for that suggestion.
In the mean time I have taken apart my bayou kettle and boiled the fittings, valves etc. last night. Placed my only brass fitting in a vinegar/hydrogen peroxide solution. And, have rearranged my gear so that all equipment (post boil) has it’s own sealed container and will now not come into contact with anything by me and the wort.
Klick, if my lhbs thinks there’s a chance, I will keep these batches going and report back to the thread. If not, they will go down the drain.
My palate is not the best. It is really poor over the internet. ![]()
I’ve experienced a sour, metallic flavor with Nottingham more than once.
Back from my lhbs who sampled both beers. They could not find the odors or tastes I have been describing, only saying they thought it had a very “yeasty” or “biscuity” aroma and taste. Also said both beers were well balanced and thought they were very good. Suggested they were a bit young and needed to mature a little bit is all.
So, either all four of them are nuts (not likely as they are a good bunch of guys) or I seriously need to take a course in beer judging/analyzing.
I am relieved, of course, to know that my last four batches are probably going to turn out ok, just mystified as to how I am coming up with something that they cannot get at all.
Thanks to all for your help. I feel like I led everyone on a wild goose chase, but appreciate the help.
I’d been brewing for years when the Major pointed out “not to trust smells during fermentation.” Took that to heart.