plastic, medicine taste

[phil6253]

I was using a new carbon filter on my water for my last brew session. Just transferred the mild brown to its secondary today and it has a nasty plastic/medicine wang to it. I didn't flush the filter out much before filling the kettle and wonder if that could be it. It tastes like the new filter housing smelled.

I brewed a wheat later in the day,same filter, same process etc. and it tasted great going into the secondary.

Thanks,
Phil

[Bill]

Hey Phil,
To quote a page on fermentarium.com; "The band-aid flavor is usually caused by a reaction of phenols with chlorine. Chlorophenols are created when phenols react with chlorine from bleach or other chlorine-based cleaners."

With that in mind, it could have been the chlorine/chloromine in your tap water getting past the filter, but if you have ever brewed before without a filter and never noticed it, then it most likely was the new filter housing, though I have never experienced it myself.

Have you used that specific brand of carbon filter before?

[phil6253]

I had just purchased the filter due to some of the very flavors you referenced, pointed out to me by some helpful guild members. I brewed basically the same mild brown at maifest and it turned out excellent, filtering the water at the campground.(through Bricks filter) The only other difference is that this grain had been crushed for awhile, although it had been stored in a sealed plastic bag inside of another plastic sealed container. I'm just trying to eliminate all possibly problems, don't want to make a habit of dumping beer.
Thanks,
Phil

[meisel]

Inline carbon filters require flushing a gallon or two of water through them before they are ready for use. If you have ever done this, you'll notice a good amount of charcoal sediment coming out at first, then the water will start to run clear. However, I don't think this is what's causing the medicinal off-flavor you've described. Bill is right, phenols are the culprits. Typically this is associated with rapid yeast cell growth during primary fermentation i.e. no starter or underpitching. Temp can play a role in this as well but we can get into that later. I had a Kolsch at last year's brewfest that tasted like fingernail polish remover, nastiest, most solventy beer I've ever tasted. Phenols can kill the flavor of a beer and unlike fusels (higher alcohols) they do not "soften" over time.