water? grains? off flavor!!!

[joechopper]

I've changed over from extract to all-grain. but now I have a very distinctive off flavor/smell of very faint yet noticable sulfur?(rotton egg) never had in any of the extract brews, but every all-grain has had this faint smell. no process has been changed except moving to all-grain. I tried all spring water, sring water mix w/ distilled water, distilled with burtons salts, and r/o water blend spring water. as you see I think its my water chemistry, or is it the grains? my LHBS seems to get new stock in so I don't think it's old grains. if this helps I can mask the flavor in a mild IPA, & hide it in a big hoppy IPA, is there a base line water/ burton salt blend I could start with? I do 60 to 90 min boils. old school cold break with ice bath takes 20 min. mash ranges from 150-160 deg. ferment temps are temp controlled at 65 deg.I use dry yeast... Safale us5, 33, and Nottinhams yeast. beers abv range from 4-9%, I use star san and PBW for cleaning. and I bottle beer. HELLLLLP

[beltbuckle]

When I think sulfur I usually think yeast derived (and mainly lager yeast) but none of the yeasts you listed should produce a lot of detectable sulfur in the finished product. How long is the beer sitting on yeast? If it's not something like autolysis it's probably an infection. With all the water you have tried I would seriously doubt it is coming from there. If you can't taste any sulfur in the water it should be OK for brewing.... though spring water varies quite a bit and there may not be enough calcium and other minerals for the yeast.

[brewinhard]

Do you know of anyone with an expert palate that might be able to identify what you are tasting/smelling in your finished product? This can be helpful as someone else may pick up different things in the beer than you can.

[ajdelange]

Some sulfur production is normal in fermentation though some yeast strains (notably the lager ones) seem to produce more of it. The Germans call the sulfidic aroma of young beer "Jungbuket" which is usually translated as "beer stench" (though that's obviously not a literal translation). The source of the sulfur itself is primarily sulfur containing amino acids in the malt's protein though sulfate in the water can also be reduced to sulfide.

The good news about Jungbuket is that it passes pretty quickly (though that can mean weeks in lager beers). If it does not then there is a problem which is most likely an infection. Changing your water will not make it go away. As I can't think why you would be more likely to aquire an infection in grain brewing than you would in extract brewing I expect it's Jungbuket. Try tincture of time.

[joechopper]

When I think sulfur I usually think yeast derived (and mainly lager yeast) but none of the yeasts you listed should produce a lot of detectable sulfur in the finished product. How long is the beer sitting on yeast? If it's not something like autolysis it's probably an infection. With all the water you have tried I would seriously doubt it is coming from there. If you can't taste any sulfur in the water it should be OK for brewing.... though spring water varies quite a bit and there may not be enough calcium and other minerals for the yeast.

beer sits on yeast on my IPAs, APAs 2 weeks, my stouts or big ABV beers, maybe up to a month, Im thinking its lack of minerals, I made (6+ months ago) a Stone levitation clone in extract, nice taste, pronounced hop flavor/aroma, just tried my Stone levi clone in all-grain, not so hoppy very mild . maybe theres a PH thing also along with a mineral thing..about to return to extract, but I love the challanges of all-grain.

[joechopper]

Do you know of anyone with an expert palate that might be able to identify what you are tasting/smelling in your finished product? This can be helpful as someone else may pick up different things in the beer than you can.

Three Floyds & the Flossmoor Station brew pub are right down the street, maybe ask a brewer there?

[brewinhard]

Do you know of anyone with an expert palate that might be able to identify what you are tasting/smelling in your finished product? This can be helpful as someone else may pick up different things in the beer than you can.

Three Floyds & the Flossmoor Station brew pub are right down the street, maybe ask a brewer there?

WOW!! Great idea! I am sure they would be willing to taste the brew and see what they can pick up. It might at least get you a bit closer to identifying the underlying issue. Either way, I am sure you would get good feedback from them.