14 replies to this topic

[BrewerGeorge]

I haven't tasted it yet, but I've realized that I forgot to remove chloramines from the first AG batch of Spotted Cow clone I made.  I used to use a carbon filter to remove them, but I didn't think about it this time.  I know for sure that our water system is using them, and I know their taste threshold is low.

 

So assuming that I can taste them in the beer when I rack it this weekend, what does that mean for the yeast I was planning to re-use immediately?  Do you think racking new wort directly onto the yeast cake would leave behind enough chloramine to be tasted in a second beer?  Should I wash the yeast, maybe?  Remove some and pitch into a fresh starter?

 

I know this might all be premature until I taste the beer, but I wanted to mention it early to get the best chance of people seeing it before I need to make a decision this weekend.

[Big Nake]

I don't have a lot of experience with chlorine or chloramine as it relates to beer. I do have a lot of chlorine in my water and I use a carbon block filter to remove it. Some use campden tablets and others say that if you draw the water and allow it to sit overnight (maybe stir it?) that it will burn off and the water will be fine to use. How did you collect the water for the first batch and how long before you used it? If you just took it out of the tap and used it immediately you may have an issue (I think the accepted answer on chlorine/chloramine is that the resulting flavor is like band-aids). I can't say whether that would carry over to subsequent batches because it's out of my experience.

[djinkc]

I don't think carbon filters remove much chloramine anyway.  I never had problems with untreated water here and we have a healthy dose of it.  I started using campden tablets anyway quite a few years ago.  Still don't notice a difference but they're cheap insurance.  And I've never treated water for starters.  I think you'll be fine harvesting.

 

If you're really worried sneak a taste of what's fermenting.

[Bklmt2000]

I haven't tasted it yet, but I've realized that I forgot to remove chloramines from the first AG batch of Spotted Cow clone I made.  I used to use a carbon filter to remove them, but I didn't think about it this time.  I know for sure that our water system is using them, and I know their taste threshold is low.

 

So assuming that I can taste them in the beer when I rack it this weekend, what does that mean for the yeast I was planning to re-use immediately?  Do you think racking new wort directly onto the yeast cake would leave behind enough chloramine to be tasted in a second beer?  Should I wash the yeast, maybe?  Remove some and pitch into a fresh starter?

 

I know this might all be premature until I taste the beer, but I wanted to mention it early to get the best chance of people seeing it before I need to make a decision this weekend.

 

Were it me, I'd consider washing the yeast in question (with carbon filtered, pre-boiled water) to ensure any residual chloramines are removed.

 

I don't recall ever reading anything that suggested yeast had an affinity for chloramines, so my thinking is, wash the yeast, and you should (and I emphasize, should) be good to go.

[positiveContact]

I don't think carbon filters remove much chloramine anyway.  I never had problems with untreated water here and we have a healthy dose of it.  I started using campden tablets anyway quite a few years ago.  Still don't notice a difference but they're cheap insurance.  And I've never treated water for starters.  I think you'll be fine harvesting.

 

If you're really worried sneak a taste of what's fermenting.

 

this is what I'd do.

[Big Nake]

Definitely taste the beer first and see. I have heard that chloramines can be worse than chlorine in terms of what they do for beer and I have also heard (as DJ mentioned) that filters are not supposed to work on chloramines. But because it's a gas I have heard that it will disperse more easily than chlorine which itself is supposed to disperse overnight.

[positiveContact]

Definitely taste the beer first and see. I have heard that chloramines can be worse than chlorine in terms of what they do for beer and I have also heard (as DJ mentioned) that filters are not supposed to work on chloramines. But because it's a gas I have heard that it will disperse more easily than chlorine which itself is supposed to disperse overnight.

 

I think you've got that wrong.  chlorine will disperse overnight.  chloramines will not.

 

https://www.tampabay...for-fish-owners

[Big Nake]

I think you've got that wrong.  chlorine will disperse overnight.  chloramines will not.
 
https://www.tampabay...for-fish-owners

Mmm, I guess so. I was under the impression that it would escape easier. I have thought about what I would do if Chicago went to chloramines and I guess I would try to use the filter to see what it did (the label on my filter says it removes chlorine, chloramine, organic flavor and particulate down to .5 micron) but if that didn't work then I'd probably use campden tablets.

[BrewerGeorge]

I used campden for the batch of starters that I made and will continue to do that with future batches.

 

Guess I'll taste it and wash if necessary.

[MyaCullen]

I used campden for the batch of starters that I made and will continue to do that with future batches.

 

Guess I'll taste it and wash if necessary.

seems like the small contribution that a starter is making to the overall volume of the batch wouldn't be worth worrying over

Edited by miccullen, 15 September 2017 - 10:47 AM.

[positiveContact]

seems like the small contribution that a starter is making to the overall volume of the batch wouldn't be worth worrying over

 

I've forgotten to treat my starter water (city water) before.  no big deal.

[BrewerGeorge]

seems like the small contribution that a starter is making to the overall volume of the batch wouldn't be worth worrying over

 

I've forgotten to treat my starter water (city water) before.  no big deal.

Last weekend I mashed 7.5 lbs of pale and made 20 quart starters, canned.  I meant that I had remembered to use Campden tablets in that water.

 

For the OP, I was thinking of the potential impact of any chloramines in the whole yeast cake from just re-pitching it.

[Bklmt2000]

Last weekend I mashed 7.5 lbs of pale and made 20 quart starters, canned.  I meant that I had remembered to use Campden tablets in that water.

 

For the OP, I was thinking of the potential impact of any chloramines in the whole yeast cake from just re-pitching it.

 

If you do a rinse with some water that's been filtered, boiled, and then dosed with Campden, i'd say that should ensure the next batch will be chloramine-free.

[MyaCullen]

I wouldn't dose my yeast with campden, it ya know, kills yeast.

[SchwanzBrewer]

I use tap water in my starters. A lot of the chlorine will be off gassed over the 17 to 24 hours that the starter is on the stir plate. Then the starter is diluted to around 2% - 3% of the total wort volume, so whatever Cl is left in the ppb range is now 30 times less in the beer and likely out of the taste threshhold. The yeast won't have much to absorb and the beer will be fine.