I have seen a couple people asking about the plastic taste and smell in wine and beer that sometimes shows up. I have been making wine and beer since the early 80’s and have found through my research, (I’m a Chemical Engineer) that if you use concentrated Chlorine bleach with plastics or rubber (hoses, filters, pumps, gaskets etc.) that it can very easily be absorbed into these materials and then releases the chemical compounds that smell and taste like water from a garden hose exposed to sunlight.
Over the years I have lost two kegs of beer and one batch of wine to this, even though I am careful. Now, I eliminated Chlorine bleach from my wine and brew room and never use it for cleaning any surfaces either. It is relegated to the laundry only.
Hope this bit of advice saves your batches from the dreaded garden hose effect.
Name: Mike S.
State: Shanghai, China
———————————————————————————————————
Ed Kraus is a 3rd generation home brewer/winemaker and has been an owner of E. C. Kraus since 1999. He has been helping individuals make better wine and beer for over 25 years.
