Off flavors that seem to be related to carbonation drops

Question

The last two batches I have brewed have been 1 gallon batches using carb drops. I have used these before a handful of times without issue but the last two seem over carbonated and leave a funny taste in my mouth that's reminiscent of helium or CO2 rather. Tho, from what I have read, the carb drops are "great" because they can help with consistency and avoid over carbonating. Is it possible these off flavors could be related to something else? The current beer I'm referencing has been bottled for 4 weeks now. Is it possible the flavor is still maturing and this carbonated taste will dial back a bit in time?

Has anyone experienced anything similar? I'm having a hard time explaining this taste and could be off entirely on its origin.

Answer 1

I have never tasted helium or CO2, so I don't know exactly what flavors you are referring to. I used to get off-flavors when I drank recently bottled beer carbonated with drops. The beer would taste faintly of green apple. Similar to how young beer tastes, but not very strong. As I recall, these flavors went away after 4 weeks or so. This was a couple years ago. I don't remember time precisely. The time it takes for beer to ferment or carbonate depends on ABV, sugar content, and yeast.

Another other possibility is that your beer got infected. How was your sanitation?

Another possibility is that you restarted fermentation with the addition of extra sugar. Adding bottling sugar is supposed to restart a small fermentation that only ferments the bottling sugar. If your yeast had prematurely stalled before reaching your target final gravity, the small fermentation wouldn't have to be that small. This could explain your over-carbonated beer. What was your target FG and your actual FG?

Is it possible that these flavors will go away on their own? Based on what you have told me it is possible.

Answer 2

Helium or CO2 is not something I have ever seen described as a off flavor. Yeast does not produce Helium but CO2 it produces in plenty, but that is hardly an undesired thing when carbonating :D. Green apple will usually go away, if that is the taste you are having.

I think you need to describe the flavor a bit further.

Answer 3

The only "flavor" I recall from helium was metalic I assume from the tank. Everyone has inhaled a balloon as a kid right? As for CO2 never detected anything from it and I've force carbed from steel and aluminium tanks.

I really doubt carb drops would be the source of your off flavor whatever it is, unless they've gotten contaminated somehow. Carb drops are just simple sugar in an easy package.

Eat a carb drop like a candy to rule them out. Then check for other changes in your process / equipment for the source.