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**AnOldUR** · 10-28-2010, 09:00 PM

A little history. About a year and a half ago I mashed a big batch of 1.064 OG wort. 5 gallons of it went to a Brown Ale and was pitched with Pacman yeast. Nice beer, long gone. The rest (about 2-3/4 gallons) got a single pack of Wyeast Roeselare 3763 for something like a Flanders Brown. Did the small batch because Wyeast recommended against making a starter with this blend. Primary in a 5 gallon glass carboy, secondary in a 3 gallon glass carboy after three weeks. Had all the signs of a healthy fermentation. Thick foamy krausen. After that droped, the pellicle was light, but coated the top.

It's been in my basement for all this time. Haven't touched it until today. It was at 1.011 so I transfered it to a 2-1/2 gallon keg. The sample was OK, but had what might be a bandaid finish. Can't be the water. The other batch (and all my other beers) have never had this flavor, and I only use Star San.

So, is this medicinal, bandaid finish from the yeast? Could I be confusing it with some other flavor produced by the pellicle? I have almost no experience with sour beers (why did I brew this?) and don't know what to expect. Hate to think that after waiting a year and a half I'll have to dump this.

Oldsock · 10-29-2010, 12:30 PM

Band-aid is certainly a phenolic flavor that some strains of Brettano0myces produce. It is also a compound that different people have widely different thresholds for (I have a good friend who tastes it in many commercial sours I enjoy). It may just be a flavor that you are expecially sensitive to.

You can give the beer more time, but odds are if the flavor is still there after 18 months it isn't going away.

**AnOldUR** · 10-29-2010, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oldsock

Band-aid is certainly a phenolic flavor that some strains of Brettano0myces produce . . . It may just be a flavor that you are expecially sensitive to.

The last time I had any Brett beers was around the time I brewed this. Can't say I really enjoyed them, but got carried away with the excitement around this special edition yeast. Thought that it might be similar to the way some don’t initially like really hoppy beers, but given time come to love them. If it is a low threshold thing, like you say, appreciating this style may not ever happen for me. Have to get my beer into the hands of someone with sour experience to tell me if it’s me or the beer that has a problem. The best I can do is picking up a commercial version and do a direct comparison.

ryane · 10-29-2010, 05:33 PM

If the beer is very sour you could also try blending some of it in a glass with another beer you already have brewed to see if there is potential there....

**AnOldUR** · 10-29-2010, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryane

If the beer is very sour you could also try blending some of it in a glass with another beer you already have brewed to see if there is potential there....

That's not a bad idea. I have a Belgian Dark Strong that didn't attenuate as much as hoped. A little sourness might take the sweet edge off.

But the other reason I'm worried is that I have Wyeast 9097-PC on the way for a 11-11-11 Old Ale - The HBT Anniversary Series. I know these yeast blends are not the same, but I'm still worried about brewing another sour. An Old Ale shouldn't have a lot of sour character, but the Brett may have a mind of their own.

Quote:

BJCP Old Ale Guidelines:
Some wood-aged or blended versions may have a lactic or Brettanomyces character; but this is optional and should not be too strong (enter as a specialty beer if it is).

Hoosier · 10-29-2010, 07:19 PM

I recently heard a story much like yours. The gentleman telling the story said that it (band aid flavor) went away after another 6-8 months. You have all this time invested so you may as well let her go for a little longer.

ryane · 10-29-2010, 09:29 PM

9097 wont make the beer sour at all, Ive found that I actually dont like the profile it lends to a bigger beer, it does however make a great lower grav brett'd beer

In my experience with it, it was very phenolic in a higher grav wort, and gave off some rotting banana esters

**AnOldUR** · 10-30-2010, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoosier

. . . (band aid flavor) went away after another 6-8 months. You have all this time invested so you may as well let her go for a little longer.

This is promising information. I may have had my doubts after already sitting on it for a year and a half, but ryane’s idea has given me hope. Last night I blended with the Belgian Dark. About one part Sour to two parts Belgian was delicious. Some of the Sour beer will go into the Belgian keg and the rest I’ll save to see if it improves over time on its own. Great ideas. Thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryane

9097 wont make the beer sour at all . . . In my experience with it, it was very phenolic in a higher grav wort, and gave off some rotting banana esters

This could be of interest to the HBT'ers who are in the 11-11-11 swap. I'll post it there.