ReaderRabbit
Well-Known Member
Since it's been in the high 40s in my garage, I decided to try making my first lagers a couple months ago. To start, I made a small (1.5 gal) batch of Octoberfest lager to function like a starter. Since I used to like the Gordon Biersch Marzen, my second 3 gallon batch was the same, just in a larger quantity, pitched on the same yeast cake.
Unfortunately, when I racked the first batch to secondary (so I could re-use the yeast cake) I forgot myself and put the jug in the same closet where I keep the rest of my carboys, where it's been in the mid-60s, though I remembered to keep the second batch in the garage. I didn't think that would make a big difference since the main activity should have been done.
When I bottled them both tasted a little bit off with an alcohol bite, but I figured it would age out. However, the first batch (one week in the mid-40s, three weeks in the mid-60s) has a bitter medicine-y flavor while the second batch (four weeks plus bottle conditioning in the mid-40s) cleared up and now tastes pretty nice.
Would the different fermentation temperatures be to blame? From what I've been able to find, it sounds like I've got medicinal phenols in the first batch so, perhaps the warmer temperature (I used Wyeast 2001, Urquell Lager for the yeast) let those phenols form? Would it be fixed if I moved them to the garage for a month?
Unfortunately, when I racked the first batch to secondary (so I could re-use the yeast cake) I forgot myself and put the jug in the same closet where I keep the rest of my carboys, where it's been in the mid-60s, though I remembered to keep the second batch in the garage. I didn't think that would make a big difference since the main activity should have been done.
When I bottled them both tasted a little bit off with an alcohol bite, but I figured it would age out. However, the first batch (one week in the mid-40s, three weeks in the mid-60s) has a bitter medicine-y flavor while the second batch (four weeks plus bottle conditioning in the mid-40s) cleared up and now tastes pretty nice.
Would the different fermentation temperatures be to blame? From what I've been able to find, it sounds like I've got medicinal phenols in the first batch so, perhaps the warmer temperature (I used Wyeast 2001, Urquell Lager for the yeast) let those phenols form? Would it be fixed if I moved them to the garage for a month?
