My APA tastes like a Belgian Pale Ale

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mychalg9

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I was drinking a Green Flash Rayon Vert yesterday and realized that the "off" flavors I've been getting in my pale ale tasted almost exactly like this belgian pale ale style. Any ideas what would cause my APA recipe to taste like that? If I recall, the recipe was a SMASH with 2 row and cascade hops, not sure if I used Notty yeast or US-05 for it but if I had to guess it was probably Notty. Any ideas?
 
I'm no expert, but I was asking the same thing a few weeks ago. I think my fermentation happened too hot/too fast.

Slowed my next batch down with the swamp cooler technique. Not finished yet, but I measured and sampled before dry hop and things seem better.
 
Bet you used us05. I've had this happen to me twice with us05 at low temps - almost a Belgian phenolic yeast character that I could not place. I'm conducting "experiments" with us05 and hoping to get better results at higher temps with it, especially because when us05 is on its great. I'm just having issues getting it to be consistent in my brew house.
 
Bet you used us05. I've had this happen to me twice with us05 at low temps - almost a Belgian phenolic yeast character that I could not place. I'm conducting "experiments" with us05 and hoping to get better results at higher temps with it, especially because when us05 is on its great. I'm just having issues getting it to be consistent in my brew house.

Interesting. I am using US05 in an IPA right now and fermenting it in the low 60's. I guess I should try to raise it up a bit
 
I had the same problem happen to me... turns out I didn't clean the keg well enough between my Saison and my APA. Lesson learned. :drunk:
 
When fermented at 60F or less US-05 can give a distinct fruitiness, almost citrusy. I have found that when I ferment APAs with US-05 that low, all the malt is masked by the hops and citrus of the yeast. I now ferment my APAs around 64F-66F
 
Rayon vert is a bretannomyces beer. If your beers taste like that, you have brett in your fermentors. Time for a bleach bomb of everything you own. This is not a flavor created by US-05. Rayon Vert is one of the funkiest beer's I've ever had (love it, BTW)- it's got a classic brett character.
 
Bet you used us05. I've had this happen to me twice with us05 at low temps - almost a Belgian phenolic yeast character that I could not place. I'm conducting "experiments" with us05 and hoping to get better results at higher temps with it, especially because when us05 is on its great. I'm just having issues getting it to be consistent in my brew house.

I tend to agree. I fermented a simple blonde (9lbs 2-row, 0.5lb. aromatic, all centennial) with us-05, repitch, and it was in the low 60's the entire time...came off with banana aroma and a somewhat fruity flavor. I thought I pitched too high (under 80 but probably around 75)...reading this I wonder...
 
It's hard to say what the deal is, and as for the Brett issue, this flavor only comes from using us05. The batches before and after in the same bucket didnt have this issue... So no boogey men in my fermenters.

Anyhow, I'm having a real issue with us05 lately, so much so that if the next few batches I use with it don't turn out the way I want, I'm done with it. I may go to using either Nottingham dry for all American and British Ales or S04 or WlP007 as a house yeast. I know a lot of people love us05 and I was one of them, but it needs more scrutiny that's for sure.
 
I'm fermenting an pale ale of sorts using a repitch of us-05 as we speak. It's been fermenting around 72 in my basement which is in the high 60's. It will be interesting to see how the flavor is on this one compared to the blonde that fermented in the lower temps.
 
I also have since taken my IPA out of the swamp cooler @ 62 deg and left it in my basement at ambient temp ~66 deg to see if I get better results.
 
I've read people gradually raise their ferm temps as time goes on...is this common for most? I usually leave it steady, in fact, I've been thinking of making a ferm chamber or using a swamp cooler to keep it even more consistent.
 
When fermented at 60F or less US-05 can give a distinct fruitiness, almost citrusy. I have found that when I ferment APAs with US-05 that low, all the malt is masked by the hops and citrus of the yeast. I now ferment my APAs around 64F-66F

Try 62 F the right temperature for this yeast. Why are you going below 60F then jumping to 65F? Oh well.

Secondly, it's clean hops you want. Right?

Right?
 
About 3 years ago, I was buying brewer's best extract kits from a lhbs. They all came with Nottingham as their "house" yeast. They used it for their american pale and their american ipa. It had a sour twang on the finish, not quite like a belgian, but definitely not the extract twang. I was hanging out on the NB forum back then, and i remember a thread about this taste from beers fermented with Nottingham. I know that the thread referred to extract as well as all grain brews, and many members reported the same sour or tart taste. I like us-05 because it gives the fruity esters that an American pale or ipa should have in my opinion. I remember brewing the same kit using the 05 and liking it better. I used us-05 for two different all grain ipa's currently fermenting. Initial taste have been excellent.
 
All I know is that I brewed a blonde that was incredibly simple, light, and low hops. It threw a banana aroma and taste along with some other general fruitiness. Wasn't harsh or annoying, but was interesting that it had those notes using US-05 and fermenting in the low 60's.

I have an APA of sorts going on US-05 right now that's been around 72* for the first 4 days or so. Will be interesting to see what it throws off for flavor/aroma notes.
 
Interesting... I've had a lot of this issue with pales and IPA's using US-05. I typically wanted "clean" beers, so I'd ferment in the 60-62 range, but they seemed to all come out too fruity. I like the attenuation of US-05, but I've been using Notty & S-04 more due to the fruitiness.

So others have seen better results fermenting US-05 in the 66-68 range?
 
Guys, when you pitch at 75, fermentation starts right then. A krausen might develop by the time its back down to 65, but the time in between will create off flavors. Very important to chill down to pitching temp.
 
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