Aroma Trouble

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

scottyg354

Plant Based Homebrewer
Joined
May 8, 2011
Messages
428
Reaction score
36
Location
Hazleton
Hi Guys,

I have been extract brewing for about a year now. I wouldn't call my self a pro but I think I almost past the novice stage in this area. I am getting ready to begin all grain brewing. I am running into one issue though and I am curious if it will resolve when I switch to all grain and if it is common with extract brewing. I cannot seem to get a good aroma when brewing with extracts. My beers always have a yeasty smell to them. I don't get the nice hop aromas or malt aromas you get from store bought craft beers. Is this due to my extract brewing? Will the aroma come when I switch to all grain?

Please note my beers all taste perfectly fine.
 
So you dry hop or add late additions in the boil? This is where aroma comes from.
 
I don't dry hop. The latest I usually put hops in is 15 minutes. Too early for aroma?

Temp varies maybe +/-5 degrees from 68 degrees.
 
I doubt this is an "all grain vs extract" issue. Most issues (unless your beer tastes like old extract tin cans) are not solved when you switch to all grain. I would not recommend switching to the more confusing world of all grain until you are making awesome extracts.

I believe this is a fermentation issue. +/- 5 degrees is A LOT in the yeast world. You're saying you basically ferment between 62* and 72*. All that flux will cause the yeast to get upset and not produce the flavors and aromas you want. (You note an yeasty aroma...) Control your fermentation temperatures better, and ferment it out completely (e.g. don't rack to a secondary after 10 days), pitch a proper amount and type of yeast and then see what happens.

Hope that helps.
:mug:
 
I would like to ask how long you are letting your beers condition. Sometimes your beer's true character does not really shine through until a few weeks in primary and a few weeks after bottling. I was often plauged by yeasty aromas until I started letting my beers sit and condition longer. Some styles will need less time.

Are you looking for hop aroma or malt aroma? If you are looking for more malt aroma, I would say that there ARE ways to improve this when all-grain brewing. If you are looking for hop aroma, late hop additions in the boil is helpful and dry hopping is great
 
+1 to al of the above suggestions and questions to consider.

If you are looking for stronger hop aroma consider doing more 5 minute and flameout additions, or dry hop

If you are looking for more malt then take a closer look at fermentation temps and conditioning time.

I have noted that with extract brewing issues when similarity of beers becomes an issue, a simple change of water is a good place to start. Try brewing the next batch of a beer you have already done with bottled or R/O water and compare to the previous. You might be pleasantly surprised.........

It is important to not change too many elements at the same time, just do one at a time.

Cheers!
 
Ok guys I'll work with those tips. Any other suggestions for maintaining temperature? I don't have a fridge available currently although I am planning to do a ferm. chamber setup sometime this fall or winter.

I live in PA which has all four season. I tend to brew during all four. Spring and fall usually average temps around 40-60, Summer usually 70-90 and Winter 20-40. So I'm dealing with some variance here. My basement has the most stable temp (dark and cool). Temp down there varies from a low 60 in the winter to a high of 73 in the summer (if memory serves me right).
 
Do a search on 'swamp cooler'. Basically, put your fermentor in a tub filled with water. This will increase the mass of your fermenter, and stop the temperature swings. Also, you can swap out frozen 2-liter bottles to cool it.
 
I don't dry hop. The latest I usually put hops in is 15 minutes. Too early for aroma?

Temp varies maybe +/-5 degrees from 68 degrees.

Did anyone catch this? There's your aroma issue right there. 15 is too early for aroma. You need a good 10, 5, and flameout addition for big hop aroma. I dry hop most of my beers, but if you make an APA or IPA, you NEED a dry hop, otherwise you just won't get the aroma characteristic of the beer. Other styles don't need a dry hop, but if you want any aroma at all, you need some solid 10 min and later additions.

Oh, and get your temperatures under control. You need to get rid of temperatures swings and keep things under 68 (speaking generally) to be making the best beer possible.
 
Back
Top