Alcohol taste

So in on my 4th extract brew now just doing full boils and I 3 of my brews have had a Alcohol taste and aroma! I sanitize like crazy chill my wort quickly the only thing I can think of and have read about would b ferm temp my first was the best so far and actually fermented at about 63 going off of my Carboy thermometer strip and I'll honestly say the other 3 with the alcohol taste were about 68 according the strip! Any thoughts u guys? think this would b the culprit behind my alcohol taste?

Is this taste sweet and warming, or harsh and solvent-like? What types of beers did this problem occur in, and what were their approximate original gravities? Did you use dry or liquid yeast, and if you used liquid, did you make a starter?

ArcaneXor said:

Is this taste sweet and warming, or harsh and solvent-like? What types of beers did this problem occur in, and what were their approximate original gravities? Did you use dry or liquid yeast, and if you used liquid, did you make a starter?

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I can still enjoy it but on the harsh side def not supose to b there has happend in a brown ale, Irish stout and a pale ale. OG's were right on target with the recipe! Used liquid yeast and no starter! One thing I have put together this week with stir plate and 2000ml flask for brew this weekend gonna make a starter and brewing a cream ale

Your description suggests fusel alcohols, but those aren't usually produced in large amounts when you ferment in the high 60s, unless the yeast are really stressed, which can happen when you underpitch. The reason I asked about the OG is because alcohol flavors tend to become much more noticeable above 6.5% ABV or so.

Some other things that can contribute to harsh flavors:

- chlorophenols (using municipal tap water, chemical/plastic/band-aid like flavors)
- wrong balance of minerals in the brewing water
- using high-cohumalone bittering hops (harsh bitterness)
- prolonged dry hopping with T-90 pellets or whole hops (grassy or astringent flavors)
- addition of large amounts of simple sugars (cidery or "rocketfuel")
- Yeasts that produce lots of phenolics (peppery)

if it's a solvent-like alcohol, i believe it's fermentation temps.

starters certainly won't hurt, but i don't think pitching rates would be the cause of fusel alcohols

check what temperature you pitched your yeast, too...

edit: i've had fusels after pitching notty too high, and wort ferm temp at 68 deg...YMMV

Thinking about pitching tempts. I've probably pitched around mid 70s. And my beers havnt been above 1.046 for OG's

try to get your pitching temp below your target fermentation temp...the temp of the wort will rise as the yeast go to work, and your ferm temps might rise too high, causing fusels

wort chillers definitely help, but simply more time in an ice bath will do

I agree with heferly, pitching temps seem to be the most likely culprit. Try low to mid 60s instead of 70s.

sils13 said:

Thinking about pitching tempts. I've probably pitched around mid 70s. And my beers havnt been above 1.046 for OG's

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How about FG? Are you reaching higher than target attenuation? Pitching at higher temps could cause that and result in a higher than desirable abv.

Indyking said:

How about FG? Are you reaching higher than target attenuation? Pitching at higher temps could cause that and result in a higher than desirable abv.

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Fg around 1.014! Def gonna critique everything this weekend and fallowing week! Appreciate all the help this forum is great!

In my experience, tasting too early makes the alcohol "hot" and too apparent.

Do you have any of your first batch left? How long ago did you brew that one? I'll bet a little impatience is the culprit here, maybe more than temps.

time, grasshopper, is your friend.

Just throwing this one out there, have you used table sugar to raise your OG?

Yeah, thats why I asked. From what I've read you get alcohol-like off flavors if used wrong. Typically in (first) extract brews when people feel that the ABV will be too low.
In styles where its called for, well, that's another topic.

First brew was bottled in January and taste great a brittish ale. And then bottled the next batches throughout march. Don't use any priming sugar except for bottling.
My bottled beers r sitting in a closet with a temp around 65.