How would you describe the taste of fusel?

I'm curious because I just brewed an english ale using Nottingham yeast. Not knowing how agressive that yeast was I started fermentation around 70 degrees like my last. After I came home from work the next day the temps were in the upper 70's. I should have done some research on Nottingham and found out that the recommended range was 70 and below (should have cooled the wort to 65 atleast). So 4 days later I took a sample (I have a better bottle so I didn't stick my hand inside) and the FG is almost there. I tasted the sample and I'm not sure if what I tasted was the green hops flavor or fusels from too high temps. The smell reminded me of wine and I couldn't taste any of the roasted/chocolate flavors that should be present. I'm not freaking out or anything because I've learned from my mistakes this time around. I'm not going to dump it either, I plan on riding this one out until the end. Time heals all and beer is more durable than we think, I know Revvy

fusel is a vague term that covers just about any off flavors but mostly higher alcohols, it can range from solvent like (acetone) to rubbing alcohol to permanent marker. I think its usually described as chemical and having a slight burn when you drink it. but given time a lot of these off flavors will mellow out and result in a more complex brew.

Untill You get congress to OK distilling...you get a still and taste forshots...You're never going to need to worry about it.

You'll be much more interrested in tasting esters...I'l send ya a bottle of those if you'd like.

My take is "hot and sharply alcoholic".

Nottingham can deal with higher temperatures fairly well. I wouldn't be worried.

Don't forget to update this thread in 6 weeks.

BigKahuna said:

Untill You get congress to OK distilling...you get a still and taste forshots...You're never going to need to worry about it.

You'll be much more interrested in tasting esters...I'l send ya a bottle of those if you'd like.

Click to expand...

Aren't esters fruity like? Some esters are actually wanted but those generaly come from lower temp fermenting, right? I might be tempted to get one of those bottles from you just so I know what to be on the look out for in my brews.

Also, everyone mentioned fusel but what about the very distinct wine like smell? That just the green from hops?

The fusels can have hot, sharp, or solvent flavors. They'll also give you "killer headaches from hell" if you over indulge.

Saying something has a "wine like smell" is somewhat like saying something smells like beer. I'm not sure what you are getting at. There could be fusel alcohols in that aroma, as ethanol usually is easier to pick up in wine, but it's hard to tell from your description.

Try to dissect the aroma in your mind a bit. Think about what you are smelling, rather than only what it reminds you of. While that is useful, you need to take the next step and think about why the smell reminds you of wine. What are the similarities? Do you smell something like an alcohol solvent (e.g., magic marker, nail polish remover, rubbing alcohol), or is it something else (e.g., fruit, ethyl alcohol)?



TL

Honestly, you won't really know until the beer has bottle conditioned and aged for awhile...some things that we think may be fuesels are just green tastes/smells and if you let them, the yeast will clean it up in the bottle...

Take a read of this, your beer may simply have the same issues that mine did...and went away after several months...and if you notice my update on the last page, I had a surprise when I discoverd a 6 month old 6 of it in my brew buddy's keezer.....

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/ne...virtue-time-heals-all-things-even-beer-73254/

Long story short...Rdwhahb on this beer....

Fusel to me taste a lot like a solvent of some sort maybe like what I would think dilute acetone might taste like. Listen to Revvy though it is very likely with some time those flavors will go away.

Those fusels will probably turn into fruity esters which is good for an English ale. Don't worry about it, it's very hard to judge a beers aroma from the primary or secondary even. The yeast will clean most of that mess up. For future reference just know that all ale strains do well below 70F, I rarely pitch above fermentation temps and slowly raise like is suggested sometimes. I try to pitch @ 65 for all Ales unless I'm not working with a starter in which pitching below 70 can retard things.