cushdan
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Edit: I overanalyzed, high temps caused off flavors
Let me start by saying I'm pretty new to brewing, I've done 4 batches of beer and 2 apfelwein. I have run into an issue with my last couple batches of beer. I was making BierMuncher's Centennial Blonde and I left it in the Primary Fermenter for about 2 weeks, maybe 2.5. When I opened it to bottle, I went to smell it and it was a horrible ripe smell, like somebody stabbed me in the nose. I also noticed some little chunks of something floating which I can only guess to be dried Krausen. After reading many a post on here I decided to RDWHAHB and bottle it anyway. It's been a few weeks since then and the smell/flavor is still off, I can't tell if its moldy or something else but I do not think its drinkable.
I then did another batch of the same recipe and last night bottled it. When I opened it after 1.5 weeks in the Primary it had a similar smell, but far less than the first one. Once I racked to the bottling bucket the smell was not noticeable, unlike the first, so I think I might be alright this time. The same dried krausen was apparent in the second as well.
My latest theory (which hopefully you can comment on) is that the dried Krausen had sat for too long without any food/oxygen on the upper sides of the bucket and had Autolyzed causing a horrible smell. Then after sitting for a week or so with the beer, the first batch adopted the awful smell/flavor. Another factor that was different from my first two batches (which went fine) was that I purposefully did not open the Primary during fermentation since I wanted to decrease my chances of infection, creating an environment with no oxygen. Is it possible that opening the lid was a good thing for my first couple batches since it let oxygen in which may have kept the krausen remnants alive longer?
Regardless, what I'm taking away from this is that I should use my secondary to get the beer away from the dried krausen but I would love to hear if this has happened to any of you and if there are any steps I can take to avoid in the future. I will also add pictures of the first bucket tonight.
Thanks,
Dan
Let me start by saying I'm pretty new to brewing, I've done 4 batches of beer and 2 apfelwein. I have run into an issue with my last couple batches of beer. I was making BierMuncher's Centennial Blonde and I left it in the Primary Fermenter for about 2 weeks, maybe 2.5. When I opened it to bottle, I went to smell it and it was a horrible ripe smell, like somebody stabbed me in the nose. I also noticed some little chunks of something floating which I can only guess to be dried Krausen. After reading many a post on here I decided to RDWHAHB and bottle it anyway. It's been a few weeks since then and the smell/flavor is still off, I can't tell if its moldy or something else but I do not think its drinkable.
I then did another batch of the same recipe and last night bottled it. When I opened it after 1.5 weeks in the Primary it had a similar smell, but far less than the first one. Once I racked to the bottling bucket the smell was not noticeable, unlike the first, so I think I might be alright this time. The same dried krausen was apparent in the second as well.
My latest theory (which hopefully you can comment on) is that the dried Krausen had sat for too long without any food/oxygen on the upper sides of the bucket and had Autolyzed causing a horrible smell. Then after sitting for a week or so with the beer, the first batch adopted the awful smell/flavor. Another factor that was different from my first two batches (which went fine) was that I purposefully did not open the Primary during fermentation since I wanted to decrease my chances of infection, creating an environment with no oxygen. Is it possible that opening the lid was a good thing for my first couple batches since it let oxygen in which may have kept the krausen remnants alive longer?
Regardless, what I'm taking away from this is that I should use my secondary to get the beer away from the dried krausen but I would love to hear if this has happened to any of you and if there are any steps I can take to avoid in the future. I will also add pictures of the first bucket tonight.
Thanks,
Dan