jvlpdillon
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2008
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I entered my first competition a few weeks back. I didn't do so well. I got back good comments so I was pleased regardless. I am not disagreeing with them I am just hoping to dissect their comments to improve for next time.
I brewed an 18A Belgian Blonde.
Simple recipe.
6lbs Belgian pils
6 lbs German pils
1 lb cane sugar
1/4 lb brown sugar
WLP570 yeast.
S-33 for bottle conditioning (not necessary I know)
ramp mashed from 70 to 155 over three hours.
OG 1.064
FG 1.006
4 weeks primary
2 weeks secondary with gelatin at 40 degrees. This was really clear, and with the low FG I didn't think it would carb up so I threw in the S-33. Again I know this may not have been necessary.
I was told there an aroma of an of a possible infection from a sour referred to as catty, resembling a gueze flavor/aroma, clearly not to style for a blonde.
Here was a clear mistake in my part. Only the bottles I submitted for the competition were not going to be carbed in time. So I made certain they sat next to a halogen light bulb for a few days. The comments did say there was med-high carbonation. I did not make a hot carbed control that I could taste what the judges tasted.
Could this silly mistake of carbing at down right hot temperatures cause the sour flavor in the yeast(s) WLP-570 / S-33?
Was one bottle possibly contaminated, and I had really bad luck?
Would an infection not necessarily show any visible signs?
Or is possible this was so overwhelming to the judges but I don't notice?
I have had a few of the properly conditioned (room temp for a few weeks) and have not noticed the same "sour" flavor. I have also not noticed any signs of infection in the rest of the bottles. These are not carbonated very well yet though.
I do try and follow good sanitation but I could have just been called out for not being careful enough.
There is another competition in a few weeks. I am going to try again with the same batch. So this may tell me the answer then. Thanks for the possible answers before that. I know most of the answers will come back "maybe" but just curious if there was a silver bullet.
I brewed an 18A Belgian Blonde.
Simple recipe.
6lbs Belgian pils
6 lbs German pils
1 lb cane sugar
1/4 lb brown sugar
WLP570 yeast.
S-33 for bottle conditioning (not necessary I know)
ramp mashed from 70 to 155 over three hours.
OG 1.064
FG 1.006
4 weeks primary
2 weeks secondary with gelatin at 40 degrees. This was really clear, and with the low FG I didn't think it would carb up so I threw in the S-33. Again I know this may not have been necessary.
I was told there an aroma of an of a possible infection from a sour referred to as catty, resembling a gueze flavor/aroma, clearly not to style for a blonde.
Here was a clear mistake in my part. Only the bottles I submitted for the competition were not going to be carbed in time. So I made certain they sat next to a halogen light bulb for a few days. The comments did say there was med-high carbonation. I did not make a hot carbed control that I could taste what the judges tasted.
Could this silly mistake of carbing at down right hot temperatures cause the sour flavor in the yeast(s) WLP-570 / S-33?
Was one bottle possibly contaminated, and I had really bad luck?
Would an infection not necessarily show any visible signs?
Or is possible this was so overwhelming to the judges but I don't notice?
I have had a few of the properly conditioned (room temp for a few weeks) and have not noticed the same "sour" flavor. I have also not noticed any signs of infection in the rest of the bottles. These are not carbonated very well yet though.
I do try and follow good sanitation but I could have just been called out for not being careful enough.
There is another competition in a few weeks. I am going to try again with the same batch. So this may tell me the answer then. Thanks for the possible answers before that. I know most of the answers will come back "maybe" but just curious if there was a silver bullet.