Extreme Level of DMS

Ugh. So I just brewed a blonde ale and there is a very high level of DMS (I believe that's what it is. There's a slight chance that it could be acetaldehyde).

I don't know what is causing it. I've brewed this recipe before and did not have this problem. Also, it is pretty cloudy, and I used whirlfloc.

Here's what I did:

- Grain bill: 7# 2-row, .5# caramel pils, .5# victory
-90 min rolling boil, no lid
-counter flow chiller: 212 to 66 in 10 min
-did not use yeast starter (first time in forever)
-wlp 001
-pitched yeast at 63 F, fermentation started about 20-24 hrs later
-in order to jump start fermentation, moved from ambient 66 F to about 70-73F
-Fermented at a high temp. (anywhere from 69-75)
-transferred to secondary 10 days later
-conditioned for 6 days at 33 F
-F.G. 1.008

Any ideas as to what is causing the high levels of DMS and the cloudyness??

Maybe something in the water?

weirdboy said:

Maybe something in the water?

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Hmm, could be? When I brewed this recipe last, I was in AZ. I knew the water report and adjusted with minerals.

I am now brewing in Vermont. However, I know* this water is better as it is clean, tasty, well water. What the mineral content is, I'm not sure. I do however add 5.2 pH Stabilizer. I've also brewed a few other beers here in VT using this water and have not had this DMS problem. Granted, they were much darker beers, which are less prone to DMS.

You can try boiling it more vigorously. DMS is driven off in during the boil.

What off-flavors are you tasting? DMS and acetaldehyde and two totally separate tastes. DMS being more cooked veggie/cornlike and the latter being more green apple like.

Newbeerguy said:

What off-flavors are you tasting? DMS and acetaldehyde and two totally separate tastes. DMS being more cooked veggie/cornlike and the latter being more green apple like.

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Well I know the dif. between the two, but I'm not 100% sure which one it is. It has a very sweet corn type taste to it, but when it was fermenting I could smell it and it smelled (to me anyway, could be wrong) a little like apple.

But i'm about 85% sure it's DMS.

kozydogg said:

Well I know the dif. between the two, but I'm not 100% sure which one it is. It has a very sweet corn type taste to it, but when it was fermenting I could smell it and it smelled (to me anyway, could be wrong) a little like apple.

But i'm about 85% sure it's DMS.

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It isn't unusual to smell some funk when it is fermenting, and since acetaldehyde is a byproduct of the yeast, it makes sense that you would smell it during fermentation.

As for the DMS, a 90 min rolling boil should of been more than sufficient to drive it off. Only thing I see is the higher ferm. temps could be giving you some esters. I just can't imagine and DMS after a 90 min. boil, especially since you used 2 row, not pilsner malt.

hmm, maybe i'm not identifying what the taste is properly. I've never actually had someone hand me beers with KNOWN defects and go "ok, this one is DMS, this one is Diacetyl..."

But something is def. off. But from the descriptions of all the known off-flavors, it is closest to a sweet corn flavor.

The only thing I can think of is the lag time between pitching and fermenting and also the higher ferm. temps. I usual ferment in a chest freezer w/a temp controller, but i'm using it to lager a few beers right now, so my ferm. temps haven't been as precise as i'd like them recently.

Have you packaged this beer yet? I am doing an AG no boil experiment, where to combat DMS I built a CO2 scrubbed. Basically a piece of thin copper tubing coiled up with holes drilled in it. I attach this to my CO2 tank and place it in the bottom of the fermenter and let it run. You can smell the DMS coming out... just let it run about a minute past where you can't smell it anymore, works great to get rid of it.

Not to be a Debbie Downwer, but infections can also cause DMS. If you did a 90 minute boil, that's a far more likely culprit if it is indeed DMS.

BrewSpook said:

Have you packaged this beer yet? I am doing an AG no boil experiment, where to combat DMS I built a CO2 scrubbed. Basically a piece of thin copper tubing coiled up with holes drilled in it. I attach this to my CO2 tank and place it in the bottom of the fermenter and let it run. You can smell the DMS coming out... just let it run about a minute past where you can't smell it anymore, works great to get rid of it.

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That's an interesting experiment. I've already bottled the beer, however.


And regarding the infection...I suppose it's a possibility, however I've been brewing for 5 yrs and have never had an infection. I guess there's always a first for everything though haha... (but I really doubt it's an infection)

Whatever it is, it's a bummer.