Burnt Popcorn??

So i just tasted a swing off my first AG as it went in to the bottle, and there is this small taste of burnt pop corn that i get off of it! at least thats what i can equate it to... i did a Belgian Wit, Hoegaarden clone.

Should i just relax and wait for a month and let it condition? or will that taste be there in a month!?!?!

Burnt popcorn? Like corn that was overcooked? Or burnt popcorn, like the buttery microwaved popcorn?

A burnt taste might mean some burnt wort. "Corn" tends to be DMS, if you had some issues with chilling, or didn't boil hard/long enough. Buttered popcorn tends to be diacetyl. That's why I asked the questions- to better pinpoint what you may be tasting.

like buttery microwave popcorn!

That sounds like diacetyl. That's common in a couple of yeast strains, particularly lager strains, when they don't get enough time on the yeast cake after primary fermentation ends to "clean up" the diacetyl.

Some yeast strains are notable for being diacetyl producers, and in some beers it's part of the taste. I know that there are a couple of English yeast strains that are known to give that effect, and a diacetyl rest (leaving the beer on the yeast cake until it's gone) is usually employed.

Which yeast strain did you use, and how long did you leave it in primary?

If it's diacetyl, it might also taste like butterscotch or even be "slick" on the tongue.

If it's more the cooked corn, I'd guess DMS but it sounds like the butter part of the popcorn you're getting.

i used white labs belgian ale yeast, i left if in primary for 9 days, will that taste go away with some condition time? when i was cleaning the carboy that oder was very strong!

BrewJr said:

i used white labs belgian ale yeast, i left if in primary for 9 days, will that taste go away with some condition time? when i was cleaning the carboy that oder was very strong!

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The cleaning up of diacetyl is a function of the yeast, so once it's removed from the yeast cake the odds are that it won't get much better. It might, but I wouldn't think so.

so i guess i bottled a little early huh!? damn!!

BrewJr said:

so i guess i bottled a little early huh!? damn!!

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Yeah. But don't write it off yet! I've been known to be wrong, and maybe you're just picking up some notes from the Belgian yeast. If I could taste it, I could probably help more but I'm really just guessing. Hopefully, I guessed wrong, and the beer will be awesome. If I guessed right, it'll still be drinkable, especially cold.

Thanks Yooper!!

I've had a similar experience with that same yeast. Brewed a saison which started out fine, but has actually gotten more diacetyl notes as it sits in the bottles... it's very noticeable now after about 8 months in bottle.

Honestly, one of my favorite flavor profiles I get from Dogfish Head 60-minute IPA is a taste of slightly burned popcorn. Granted I don't think the flavor would be as desirable in a witbier... lol.

Im sure it will clean up though.

after reading this I'm kinda glad I accidentally left my Belgian dubbel in primary for seven weeks! oops