I'm glad I found this thread. Last night, while picking up pizza at a local brewery, I got talking to the owner who gave me a bottle of their best selling ale. I took it straight home and quaffed it down with my pizza. The first few sips had a very nutty nose and was quite pleasant. However, the more I drank, the more I was able to discern esters. By the end of the bottle it was like drinking liquid bananas. IMHO, this is not a flavor I enjoy in my beer... at all. In fact, this is one reason I quit the hobby years ago when I was doing extract brews in my apartment.
I was fermenting in our laundry closet with the air supply register (this was in Florida with the AC running near constantly) wide open and the rest of the registers near closed throughout the house. This got the closet down to about 65F. constant for two weeks (Ya, don't ask about our electric bill). Oh, that was the temp. reading on the carboy thermometer BTW. So, I figured I was safe as far as fermentation temps. were concerned. The worst offender was a wheat beer using Wyeast 1099 Witbread Ale. It was the worst "beer" I've ever tasted and I was so bummed that I quit.
I have tasted only a handfull of other home brew's but many of them have had a very... "home brew" flavor. Either estery, thin, or just plain nasty. I'm afraid all this time and money I'm investing right now is going to go to waste.
I figured that a local brewery, who is quite successful I assume (since they are expanding as fast as they can), would surely have advanced their brewing to a level to avoid these kinds of off flavors. Or, is this a flavor preferred by some and it's my pallet that is underdeveloped?
Regardless, I DON'T like this flavor at all, and will be bummed to find it in my beer again.
