Alaskan Amber fruity smell?

[mrchicken]

Have an Alaskan Amber (ale) clone in the fermenter (day 14). Popped the top to check gravity and got a strong fruity smell. ???

I am used to yeasty smells, malt, beer, hops but not fruit from an straight Amber ale.

Temp on day 2 of fermentation hit 71.2' so I put the fermenter into a swamp cooler and temp hovered between 67-65' for the remaining time. Wyeast 1007 german ale yeast. Pack said to pitch between 65-70'.

What might be causing the strange odor? I tasted the beer and it didn't have any off flavors that I could detect.

 

[Yooper]

Fruitiness comes from a too-warm fermentation temperature.

Here's the info from Wyeast:

STRAIN: 1007
GERMAN ALE ™

A true top cropping yeast with low ester formation and a broad temperature range. Fermentation at higher temperatures may produce mild fruitiness. This powdery strain results in yeast that remains in suspension post fermentation. Beers mature rapidly, even when cold fermentation is used. Low or no detectable diacetyl.

LOW
FLOCCULATION

73 - 77
ATTENUATION

55 - 68
TEMPERATURE RANGE

11
ABV

__________________________________________

For a really "clean" lager-like flavor, 55-57 degrees would be perfect. For an ale with low fruitiness, I'd go about 62 degrees but not much warmer.

 

[mrchicken]

Thanks Yooper!

Ok. The recipe on BYO said 68 degrees for 10 days then 14 days at 40' to clear, add DME to prime and bottle.

I guess mid 60's is too warm for ales ? :-(

 

[Yooper]

Thanks Yooper!

Ok. The recipe on BYO said 68 degrees for 10 days then 14 days at 40' to clear, add DME to prime and bottle.

I guess mid 60's is too warm for ales ? :-(

No, the mid 60s is often ok for many ales. But it's yeast strain dependent. That yeast strain gets fruity above about 64 degrees, but not bad until over about 66 degrees. Some yeast strains do ok up to 72 degrees or so, while others get a bit foul (S04 especially) at even temperatures above 62.

 

[Trail]

No, the mid 60s is often ok for many ales. But it's yeast strain dependent. That yeast strain gets fruity above about 64 degrees, but not bad until over about 66 degrees. Some yeast strains do ok up to 72 degrees or so, while others get a bit foul (S04 especially) at even temperatures above 62.

Some of us like S04 in the mid-sixties!

 

[mrchicken]

Ill bottle it up and see how she goes.
Is there a chart somewhere that has ideal temps so I can cross check recipes with the strain of yeast?

I was following a clone recipe, but I guess their temp was off.

 

[flars]

Best place to find information on yeast is the yeast manufacturers web site. A chart someone created may not always be kept up to date.

Here is Wyeast's information on their yeasts.

http://www.wyeastlab.com/beer-strains