Berliner Help: Question about Aroma

[magicaces84]

So I'm doing my first berliner and trying to document all my ups and downs along the way. Hoping someone who has more experience making these delicious beers has seen this before.

Using Wyeast 5335. Made a 2L starter off the lacto (held at 95F for 6 days). Brewed my beer and pitched the starter at about 100F and have been holding between 90F and 105F for 3 days now.

I'm using a NB Big Mouth Bubbler (Plastic) and an electric Carboy heater...both can be seen at the following links:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/big-mouth-bubbler-6-5-gallon-plastic-fermentor.html

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/...ure-control/electric-fermentation-heater.html

So it has been smelling and tasting good up until I got home from work today. I popped the airlock and got a huge whiff of plastic that almost knocked me on my ass. Took a sample, still tasted good, but almost thought I could taste the faintest, faintest hint of plastic (could have been all in my head).

Here is where it is weird....My first thought was the heater is melting the plastic. Smelled the outside of the bubbler...nothing. Actually, the heater wasn't even on for the 12 hours prior to this as I was letting the temps come back down. Then I thought maybe the acid level is eating the plastic, but nothing on NB website about not using it with low PH beers. Besides, that would be silly.

I then take a few more whiffs of this stuff thinking it "can't be that bad"

TOTAL PLASTIC AROMA!!!

so i start to notice that I'm seeing tons of little bubbles in the wort...

My understanding is that the Wyeast 5335 shouldn't create CO2. I'm using the pure lacto, nothing else in there.

So what do you guys think could be making this aroma? Is it just the heat at this point and once I cool to pitch Sacc and let it clear up the plastic thing will dissapate? Is it just a super strong acidic smell that at these temps are tricking me?

Is it possible a wild yeast got in there that is creating CO2 and that at these temps it is creating that plastic-like aroma/flavor typical from fermenting too hot?

Anyone with more experience, feel free to chime in. I'm lost, and as this is my first batch, I don't know if this is a moment to shrug and proceed, or start planning my next batch because this one needs to get dumped...

 

[Oldsock]

5335 is heterofermentative as far as I'm aware, so it should produce CO2. I've smelled some Lacto cultures that are slightly phenolic, I wouldn't worry about it. Have you tested the gravity or pH?

 

[magicaces84]

Gravity appears to have dropped in the 3 days from 1.044 to about 1.037.

Good to know that the 5335 can produce CO2...by no means is it a serious fermentation...just a ton of little tiny bubbles. Honestly, I don't see airlock activity at all.

Also, interesting on the Phenolic lacto cultures you've seen. This definitely makes me feel a little better, though I'm still shocked I haven't seen more commentary on this plastic-like aroma from anyone else using 5335 before. possibly just the nature of using bacteria? Issues with Chlorophenol due using tap water vs other?

I think I'll see it through regardless at this point, but man is it a potent smell. I'll likely start a new batch going just in case...nothing wrong with having 10 gallons of berliner, anyways.

 

[magicaces84]

Addtional Information:

I did not treat my water with Campden Tablets...could this have been my fatal mistake (if a mistake was made and this isn't a natural by-product that will fade)?