Fast ales and Orville Redenbacher

[coyotlgw]

I made a very simple ale, based on one of the the Papazian book. Dry Malt Extract, Cascade Hop Pellets, Saf-ale English Ale Yeast. The literature led me to believe that something this simple would ferment out in about a week, condition for a week, and be great at day 14.

Starting with OG 1.043, I fermented at 70°F and bottled at day ten at a final gravity of 1.012. Seven days later I tried a bottle and it was like movie popcorn... very very buttery and diacetyl. Same after another week. Only after bottle conditioning for three weeks was it finally a beer.

Is this normal? Is it because my bottles condiion in a closet in a 78°F room? How long do you guys usually condition?

 

[the_bird]

I don't know of any beer that's going to be really good to drink before at LEAST four weeks. I usually primary for between one and two weeks, secondary for a couple weeks, and when I was bottling wouldn't crack the first until three weeks had past. Even a simple recipe, or something meant to be drunk young like a hefeweizen, really needs at least four weeks total before it's going to be ready.

 

[coyotlgw]

Thanks for the quick reply... I stole your idea for a sig file as well

 

[malkore]

and fermenting at 70F is gonna produce some buttery flavors.

patience is probably the hardest thing to learn in this hobby. hell, I taste the unfermented, un-hopped wort out of my mash tun prior to the boil, just to see how its coming along!

(FYI, un-hopped wort is not anything like beer

 

[mward]

I regularly make an ordinary bitter with safale 04 that goes from boil to keg in 8 days and doesn't taste buttery at all. Watch your fermentation temperatures.

 

[coyotlgw]

and fermenting at 70F is gonna produce some buttery flavors.

I thought 70°F was right in the range for Ale... at what temp do you guys usually ferment ales?

 

[thebikingengineer]

62-65 if you can get there. The only stuff you want to ferment much higher than that is a Saison and maybe a hefeweisen, the hefe is generally good up to ~72 (IME) and I've heard of Saisons going all the way up into the 90s.

 

[mward]

66-68 with occasional excursions to 70 but I try to keep it low as I can.