Fixing questionable beer

[Natethebrewer]

So I brewed Midwest's California Common
and made a couple of additions to the recipe including some pale 2-row, Vienna and Wheat malts. Used the dry yeast (bad Idea)
Transferred it over to glass last night and... it's not the greatest beer ever.
There is something about it (perhaps lager yeast in Connecticut's 80-90 degree weather) that isn't as I had planned.
I'm in search of suggestions to improve it.
Like dry hoping with fresh ones from my willamette, or adding a bunch of citrus zest, or perhaps blending it with something.
Does anybody have experience with this?

 

[bobjohnson]

The something about it... is that something like....

hot alcohol bite
sour taste

 

[Natethebrewer]

Sour of sorts. And perhaps a bit like tart apples. Reminds me of vinegar but doent smell like vinegar

 

[Natethebrewer]

It just occurred to me I could make a fruit beer of it, any ideas on which fruit might work with a california common

 

[eastoak]

i would just dump the mess and start over. what do you do with a batch of burnt cookies? the base for the fruit beer is a bad beer? of course it would be interesting to see where it goes if you do go for a fruit beer so keep us posted.

 

[Natethebrewer]

I'll keep you posted with which way I go.
I can't say it's dump-worthy, it's just "drinkable"
And I'm looking for a way to improve it before bottling.
Any ideas on a fruit that might mask better than others? I have a bunch of lemons kicking around that could be zested and thrown in.

 

[LexusChris]

Sounds like the beer is still kinda young, right?

Palmer's off-flavor chart recommends aging and/or lagering the beer for a bit to subdue the cidery & apple tart flavors. In any case, let it age out a bit.

How long was your primary ferment? I used to get excited for a brew and try to bottle it within a week. It is better to let it sit at ferm. temps for an extra week or two and let the yeast clean up the fermentation by products. That really helps clean a beer up!

I would not dump it. I've been amazed at the number of *marginal* beers I've had improve after 5 weeks in storage.

Good luck!
--LexusChris

 

[Natethebrewer]

The primary was 3 weeks, plenty of time I thought. I plan to give it a week or two at room temp as I lack the capacity to lager 5 gallons
Citrus, and rasberry are looking like good canidates.
Any thoughts on vanilla? I've been told it can be used to hide sins.

 

[david_42]

3 weeks is not long enough with a lager yeast.

 

[Natethebrewer]

The primary was 3 weeks, plenty of time I thought. I plan to give it a week or two at room temp as I lack the capacity to lager 5 gallons
Citrus, and rasberry are looking like good canidates.
Any thoughts on vanilla? I've been told it can be used to hide sins.

 

[Natethebrewer]

Sorry about the repost, just started using the hbt app.
Im convinced dry yeast and no temp control was a bad idea. 3 weeks isn't long enough? How long then?

 

[eastoak]

Sorry about the repost, just started using the hbt app.
Im convinced dry yeast and no temp control was a bad idea. 3 weeks isn't long enough? How long then?

since it's a california common 3 weeks is fine. a previous poster said that 3 weeks is not long enough for a lager and they are right but this is a cal common not a true lager.

 

[Natethebrewer]

Thanks I had hoped. Somebody would say 3 weeks is fine.
I did some sampling last night, a very little vanilla seems to help. I still may fruit the beer but remain undecided

 

[b-boy]

If you're doing fruit try frozen blackberries. They are nice and tart. Gives you a lambic-like flavor in the final product. Saved a Blonde Ale I made.

 

[Natethebrewer]

Good to know, frozen it probably cheaper than fresh

 

[Natethebrewer]

So I settled on not fruiting the beer, seemed like I would be adding more of what I don't like about the beer already.
instead I added the zest from half a lemon, 1 tbs grated ginger and 1/8 tsp vanilla. We'll see where that leads

 

[Natethebrewer]

So I settled on not fruiting the beer, seemed like I would be adding more of what I don't like about the beer already.
instead I added the zest from half a lemon, 1 tbs grated ginger and 1/8 tsp vanilla. We'll see where that leads

 

[shadows69]

I don't think the yeast was the problem. The temp was the main problem. When my beer doesn't turn out the way it should, I add .2 oz of simcoe dry hopped. The last one I did and dry hopped it turned out to be one of my better beers when I thought it would of failed. Just my 2 cents.

 

[MVKTR2]

Since you've gone primarily with citrus zest I'd suggest a heavy dose of dry hopping as well.

As others have alluded to the issue is fermentation oriented in origin. Apple cider/vinegar sounds like acetaldehyde. Cold conditioning should improve this issue. Additionally more acetaldehyde seems to be produced when a fermentation is stressed or taken off the yeast to soon. Not sure what went on with your batch, but a swamp cooler is your friend!

Phillip

 

[KoolAidKid]

I read something in BeerAdvocate that said to try keeping a shelf of mason jars with random additions for cases like this. It says to take 4oz of vodka and then add things such as spices, zests, peels, etc and let them sit for at least 4 weeks, shaking them often to mix well. If you have a few of these sitting around, you may be able to strain and add one in before the bottling process to possibly save your beer. I mean, next time if you're planning on dumping a questionable batch anyways, try something like this and see if it saves the taste of your brew. If not hey, you were gonna dump it anyways...

 

[Natethebrewer]

I like the idea of ready made potions that KoolAidKid suggests, I can add that to the list of projects for the fall. I made aftershave that way once (whiskey, cinnamon, orange zest and a piece of cedar). I had no plan to dump though.
I've established a solera of sorts that has a portion of each batch in it, worst case; I blend and drink dark beer ( I know not bad for a worst case).
I had assumed acetaldehyde was to blame. That and dry lager yeast with no temp control. It sat in a bucket for 3 weeks ( a portion of which I wasn't even home). I'm leaning towards stressed yeast. They were a little stressed in the batch before (similar flavors but far less noticeable) but that subsided with conditioning, and it turned into a fine saison.
I did some taste testing and the vanilla in small quantities seems to knock the edge off the tart flavors. Lemon zest in my experience has brightened whatever was already there, it's grapefruit zest that seems to have a flavor that cuts through.
I did consider dry hopping, but I have no dry cones. I have some pellets in the freezer and my willamette bine has some cones on it. Any thoughts on dry hopping with wet cones?