Has anyone ever had a Lysol taste in their ipa? Its not real strong, but its definitely there and quite distracting. I week post the recipe when I get to my computer (i'm on my phone). Is there a way to get rid of the taste, our tone it down? Will it get better with time?
Lysol taste in ipa.
- Thread starter Budzien
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
ectoplasmicfunk
Well-Known Member
Almost every time I make an IPA I get this problem.
It's definitely a bizarre off-flavor that comes through - for me I think its because of my fermentation temperatures which are usually higher than normal. I really need to get ferm chamber.
The higher temperatures can cause an overabundance of fusel alcohols and esters from the yeast which might be what I'm tasting. Not sure if this applies to you, though.
However, when I make other styles of beer, the problem isn't as noticeable.
It's definitely a bizarre off-flavor that comes through - for me I think its because of my fermentation temperatures which are usually higher than normal. I really need to get ferm chamber.
The higher temperatures can cause an overabundance of fusel alcohols and esters from the yeast which might be what I'm tasting. Not sure if this applies to you, though.
However, when I make other styles of beer, the problem isn't as noticeable.
There are two possibilities I can think of for a "lysol" taste.
One is simply some hops are "piney"- think chinook or simcoe and sometimes that resiny pine comes through, and I suppose it could be "lysol" like, but I love it!
Another thing could be "solvent" off flavor- that harsh alcohol flavor that comes from a too-high fermentation temperature especially combined with a bit of oxidation.
Maybe if the two were combined- chinook and/or simcoe hops with a too-high fermentation temperature, especially with a bit of oxidation, you could get a Lysol flavor.
One is simply some hops are "piney"- think chinook or simcoe and sometimes that resiny pine comes through, and I suppose it could be "lysol" like, but I love it!
Another thing could be "solvent" off flavor- that harsh alcohol flavor that comes from a too-high fermentation temperature especially combined with a bit of oxidation.
Maybe if the two were combined- chinook and/or simcoe hops with a too-high fermentation temperature, especially with a bit of oxidation, you could get a Lysol flavor.
+1
I agree with Yooper on all counts.
It could be fusels. Do you oxygenate your wort with pure O2 or aerate? In the "Yeast" book there is a table in the back that indicates fusels go up and esters go down with increased oxygenation. Sorry I don't have the book here with me at work or I would give you the page number. Conversely, fusels go down and esters go up as wort 02 decreases. That's assuming everything else is relatively normal and constant. It's kind of a ballancing act and discussed in other areas of the book also. Greg Doss from Wyeast also talks about this in his presentation "The Meaning of Life According to Yeast". A google search should find that for you. I'm not sure if fusels are what you taste, but you might want to adjust aeration/oxygenation up or down as an experiment and see what that does. If it is fusels, I don't think it will get much better with time. Since this is an IPA and fairly high OG I doubt the O2 level is the issue if you are just aerating and not useing pure O2.
Maybe. Sorry, it's the best I can offer- because if it's simply the hops flavor, sure it should mellow out.
But if it was also due to a high fermentation temperature and/or stressed yeast, it won't.
If your fermentation temperature was under 70 degrees, it's probably just hop flavor. If your fermentation temperature was higher, especially higher than about 73 degrees, it's probably more of the "solvent" combined with the hops flavor and that really won't improve.
