Hey folks,
Reason for post
I have really been trying to nail down my consistency between batches and am experiencing a sort of off taste/smell with a few batches.
The smell is a little fruity, not really banana, and only happens from time to time. I have made the same recipe three times now with differing results.
My environment:
Recipe: BierMuncher's Centennial Blonde
Brew Type: Full grain
Yeast: S-05
Ferm temp: 66 degrees as measured by the Johnson Controls lead sealed to the ferm bucket inside my ferm chamber
10 gallon igloo MLT, standard brewing equipment, nothing special.
**sidenote** So the first batch I ever made that had this off flavor was BM's Cream Ale. I have not made this one twice.
The first batch of the Centennial Blonde that I made with a swamp cooler was perfect. I made it again several months later, with my new ferm chamber setup, a GE freezer with a Johnson Controller, and it had this fruity taste. It isn't a bad taste, just off.
Fast forward to yesterday and I bottled another batch only to smell the same thing, and also, a sample taste before carbonating has a hint of the taste.
In short:
Cream of three Crops: no temp control, fruity taste/flavor
Centennial Blonde: Swamp cooler temp control (At around 66F), no fruity flavor
Centennial Blonde: Full fermentation temp control,fruity taste/flavor
Centennial Blonde: Full fermentation temp control,fruity taste/flavor
The burning question
Could I be fermenting this too low at 66F? I thought this was a good temp for S05?
I have brewed about 12 batches so far this year and these three have been the only "off batches" thus far. Pale Ales, Milk Stout, Wheat, even a Centennial Blonde have all come out fantastic with the same yeast at the same temperatures.
Again, it isn't bad and I am drinking it but it just seems off.
Any thoughts?
Reason for post
I have really been trying to nail down my consistency between batches and am experiencing a sort of off taste/smell with a few batches.
The smell is a little fruity, not really banana, and only happens from time to time. I have made the same recipe three times now with differing results.
My environment:
Recipe: BierMuncher's Centennial Blonde
Brew Type: Full grain
Yeast: S-05
Ferm temp: 66 degrees as measured by the Johnson Controls lead sealed to the ferm bucket inside my ferm chamber
10 gallon igloo MLT, standard brewing equipment, nothing special.
**sidenote** So the first batch I ever made that had this off flavor was BM's Cream Ale. I have not made this one twice.
The first batch of the Centennial Blonde that I made with a swamp cooler was perfect. I made it again several months later, with my new ferm chamber setup, a GE freezer with a Johnson Controller, and it had this fruity taste. It isn't a bad taste, just off.
Fast forward to yesterday and I bottled another batch only to smell the same thing, and also, a sample taste before carbonating has a hint of the taste.
In short:
Cream of three Crops: no temp control, fruity taste/flavor
Centennial Blonde: Swamp cooler temp control (At around 66F), no fruity flavor
Centennial Blonde: Full fermentation temp control,fruity taste/flavor
Centennial Blonde: Full fermentation temp control,fruity taste/flavor
The burning question
Could I be fermenting this too low at 66F? I thought this was a good temp for S05?
I have brewed about 12 batches so far this year and these three have been the only "off batches" thus far. Pale Ales, Milk Stout, Wheat, even a Centennial Blonde have all come out fantastic with the same yeast at the same temperatures.
Again, it isn't bad and I am drinking it but it just seems off.
Any thoughts?