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[rooster60]

I made a Snow cap clone a few weeks ago, it doesn't taste like Snow cap but I'm okay with that. It does have a banana flavor and I was hoping to get an idea why. The OG was 1.070 and I piched one vial of WLP011 at 68F and it fermented for 2 weeks at 64F to 68F. After the 2 weeks I put it in the keg and I was drinking it on Saturday. Would it have been better if I made a starter or did I just rush it into the keg to fast? Any help would be great. Thanks.

 

[MalFet]

When you say 64-68, is that ambient or beer temp? Bananas are pretty standardly esters, and if you want fewer esters you need more cooler yeast. So that means a starter and more temperature control.

 

[rooster60]

That was beer temp. The room is about 60F. I thought it was good. We brew and learn right?

 

[MalFet]

That was beer temp. The room is about 60F. I thought it was good. We brew and learn right?

Indeed It all depends on the yeast and your sensitivity to certain flavors. WLP011 does not typically produce much in the way of esters, so the bigger issue here is your yeast quantity. It wouldn't hurt to keep the temp closer to 65 than 68, but I think the bigger issue is your pitching rate. One vial in a 1.070 beer is putting a lot of pressure on a small population.