I've brewed and bottled my first two extract batches (recipes below). I primed with 2/3 cup dextrose mixed into 5gal batch. Both have a very odd off flavor that was NOT present at any point prior to bottle conditioning. I understand time will tell, but I want to know if strange flavors always come out during bottle conditioning.
Batch #1 (10 days primary, 2 weeks secondary) was described as 'watermelon' after 1 week in bottles. That flavor has been gradually subsiding over the 7 weeks since bottling, but it's still pretty pronounced. Those bottles are now crystal clear and the beer has nice dense head with great retention. Everything about the beer seems awesome except this haunting off flavor in the background...
Batch #2 (10 days primary, 4 weeks secondary) has been in bottles for just two weeks. Before bottling it had all the hop aroma and flavor I'm going for... but now it's got a bizarre smell and aftertaste that really comes through in the burps. It's sort of fruity and kind of coats the mouth. I expect this to subside with time, as well, but I'm nervous I'll never get back to where I was before bottling.
I've read about diacetyl, acetaldehyde, and fusel alcohol. Can these develop during the bottle conditioning stage? Does bottle conditioning always cause weird flavors that need to be waited out?
I store my empty bottles clean, and my sanitation procedure is as follows:
- Run empty dishwasher, spray racks with star san solution
- Scrub bottles with dish soap and bottle brush, rinse thoroughly
- rinse with star san solution using vinator bottle rinser
- invert bottles on sanitized dishwasher racks to drain
- soak caps in star san solution
===================
Brew #1: Chinook IPA (Northern Brewer Kit)
Brewed 8/29/10
2.5 gal boil, 5 gal total, 60 min
O.G. 1.059
Fermentation temp 76ºF-78ºF
Specialty Grain
0.75 lbs Dingemans Caramel Pils
0.25 lbs Briess Caramel 120
Fermentables
6 lbs Pilsen LME
1 lb Pilsen DME
Hops
1 oz Chinook(60min)
1 oz Chinook (10 min)
1 oz Chinook (1 min)
1 oz Chinook (dry hop)
Yeast
Wyeast 1056 American Ale
Brew #2: Three Hearted IPA (Northern Brewer Kit, modified extract additions and dry hop)
Brewed 9/18/10
3 gal boil, 5 gal total, 60 min
O.G. 1.080 (measured, probably wrong). Calc’ed 1.073. Kit estimated 1.064.
Fermentation temp 74ºF-76ºF Primary, 64ºF-68ºF Secondary
Specialty Grain
1 lb Briess Caramel 40
Fermentables
9.15 lbs Gold LME
Hops
1 oz Centennial (60min)
2 oz Centennial (25 min)
1 oz Centennial (5 min)
1 oz Centennial (dry hop)
1 oz Ahtanum (dry hop)
Yeast
Wyeast 1056 American Ale
Batch #1 (10 days primary, 2 weeks secondary) was described as 'watermelon' after 1 week in bottles. That flavor has been gradually subsiding over the 7 weeks since bottling, but it's still pretty pronounced. Those bottles are now crystal clear and the beer has nice dense head with great retention. Everything about the beer seems awesome except this haunting off flavor in the background...
Batch #2 (10 days primary, 4 weeks secondary) has been in bottles for just two weeks. Before bottling it had all the hop aroma and flavor I'm going for... but now it's got a bizarre smell and aftertaste that really comes through in the burps. It's sort of fruity and kind of coats the mouth. I expect this to subside with time, as well, but I'm nervous I'll never get back to where I was before bottling.
I've read about diacetyl, acetaldehyde, and fusel alcohol. Can these develop during the bottle conditioning stage? Does bottle conditioning always cause weird flavors that need to be waited out?
I store my empty bottles clean, and my sanitation procedure is as follows:
- Run empty dishwasher, spray racks with star san solution
- Scrub bottles with dish soap and bottle brush, rinse thoroughly
- rinse with star san solution using vinator bottle rinser
- invert bottles on sanitized dishwasher racks to drain
- soak caps in star san solution
===================
Brew #1: Chinook IPA (Northern Brewer Kit)
Brewed 8/29/10
2.5 gal boil, 5 gal total, 60 min
O.G. 1.059
Fermentation temp 76ºF-78ºF
Specialty Grain
0.75 lbs Dingemans Caramel Pils
0.25 lbs Briess Caramel 120
Fermentables
6 lbs Pilsen LME
1 lb Pilsen DME
Hops
1 oz Chinook(60min)
1 oz Chinook (10 min)
1 oz Chinook (1 min)
1 oz Chinook (dry hop)
Yeast
Wyeast 1056 American Ale
Brew #2: Three Hearted IPA (Northern Brewer Kit, modified extract additions and dry hop)
Brewed 9/18/10
3 gal boil, 5 gal total, 60 min
O.G. 1.080 (measured, probably wrong). Calc’ed 1.073. Kit estimated 1.064.
Fermentation temp 74ºF-76ºF Primary, 64ºF-68ºF Secondary
Specialty Grain
1 lb Briess Caramel 40
Fermentables
9.15 lbs Gold LME
Hops
1 oz Centennial (60min)
2 oz Centennial (25 min)
1 oz Centennial (5 min)
1 oz Centennial (dry hop)
1 oz Ahtanum (dry hop)
Yeast
Wyeast 1056 American Ale