Well, this is different...

[cms]

So I have a batch of "My Amber" gurgling away in a spare bathroom shower. I'm used to every fermenting batch of beer smelling quite different (rotting meat, beer, farts, next to nothing, etc.) but this one is really odd. I just walked into that bathroom to check on it and was greeted by an overpowering aroma of pickled olives. Just like I stuck my nose in an olive jar - the whole room is filled with it.

Didn't expect that.

 

[Dynachrome]

Vinegar? I'd love to see a picture.

It's not more of a grapefruit by Any chance. Are you using a new yeast you havent before.

...is that "My" a take-off of "Mai" like Mai-bock?

 

[cms]

Some vinegar, yeah - but something else. That distinct "jar of olives" aroma. It's quite substantial. Not grapefruity at all.

It's in a bucket so I don't have good access, but I got a peek (but no picture) this morning when I swapped out the blowoff tube for an airlock. The krausen is big and fluffy - looks perfectly normal.

This is wyeast 1056 and I've used it many times. This particular yeast is a second generation that I washed. So that part makes me a little nervous - I've used the other half of this same harvested yeast in another batch that turned out great, but the odd smells make me wonder if I picked something up. Time will tell, I s'pose. I dry-hop this amber so I'll have a good look in a couple weeks when I rack it into a glass secondary.

The "My" is not nearly that clever. It's just my own recipe and seemed like an easy way to denote this recipe from another. It's been through a few revisions (this batch being the biggest change - going from an extract recipe to AG). Originally, I planned to try and save a few bottles from each 'version' so I could verify that my tweaks were doing what I meant but I'm not disciplined enough to hold back any bottles. :-/

 

[Dynachrome]

I'm not disciplined enough to hold back any bottles. :-/

...you and me both....

 

[DeafSmith]

Some vinegar, yeah - but something else. That distinct "jar of olives" aroma. It's quite substantial. Not grapefruity at all.

It's in a bucket so I don't have good access, but I got a peek (but no picture) this morning when I swapped out the blowoff tube for an airlock. The krausen is big and fluffy - looks perfectly normal.

This is wyeast 1056 and I've used it many times. This particular yeast is a second generation that I washed. So that part makes me a little nervous - I've used the other half of this same harvested yeast in another batch that turned out great, but the odd smells make me wonder if I picked something up. Time will tell, I s'pose. I dry-hop this amber so I'll have a good look in a couple weeks when I rack it into a glass secondary.

The "My" is not nearly that clever. It's just my own recipe and seemed like an easy way to denote this recipe from another. It's been through a few revisions (this batch being the biggest change - going from an extract recipe to AG). Originally, I planned to try and save a few bottles from each 'version' so I could verify that my tweaks were doing what I meant but I'm not disciplined enough to hold back any bottles. :-/

Last year I made a starter from some washed WLP001 which I believe is the same yeast as Wyeast 1056. This starter had a very strong vinegar smell early on, and a huge kraeusen for a starter (overflowing the flask), but I couldn't taste any vinegar in it, so I went ahead and decanted and pitched the starter. The beer turned out just fine. I haven't had anymore like that - I have temporarily quit washing yeast, just out of sheer laziness, so haven't tried reusing WLP001 again.